Does lion's mane mushroom help with neurodegeneration?

Short Answer: Lion's mane contains compounds (hericenones and erinacines) that stimulate nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis. Small clinical trials show cognitive improvement in mild cognitive impairment, but evidence for ALS or Parkinson's is preclinical only.

Evidence Level: preliminary

Detailed Answer

Hericium erinaceus (lion's mane) produces unique diterpenoids — hericenones (in fruiting body) and erinacines (in mycelium) — that cross the blood-brain barrier and stimulate NGF synthesis. A 2009 RCT (Mori et al., Int J Med Mushrooms) in 30 elderly adults with mild cognitive impairment showed significant improvement on cognitive function scales with 3g/day for 16 weeks, which reversed upon discontinuation. In preclinical models, lion's mane has shown neuroprotective effects in Parkinson's (6-OHDA model) and Alzheimer's (amyloid) rodent studies. For ALS, evidence is limited to in vitro motor neuron survival assays. Dosing in clinical studies ranges from 1-3g/day of fruiting body extract. Both hot-water and dual-extraction (alcohol + water) preparations are used clinically.

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