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Does lion's mane (Yamabushitake) affect cognitive function? What 1 study shows

ライオンズメイン(ヤマブシタケ) · lions mane · Last updated:

hintl editorial team / Brain & Focus Desk

Brain & focus genre desk — research review

Research data last updated: |How this works

Key points

There are positive reports, but the evidence in humans is still limited.

For cognitive performance · 1 study · 41 participants

hintl Evidence Score 39/100 (1 study, confidence low).

Evidence at a glance

How does lions mane affect cognitive performance?

reported, but evidence is limited
39/100 Evidence ScoreConfidence: low1 study1 RCT
How the 39 is built
Study design base
randomized controlled trial
+30/40
RCT bonus
1 RCT
+5/15
Study count bonus
1 study
+2/10
Participants bonus
Total 41 participants
+2/20
Consistency bonus
needs 2+ human studies
0/10

Scoring method

There are positive reports, but the evidence in humans is still limited.

  • 1 human study (41 participants total)
  • Still unknown: few studies so far; few longer-duration studies

  • A study has reported that lion's mane (Yamabushitake) has a positive effect on cognitive performance.
  • The evidence score is 39, and reliability is considered limited.
  • This study covers healthy young adults aged 18 to 45.

Lion's mane (Yamabushitake) is a type of mushroom.

It is generally consumed in the context of diet or health maintenance.

Lion's mane (Yamabushitake) is something whose relationship with cognitive performance has been studied. This research data does not describe specific details of the ingredient, but its effect on indicators related to brain function has been examined.

A study has reported that lion's mane (Yamabushitake) has a positive effect on cognitive performance.

This study examined how performance changed after intake. Specifically, 60 minutes after intake, results showed that task speed on the Stroop test (a test of cognitive function in which the meaning of a word and its color do not match, and the participant must name the color) became faster (p = 0.005). In other words, a change in task speed was observed at a specific time point immediately after intake.

This study is a small-scale comparative study involving 41 healthy young adult participants aged 18 to 45.

The study design used was a randomized controlled trial (a research method in which participants are randomly divided into groups to compare the effect of an intervention, increasing the reliability of the study). In addition, a more objective method was used — double-blinding (a method in which neither the person conducting the trial nor the person receiving it knows which is the real ingredient and which is the fake, preventing the influence of assumptions). It was also conducted as a parallel-group study (a method in which a control group and a group taking the ingredient are compared simultaneously, in parallel), a design in which subjects are compared between different groups.

The study examined a dose of 1.8g, in both a single-dose case and a 28-day intake case.

This investigation looked at what effect a 1.8g intake has, both as a one-time intake (single dose) and when continued for 28 days.

This trial was conducted as a pilot study (a small-scale trial conducted to explore the feasibility of an idea before a large-scale study is carried out). In other words, this study can be said to have been carried out on a small scale, as a preliminary step before a full-scale investigation.

The evidence score is 39, and reliability is considered limited.

This number reflects the fact that there is only 1 study, and that it is a relatively small-scale study with only 41 participants. Therefore, it can be said that there is still insufficient information to judge whether this result will commonly appear in everyone.

From a statistical standpoint, this study showed a value of p = 0.005. This is based on statistical significance (an indicator showing that a result is likely due to some factor rather than chance), which indicates a very low probability that the result occurred by chance — but this is still only the report from this single study.

Limitations of the research include the limited number of participants and the fact that the number of studies is not yet sufficiently large. For this reason, there is also the aspect that this result cannot be said to definitely apply as is.

StudyDesignNumber of participantsDurationMain result
Nutrients (2023, PMID:38004235)Randomized controlled trial (RCT)4128 daysA positive effect was reported

This study was conducted on 41 healthy young adults aged 18 to 45.

The characteristics of these subjects indicate a healthy young population with no specific symptoms, which can serve as a reference point for comparing with your own situation.

This study is based on a report from a single study.

The study design is a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

The evidence score is 39, and reliability is considered limited.

What effect on cognitive performance has been reported when taking lion's mane (Yamabushitake)?

A study has reported that performance became faster on the Stroop test 60 minutes after a single dose.

What dosage setting was used in research on lion's mane (Yamabushitake)?

A dose of 1.8g was used, and both a single intake and a 28-day intake were investigated.

What kind of subjects were studied in research on lion's mane (Yamabushitake)?

The subjects were 41 healthy young adults aged 18 to 45.

There is a study report that lion's mane (Yamabushitake) has a positive effect on cognitive performance (such as task speed) at 60 minutes after intake. On the other hand, the evidence score is 39, and reliability is limited. Since there is only 1 study and it is a small-scale study with only 41 participants, this is still at a stage where it cannot be said to be certain.

Why not try the self-check assessment to find out about your current condition?

References

This page's evaluation is based on the following peer-reviewed studies (1). Each link goes directly to the primary source (PubMed / DOI).

  1. 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.randomized controlled trial (RCT) · Nutrients · 2023

Things to keep in mind

  • The amount and quality of research is still limited, so the findings are not conclusive.
  • Supplements are not medicines. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or take medication, check with your doctor or pharmacist.

Related items

Evidence Scores are computed mechanically from the published research (PubMed / Semantic Scholar / OpenAlex): study design, participant numbers, and consistency across studies. An LLM is used only to extract study data, never to decide a score.

This is research-based information, not medical advice, and not a diagnosis. Consult a qualified professional about your own situation.

How the Evidence Score is calculated

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hintl editorial team / Brain & Focus Desk

Brain & focus genre desk — research review

We continuously check the published research and translate the technical language into plain terms. The policy is to report a trend in the research, never a flat claim that something "works".

This article was produced by an editorial system from published research and is managed by the editor-in-responsibility (Takuya Hirata, representative of AJARA LLC).