Lion's mane tea is a nourishing and soothing beverage made from the dried Lion's mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus), known for its unique cascading appearance. This tea has a mild, earthy flavor with a hint of umami and a pale golden hue.
This tea has been used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine for centuries due to its potential health benefits. Lion's mane tea is believed to improve cognitive function, support the immune system, enhance gut health, and relieve stress and anxiety. To make the tea, steep dry Lion's mane mushrooms (or Lion's Mane mushroom powder) in hot water for 5-15 minutes, depending on the desired strength.
Well, there is more than one way to prepare Lion's mane tea. So let's explore other detailed recipes you can leverage to improve your immunity, raise your energy levels, and even improve your gut health.
What To Look For When Buying Lion's Mane Powder For Tea
Caution is vital when purchasing mushroom supplements, including Lion's Mane, Chaga, turkey tail, reishi, and other mushroom products. Unfortunately, the industry lacks transparency and regulation, so it's easy to end up with a low-quality product.
Beware of blends containing cheaper Lion's mane mushrooms or mycelium instead of fruiting bodies. To get the most benefits, look for 100% fruiting body products and a certificate of analysis (COA) that reveals the type and quantity of mushrooms.
Opt for Lion's Mane powder made through hot water extraction for maximum therapeutic benefit. Also, avoid fillers or additives that dilute the product's potency and choose powders packaged in a sealed, airtight container to ensure freshness and prevent contamination.
Interesting Read: See our detailed guide on what to look for when buying Lion's mane powder.
Lion's Mane Mushroom Tea Benefits
Lion's Mane is a popular traditional Chinese medicine supplement with numerous health benefits. One of the most notable benefits of Lion's Mane is its ability to enhance cognitive function and improve general brain health, making Hericium Erinaceus tea an excellent choice for daily consumption. For example, a 2022 study(1) involving rats showed that Lion's Mane has cognitive benefits.
Mushroom tea can help relieve mild symptoms of depression and anxiety, protect against dementia, speed recovery from nervous system injuries, and reduce the risk of heart disease. Additionally, this tea can boost the immune system, help fight cancer, protect against ulcers in the digestive tract, manage symptoms of diabetes, and reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.
Lion's mane neurogenesis benefits are known to stimulate the production of the nerve growth factor, fight brain damage, improve mood, and improve the neurons' health.
How To Make Lion's Mane Tea
It would help if you first got a premium Organic Lion's Mane Mushroom Powder—this will be your main ingredient in all the recipes outlined below. Then, once you have the mushroom powder, follow these no-fuss Lion's Mane tea recipes to create a tasty, nutrient-dense beverage.
Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Lions Mane Tea
This recipe features Lion's Mane mushroom powder, a superfood known for stimulating the growth of brain cells, the ability to fight against the growth of tumor cells, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
This tea has a delicious and warming flavor thanks to black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger. The lemon and honey add a refreshing touch, making it the perfect drink for a warm summer day. This drink is tasty without increasing your risk of weight gain as it has minimal calories.
Ingredients:
- 1 serving of Lion's mane mushroom powder
- 1 black tea bag
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tbsp. ground cardamom
- 1/2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tbsp. ground ginger, ground
- Half a lemon squeezed to get the juice
- Honey to taste
Instructions:
1. Bring your cup of water to a boil in a kettle.
2. Add a Lion's Mane Mushroom Powder serving to the boiling water. Reduce the heat.
3. For 15 to 20 minutes, let your tea simmer.
4. Add the black tea bag, and depending on your preference, ground ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom.
5. Steep for five to ten minutes.
6. Add honey and lemon, as desired.
7. Strain in a cup, chill in the refrigerator, and enjoy on a warm summer day!
Latte With Milk And Lion's Mane Mushroom Powder
Milk-based Lion's mane tea is an excellent option for a delectable morning or evening beverage. To increase the benefits of your regular drink even more, play around with the ratios and concentration, or add additional ingredients to this Lion's Mane mushroom tea recipe. However, observe Lion's mane dosage for safety and to avoid side effects often from overconsumption.
This mane tea recipe promotes flavor while disguising the earthy tones of Lion's Mane. Moreover, it is your best bet if you want a drink that gives you caffeine-free focus.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup milk (dairy or plant-based)
- 1 serving of Lion's mane powder
- Low glycemic sweeteners (such as raw honey, stevia, coconut sugar, and xylitol)
- Cinnamon powder to taste
- Optional: Cocoa butter or vegan butter
Instructions:
1. In a saucepan over the fire, warm your preferred milk.
2. Blend the heated milk in a blender. Add one serving or a teaspoon of Lion's mane powder to the blender.
3. Put a low-glycemic sweetener in the blender, like stevia, xylitol, raw honey, or coconut sugar.
4. For a creamier consistency, add some cocoa butter and blend for 7 seconds to increase the health benefits of your tea.
5. Place in a cup.
6. Add a dash of cinnamon on top, and enjoy!
Golden Milk Lion's Mane Mushroom Extract Tea
Golden milk is a healthy Indian beverage made using milk and turmeric. This drink has a long history of usage in traditional Ayurvedic medicine because of its anti-inflammatory effects.
This tea combines the brain health benefits of Lion's Mane bioactive ingredients—including erinacines, hericenones, and adaptogens—with turmeric to boost your memory health. A human clinical trial conducted in 2018(2) verified that curcumin (a bioactive ingredient in turmeric) could improve memory health in non-demented adults.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup dairy or plant-based milk (such as almond, oat, or coconut milk)
- 1 serving Lion's mane mushroom powder
- ½ cup water
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder (if you are new to turmeric milk, start with 1/4 tsp, then add according to color and taste)
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon powder
- Few whole or freshly ground black peppercorns
- Few cloves
- 1 tsp of sweetener of your choice (e.g., honey)
Optional Ingredients:
- Vanilla
- Star anise
- Ginger, crushed or minced
- Coconut oil or ghee (for extra nutrition and healthy fats)
Instructions:
1. Heat a pot to a medium-high temperature. First, add water to stop the milk from sticking to the hot pan.
2. Add all the ingredients except the sweetener and coconut oil/ghee (if using).
3. Stir or use a whisk to mix everything.
4. Before removing the milk from the heat, it is essential to check that the turmeric powder has completely dissolved.
5. Simmer for a few more minutes to enhance the spices' flavor. Both Lion's Mane and turmeric will continue to have their beneficial effects.
6. Strain into your cup. Adding ghee or coconut oil is optional.
7. Add sugar according to taste. Since 1 tsp of honey is low, you can always taste and add more.
Combining Lion's Mane And Coffee: Can You Mix These Beverages?
Combining Hericium Erinaceus tea and coffee is a popular trend among coffee enthusiasts and those looking to boost their cognitive function. Here are some ways to combine Lion's Mane and coffee:
Lion's Mane Mushroom Coffee
Lion's Mane in coffee is a popular blend of coffee beans and powdered Lion's Mane mushroom extract. Mix the two and brew as you would typically brew coffee. This will give you a caffeine boost and the benefits of Lion's Mane extract.
Lion's Mane Espresso
If you prefer espresso, add powdered Lion's Mane extract to your shot of espresso. This will give you a concentrated dose of caffeine and Lion's Mane extract.
Lion's Mane Tea and Coffee Combo
Brew a cup of Hericium Erinaceus tea and a cup of coffee separately, then combine the two in a mug. This will give you the benefits of Lion's Mane extract and coffee.
Remember to be mindful of caffeine intake, as too much can cause jitters, anxiety, and insomnia. Consuming no more than 400mg of caffeine per day is recommended.
Incorporating Lion's Mane Tea into Your Daily Routine
When to Consume Mushroom Tea
Lion's mane tea is a versatile and nourishing beverage that can be enjoyed at any time of the day. However, many people prefer to drink it in the morning or early afternoon, as the cognitive benefits provided by Lion's mane mushrooms may help with focus and mental clarity throughout the day. Drinking tea before meals can also aid in promoting gut health, as the prebiotic properties of Lion's Mane support a healthy balance of gut bacteria.
Combining with Other Superfoods or Herbs
To maximize the health benefits of Lion's mane tea, consider combining it with other superfoods or herbs. For example, adding a teaspoon of raw honey sweetens the tea and provides antioxidants and antibacterial properties. In addition, combining Lion's mane tea with ginger or turmeric can further enhance its anti-inflammatory and gut health-promoting effects.
Incorporating adaptogenic herbs such as ashwagandha, Rhodiola, or ginseng can help to boost the stress-relieving properties of Lion's mane tea. In contrast, green tea or matcha can provide a gentle source of caffeine for increased alertness without jitters.
Interesting Read: Learn about the best morning energy drinks you can pair with Lion's Mane.
Creating Personalized Blends for Specific Goals
One of the many benefits of Lion's Mane tea is the ability to customize your blend to suit your individual health goals. For example, to use Lion's mane mushrooms for gut health, consider adding probiotic-rich ingredients such as kefir or kombucha to your tea. This increases the gut health benefits and adds a tangy, effervescent twist to the flavor.
For those looking to enhance cognitive function and support brain cells, combining Lion's mane tea with ingredients known for their brain-boosting properties, such as ginkgo biloba, bacopa, or rosemary, can create a synergistic effect.
By experimenting with various combinations of Lion's mane mushrooms, superfoods, and herbs, you can create a personalized blend that caters to your specific health needs and taste preferences.
Key Takeaways
Drinking Lion's Mane tea is an excellent and straightforward approach to incorporating Lion's Mane supplements into your daily routine. It only takes a few minutes, the time you would need to prepare your morning coffee. In addition, your cup of Hericium Erinaceus tea gives you extra health benefits, minus the caffeine crash.
So, if you're considering forgoing that additional cup of coffee in favor of Lion's Mane tea, we're rooting for you! Moreover, you can combine Lion's Mane and coffee, drawing from the best of both worlds, benefiting from caffeine and the bioactive compounds in Lion's Mane mushrooms.
Have you used Lion's Mane mushroom tea? What is the most significant benefit you got from the mushroom tea? Let us know in the comments.
References
- Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) Exerts Anxiolytic Effects in the rTg4510 Tau Mouse Model, (1)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9312024/
- Memory and Brain Amyloid and Tau Effects of a Bioavailable Form of Curcumin in Non-Demented Adults: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled 18-Month Trial, (2)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1064748117305110
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