Functional Mushroom
Lion’s Mane
Hericium erinaceus LYE-unz mayn
Lion’s Mane is an edible fungus recognised by its cascading white spines rather than a conventional mushroom cap.
Functional products commonly use a prepared fungal extract to provide a consistent format for gummies and blends.
MIND
FOCUS
ENERGYIngredient guide
What is Lion’s Mane?
Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) is an edible fungus recognised by its cascading white spines rather than the cap-and-stem shape associated with many culinary mushrooms. It grows naturally on hardwood and has a long history of use as both a food and a traditional ingredient in parts of East Asia.
Modern interest in Lion’s Mane centres on the compounds found across the species, including beta-glucans and a group of specialised metabolites known as hericenones and erinacines. Researchers have investigated how some of these compounds interact with pathways involved in nerve growth and cognition. Human studies are still relatively small, however, and results should be described as emerging rather than treated as proof that a supplement can prevent or treat neurological disease.
The material used in a supplement matters. Lion’s Mane products can be made from fruiting body, mycelium or combinations of fungal material, and extraction methods can change the composition of the finished ingredient. That is why we separate the identity of the mushroom from the specification of the extract used in a particular product.
At The London Dispensary, Lion’s Mane belongs to our Boost family and is used alongside Chaga, Ginseng and broad-spectrum CBD in our mushroom gummies. The product page remains the source for the exact formula, strength and current specification.
Source to formula
Botanical profile
The Lion’s Mane used in our Boost mushroom gummies is a UK-grown fruiting-body extract, cultivated in organic conditions on logs. Product-level specification and batch information should remain the final source of truth if sourcing changes.
Key compounds
Hericenones
A group of aromatic compounds associated particularly with Lion’s Mane fruiting bodies and widely studied in laboratory research.
Erinacines
Cyathane diterpenoids most often associated with mycelial material in the research literature. Their presence in a particular commercial extract should not be assumed without analytical data.
Beta-glucans and other polysaccharides
Structural mushroom polysaccharides that are widely studied across functional mushrooms. Their amount and structure can vary with species, material and extraction method.
Evidence, carefully read
What the science says
Lion’s Mane has moved from traditional and culinary use into modern cognition research. There are now human trials, but the evidence base remains much smaller than the marketing surrounding the ingredient can suggest.
Cognition in human studies
Small randomised trials and recent systematic reviews have reported signals of cognitive benefit in some populations. Sample sizes remain modest and the preparations used across studies are not identical.
Nerve-growth research
Hericenones and erinacines have been studied for effects on nerve-growth-factor-related pathways, particularly in laboratory and animal models. These mechanistic findings are scientifically interesting but are not equivalent to a proven clinical outcome.
Mood and stress are still exploratory
Pilot work in healthy adults has examined stress and mood alongside cognition, but results are preliminary and need confirmation in larger, well-controlled trials.
View research references
- Benefits, side effects, and uses of Hericium erinaceus as a supplement: a systematic reviewPubMed, 2025
- Acute effects of a standardised extract of Hericium erinaceus on cognition and mood in healthy younger adultsPubMed, 2025
- The Acute and Chronic Effects of Lion's Mane Mushroom Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Stress and Mood in Young AdultsNutrients / PubMed, 2023
- Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake on mild cognitive impairmentPhytotherapy Research / PubMed, 2009
- Hericenones From Hericium erinaceus: A Scoping ReviewPubMed, 2026
Inside our formulas
How we use Lion’s Mane
Why we use it
Lion’s Mane is one of the signature functional-mushroom ingredients in our Boost range and gives the formula a clearly identified mushroom component rather than an unnamed mushroom blend.
The form we use
UK-grown Lion’s Mane fruiting-body extract. The current ingredient record lists water extraction and an extract final form.
Where we source it
The Lion’s Mane used in Boost is grown in the UK in organic conditions on logs and is used as a fruiting-body extract.
Why we pair it
In Boost mushroom gummies we combine Lion’s Mane with Chaga, Ginseng and broad-spectrum CBD to create a multi-ingredient daytime formula.
From the dispensary
Products containing Lion’s Mane
BOOST
Boost CBD Mushroom Gummies | 2000mg
CBD gummies with Lion’s Mane, Chaga and Ginseng; approximately 33mg CBD each.
The botanical notebook
Read more about Lion’s Mane
Lion’s Mane Mushroom UK: What It Is, Research & Supplements
Before Lion’s Mane became something you could buy in a gummy, capsule or coffee, it was simply a very strange-looking edible fungus growing from…
Lion’s Mane Benefits: What the Evidence Actually Shows
Search for Lion’s Mane benefits and you will quickly meet a mushroom that apparently does everything: memory, focus, mood, immunity, digestion, inflammation and possibly…
Lion’s Mane for Focus, Concentration & Attention: Evidence Guide
Can Lion’s Mane help with focus? It is one of the most searched questions around Hericium erinaceus — and one of the easiest to…
Good to know
Questions about Lion’s Mane
What is Lion’s Mane mushroom?
Lion’s Mane is an edible fungus called Hericium erinaceus, recognised by its long white spines and studied for a range of naturally occurring fungal compounds.
What part of Lion’s Mane does The London Dispensary use?
Our current Boost mushroom gummies use UK-grown Lion’s Mane fruiting-body extract.
What are hericenones and erinacines?
They are groups of specialised compounds found in Lion’s Mane and studied for their biological activity. Their distribution differs across fungal material, so their presence in a specific extract should be confirmed rather than assumed.
What does the research say about Lion’s Mane and cognition?
Small human trials and systematic reviews report promising signals, but the evidence base is still developing and is not strong enough to treat Lion’s Mane as a medical treatment.
Which TLD products contain Lion’s Mane?
Our Boost CBD Mushroom Gummies currently contain Lion’s Mane alongside Chaga, Ginseng and broad-spectrum CBD. The products shown above are kept up to date as our range changes.