# Lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus)

**Hericium erinaceus**

**Known today as.** A single clump of hanging spines on hardwood trees.

Kind: Fungus

## What was it used for?

Food and tonic in Chinese and Japanese cooking and medicine.

## What does modern science say?

Its hericenones and erinacines stimulate nerve growth factor in the laboratory, and a small Japanese trial suggested benefit in mild cognitive impairment; the evidence is early. Hericenones and erinacines raise nerve growth factor in cultured cells, which is the basis of the claims for the brain. The Japanese trial of 2009 in thirty people with mild cognitive impairment found a gain on a rating scale that faded within four weeks of stopping the tablets.

## Pharmacognosy and toxicology

- **hericenone B**: 
- **erinacine A**: from the mycelium

**Mechanism.** Erinacines induce nerve growth factor in cultured cells.

**Dose.** Generally safe as a food; the side effects reported with supplements include stomach discomfort, headache, and allergic reactions.

**Standing.** No approved use; small trials.

## What lore surrounds it?

It grows as one clump of hanging spines, and its Latin names both mean ‘hedgehog.’

Its meaty texture has led to trials of it as a stand-in for steak.

## What did the older authorities say?

**Its names.** *Hóutóugū*, the monkey-head mushroom, in China; *yamabushitake* in Japan, after the *yamabushi*, the mountain ascetics of Shugendo.

**Chinese medicine.** Gives it for gastritis and ulcers, and, by one review’s account, to sharpen memory; it was also valued against fatigue.

## Sources

- Mori, K., et al. (2009). Improving effects of *Hericium erinaceus* on mild cognitive impairment. *Phytotherapy Research* 23: 367–372.
- Mori, K., et al. (2009). *Phytotherapy Research* 23.
- Friedman, M. (2015). “Chemistry, nutrition, and health-promoting properties of *Hericium erinaceus*.” *Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry* 63.
- Wikipedia contributors. “Hericium erinaceus.” *Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia*. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hericium_erinaceus (read 2 October 2026).
- Wikipedia contributors. “Hericenone.” *Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia*. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hericenone (read 2 October 2026).
- Wikipedia contributors. “Erinacine.” *Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia*. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erinacine (read 2 October 2026).
- Menon, A., et al. (2025). Benefits, side effects, and uses of *Hericium erinaceus* as a supplement: a systematic review. *Frontiers in Nutrition* 12: 1641246.
- Ge, F., et al. (2025). Bioactive polysaccharides from *Hericium erinaceus*: extraction, structure, bioactivities, and applications. *Molecules* 30: 1850.
- Mori, K., et al. (2009). *Phytotherapy Research* 23.

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*Lion’s mane.* In *Materia Medica*, edited by B. C. P. Statema. Version 1, revised 2026-10-03. The Thinking Press. https://thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/lions-mane

Historical description, not medical advice.