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Lion's mane

Supplement mushroom brain & mood
Aka: Hericium erinaceus, yamabushitake
Brands seen in Singapore: California Gold Nutrition, Real Mushrooms, NOW Foods, Host Defense, Swanson Vitamins
Third-party tested: Real Mushrooms certifies other products with NSF Certified for Sport, but nothing for lion's mane.Certification is granted per product, so check the tub you actually own. Not being listed is not the same as failing.
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Limited human evidence — short-term cognitive clarity
When to take
Daily
Studied for
The trials quoted here ran 28 days to 4 weeks
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Five RCTS; four in healthy adults, benefits reported
  • A single 1.8 g dose sped up stroop (p = 0.005)
  • Side effects in trials are rare and mostly mild
Cons
  • Review verdict: limited effectiveness in trials
  • Small samples, short trials, mixed results
  • One case report: ards after prolonged use
Sources
  1. Benefits, side effects, and uses of Hericium erinaceus as a supplement: a systematic review (Front Nutr 2025) — conclusion · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “HE, as a dietary supplement, shows limited effectiveness in clinical trials and is primarily used for temporary improvement in cognitive function and mental clarity”
  2. Menon et al., Front Nutr 2025 — evidence base included · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “This review includes results from five randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 15 laboratory studies, three pilot clinical trials (PCTs), one cohort study, one case report, and one computer analysis”
  3. Menon et al., Front Nutr 2025 — randomized controlled trials · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Four out of five RCTs involved healthy individuals, with all trials reporting benefits and minimal side effects”
  4. Menon et al., Front Nutr 2025 — side effects · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Although commonly unreported, potential side effects of HE include stomach discomfort, headache, and allergic reactions”
  5. Menon et al., Front Nutr 2025 — acute and 28-day dosing trial · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “In a similar study evaluating both acute and 28-day chronic HE administration (1.8 g/day), a single dose produced a statistically significant improvement in Stroop task speed (p = 0.005)”
  6. Menon et al., Front Nutr 2025 — 4-week 10 g/day trial · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “A total of 24 healthy adults participated in a placebo-controlled, single-blind, parallel longitudinal study to examine the effects of ingesting 10 g of HE daily for 4 weeks”
  7. Menon et al., Front Nutr 2025 — limitations of the evidence · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Despite promising findings from randomized controlled trials, pilot studies, and laboratory investigations, current research is limited by sample sizes, short study durations, and heterogeneity across studies”
  8. Menon et al., Front Nutr 2025 — case report · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “One case report from Japan documented acute respiratory distress syndrome in a 63-year-old male following prolonged use of HE. The report concluded that HE contains a compound capable of triggering an allergic reaction”
  9. HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines, GL-CHPB-1-012 Rev. No. 001 (Oct 2025) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list [Hericium erinaceus / lion's mane not listed in Annex A or B]”
  10. iHerb Singapore — Lion's Mane category (default order); first 5 distinct brands: California Gold Nutrition, Real Mushrooms, NOW Foods, Host Defense, Swanson Vitamins · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Organic Lion's Mane, 90 Veggie Capsules … Fungiology®, Certified Organic Lion's Mane Powder, 4.2 oz (120 g) … Lion's Mane, Mushroom Extract Powder, 120 Capsules … Lion's Mane, 500 mg, 60 Veg Capsules”
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Updated 2026-08-30. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.