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The Acute and Chronic Effects of Lion’s Mane Mushroom Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Stress and Mood in Young Adults: A Double-Blind, Parallel Groups, Pilot Study

Summary

This study examined whether Lion’s mane mushroom supplements could improve thinking speed and reduce stress in healthy young adults. Researchers found that a single dose improved how quickly people completed a mental challenge, and four weeks of daily supplements showed a trend toward reducing subjective stress. However, the study was small and found mixed results, including some negative effects on memory tasks, so more research with larger groups is needed to confirm these findings.

Background

Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s mane) is an edible mushroom with documented health-promoting effects and bioactive compounds that can cross the blood-brain barrier. Previous research has focused on chronic supplementation in cognitively compromised older adults, with limited investigation in healthy young adults.

Objective

To investigate the acute effects of a single 1.8g dose of Hericium erinaceus on cognitive performance and the chronic effects of 28-day supplementation on cognitive function, stress, and mood in healthy young adults aged 18-45 years.

Results

Following acute administration, participants performed significantly faster on the Stroop task (p=0.005). After 28-day supplementation, a trend toward reduced subjective stress was observed (p=0.051). However, negative findings included reduced accuracy on immediate word recall after acute dosing, and no effects on global cognitive performance or other domains.

Conclusion

Lion’s mane may improve speed of performance and reduce subjective stress in healthy young adults, though findings are preliminary and should be interpreted cautiously due to small sample size. Further investigation with larger samples and more demanding cognitive assessments is warranted.
  • Published in:Nutrients,
  • Study Type:Clinical Trial - Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Groups Pilot Study,
  • Source: PMID: 38004235, DOI: 10.3390/nu15224842
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