# Lion's mane human trials: every study, summarised

Source: https://lionsmanemushroom.uk/research/
Author: Jo Calder · Updated 2026-11-03

**Short answer:** We count ten published human trials of lion's mane taken on its own, with 338 people between them. The most promising results are for memory in older adults with mild decline. Trials in healthy younger adults mostly found no effect. The largest trial had 77 people and no placebo group.

## How did we choose these trials?

We searched PubMed for every study of *Hericium erinaceus* or lion's mane in people, then kept the ones that gave lion's mane on its own and measured a health outcome. We left out:

- multi-ingredient products, such as gut supplements in which lion's mane is one of several ingredients;
- studies of fresh lion's mane as a food ingredient that measured taste or texture rather than health;
- conference abstracts and studies we could not find in full or in abstract.

Each study name in the table links to its PubMed record. We read the full text where it is freely available, and the table notes who funded the work when that matters.

## What do the trials add up to?

Three patterns stand out:

- **Older adults with mild memory decline did best.** All three trials in this group found some benefit on memory tests, which is why we grade [memory](/benefits/memory-and-cognition/) as moderate evidence.
- **Healthy young adults saw little.** Across five trials, the only positive results were small, single-dose effects on one or two tasks. See [focus](/benefits/focus-and-concentration/).
- **Mood results depend on study design.** The study without a placebo found the clearest benefit; the placebo-controlled one mostly did not. See [anxiety and depression](/benefits/anxiety-and-depression/).

## What is still missing?

A large, independent, placebo-controlled trial lasting at least six months, using a product whose content is measured and published. Until one appears, every conclusion about lion's mane in people rests on small studies. We update this page when new trials are published.

## Frequently asked questions

### How many human studies are there on lion's mane?

We count ten published trials of lion's mane on its own, as of November 2026. There are also a few studies of multi-ingredient products that contain lion's mane, which we leave out because their results cannot be put down to lion's mane alone.

### Are there any large trials of lion's mane?

No. The largest had 77 people and no placebo group, and the largest placebo-controlled trials had 41 people analysed. None would be considered large by medical standards.

### Which lion's mane trial is the most reliable?

There is no single strong trial. The 16-week Mori 2009 trial and the 49-week Li 2020 trial are the most often cited, but both are small, and Li 2020 was partly run by staff of the company that makes the product.

## References

1. [Menon A et al. Benefits, side effects, and uses of Hericium erinaceus as a supplement: a systematic review. Frontiers in Nutrition, 2025.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40959699/)
2. [Cha S et al. A review of the effects of mushrooms on mood and neurocognitive health across the lifespan. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 2024.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38246232/)