Buying lion's mane mushrooms is as easy as ordering online from a reputable grower, although the raw product isn't the best way to reap its health benefits.
Extracts derived from the fruiting body – such as the industry standard 10:1 extract – offer more promising health benefits because they contain significantly more useful compounds like hericenones and erinacines per serving.
The raw mushroom is admittedly helpful for cooking, but it's not as potent as an extract in either loose powder or capsule form as you get with vybey Lion's Mane.
Lion's mane powder also offers the convenience of being mixable into meal replacement shakes, greens powders, coffee, and tea (granted, it'll change the taste, but the earthy and savoury flavour is quite pleasant).
What to look for in lion's mane supplements
Lion's mane mushrooms are among the most potent natural nootropics for enhancing memory, concentration, and reducing stress – and all supplements containing it promise the same things. But not all are equal.
The best lion's mane supplements contain only one ingredient (lion's mane), ideally an extract from the fruiting body.
We want extracts made from the fruiting body because this is where most of the bioactive compounds live. Some are exclusive to the fruiting body, such as hericenones, which are known to stimulate the nervous system [1].
A 10:1 extract means 10g of lion's mane mushroom was used to get 1g of the final extract - ensuring a very potent extract blend.
Another essential feature is the delivery system:
- Powders come loose in a bag that you measure with a scoop. Add the powder to water or another liquid and shake or blend it to mix. Lion's mane powders don't dissolve but mix and soften up.
- Capsules contain precise dosing of lion's mane and can be taken with water or any other drink on a full or empty stomach -- vybey's capsules are made from vegan cellulose HPMC.
Which is the best delivery system for you? That depends on whether you want to add lion's mane to your shakes or swallow it whole.
Capsules are more convenient, but some people like the taste of lion's mane mushroom and use it to add a savoury flavour to shakes or place into their coffee or tea.
Why vybey?
vybey isn't the only lion's mane extract you can buy, but it is one of the few options containing 100% lion's mane with no fillers. It's free from heavy metals and toxins and is expertly packaged to ensure no contamination.
Our lion's mane is vegan and all-natural, with a fantastic nutritional profile per 100g:
- 296 Kcal.
- 7.4 g protein.
- 1.4 g fat.
- 79.7 g carbs.
- 5.3 g sugars.
- 32.2 g fibre.
- 976 mg sodium.
One serving is 1,500mg, so consuming vybey lion's mane doesn't add many calories to your diet – making it brilliant for weight loss, much like meal replacement shakes.
The power within lion's mane
Lion's mane is a nootropic (smart drug) with positive effects on cognitive abilities - think enhanced memory, concentration, and the ability to cope with stress and anxiety better. It might also improve sleep and immunity, making it a potential super-supplement for our health, from fending off sickness to getting more kip.
The compounds within it hold the power:
- HEP3 has remarkable immunomodulatory properties [2] with anti-inflammatory capabilities, as evidenced by its effects in cell cultures and animal models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), where HEP3 reduces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, in immune cells.
- Lion's mane stimulates the production of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine in the hippocampus [3] – these are a known factor in clinical depression, anxiety, and some sleep disorders like insomnia.
- Hericenones promote the growth of nerve cells (neurons) [4] by synthesising the Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), a protein that plays a crucial role in the growth, maintenance, and survival of neurons.
- Erinacines have neuroprotective effects against oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and amyloid-beta toxicity, making them promising candidates for neurodegenerative disease research [4].
Is lion's mane safe to consume?
The raw and extract versions of lion's mane are safe to consume for most people, except those with mushroom and fungi allergies – steer well clear of lion's mane and other mushrooms if you are allergic!
The recommended daily dose of lion's mane is 1,000 to 1500 mg, equating to three vybey Lion's Mane capsules at 500 mg per serving. You can take these all at once or spread them out throughout the day with every meal – most people take them all at the same time for convenience’s sake.
Studies looking into the safety of lion's mane have found it is overwhelmingly well-tolerated among healthy adults and those with disorders.
- In a clinical trial spanning 49 weeks [5] on patients with mild Alzheimer's disease – the patients consumed 1,050 mg per day of a lion's mane mushroom extract and experienced adverse effects in only 8% of cases.
- An individual case report [6] documented an acute allergic reaction with hives and gastrointestinal distress after consuming fresh lion's mane mushrooms, but the person didn't exhibit any allergic response to purified lion's mane extract.
- A placebo-controlled study [7] conducted in Japan over 16 weeks evaluated the effects of taking four 250 mg tablets of Yamabushitake (the Japanese name for lion's mane) per day, finding no adverse effects.
Summing up
Lion's mane is easy to buy online as a raw mushroom that you can cook and add to your recipes and as an extract in powder or capsule form.
An extract made from the mushroom's fruiting body is the version you want for health benefits because it contains significantly higher quantities of useful compounds that can positively affect the body and brain.
vybey lion's mane is a high-quality, convenient option, or you can try Braincare Smart Focus, a nootropic coffee drink with even more shrooms and fungi – Reishi and cordyceps, plus a hit of Maca root and chaga for energy levels.
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