As more people become familiar with Lion's mane's benefits, the need to know how long they have to wait to experience these benefits is becoming more common.
The mushroom can boost your brain health, fight diabetes, lower cancer risk, etc. But how long until you are benefiting from the mushroom? How long does it take for Lion's Mane to work? And what are the best ways to take it?
In this detailed guide, our goal is to help you understand how long it takes for the hericenones and erinacines in Lion's mane to produce results.
Let's jump right into it!
How Long To Enjoy Benefits From Medicinal Mushrooms?
Generally, like with all mushroom supplements, it takes a couple of weeks for the effects of Lion's mane mushroom supplements to show.
When you take lion's mane mushrooms or lion's mane extract, the highly nutritional compounds in the medicinal mushrooms take time to build in your body. Therefore, it is impossible to take Lion's mane mushroom supplements today and enjoy the beneficial effects of this traditional Chinese medicine on the same day.
Below, we will take a deeper look at the time you must wait to benefit from Lion's mane. Keep reading to learn more.
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How Long Does It Take For Lion's Mane To Work?
Mushroom enthusiasts, eager to use and enjoy the health benefits of Lion's mane, have one crucial question: Does lion's mane work immediately, or does it take a while?
The simple answer is you will need some time before seeing the benefits of a lion's mane. However, while the effects of the adaptogenic fungus cannot be seen immediately, the time it takes for Lion's mane mushroom to work depends on many factors. For example, it differs according to induvial biochemistry and Lion's mane dosage.
Therefore, the time it takes Lion's mane to fight depression, treat anxiety, improve diabetes treatment, or facilitate weight loss may vary from one person to the other. However, there is a general timeframe within which you can expect to notice the effects of the mushroom.
Learn More: See how Lion's mane facilitates weight loss.
The lion's mane mushroom takes 2 to 4 weeks for its effects to show. During this period, take lion's mane consistently.
The effects of Lion's mane mushroom extract take some time to show as the supplement needs to build up in your body. Some studies have had participants consume Lion's mane extract for between 4 weeks to 4 months before analyzing the mushroom's effects.
The goal is to ensure that the study group has taken the mushroom extracts long enough for the evidence obtained from the mushroom study to be a good reference point.
For example, suppose the scientists are studying the effects of taking Lion's mane for memory. In that case, unless the adults in the study groups take the mushroom's fruiting body for several weeks, there will be no way for the experts to analyze the mushroom's cognitive functioning and memory effects.
Depending upon the desired effects, the time taken for the mushroom to work may also vary. For instance, some people have noticed that Lion's mane mushroom decreased anxiety and increased mental clarity with just 2 to 5 weeks of use.
Other potential health benefits of the mushroom—for example, building a robust immune system, improving overall brain health, and balancing blood sugars in people with diabetes—may take the medicinal mushroom longer to achieve. This, of course, depends on other factors like dosages too.
Read more: Learn how Lion's mane aids diabetes treatment.
Do Lion's Mane Mushrooms Work?
With so many mushroom supplements available today, it is only natural to be skeptical. So, many people ask us: do lion's mane supplements work? Will lion's mane help me fight chronic inflammation? Can I use the mushroom to fight neurodegenerative diseases and reduce the risk of heart disease?
We will look at what the research has to say to answer these questions.
Research has found that Lion's mane mushrooms could protect against dementia—this means that the mushrooms have beneficial effects on cognitive performance. In addition, animal studies(1) have shown that the mushroom displays various pharmacological activities that aid in preventing dementia in conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
Read More: See how Lion's mane facilitates Alzheimer's treatment.
Lion's mane also fights depression and anxiety as well as mood disorders. While the mushroom may not replace the medications often used for depression, it plays a crucial role in ensuring its users have a stable mood and reduces the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Lion's mane helps you fight stress. Moreover, since there are no Lion's mane interactions with meds used for depression, one can combine the mushroom with other medications for depression for the best results.
Read More: Learn about Lion's mane depression benefits.
Rat studies have found that Lion's mane speeds the recovery of the nervous system(2) injuries by 44%.
Test tube studies have found that extracts of Hericium Erinaceus can help prevent the oxidation of cholesterol(3) in the blood, which is implicated in several cardiovascular diseases. The powerful antioxidant fungus can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular complications.
In addition to these effects, Lion's mane mushroom has also been shown to help reduce blood sugar(4), fight cancer cells(5), reduce inflammation(6), and boost the immune system(7).
Read More: Learn about Lion's mane cancer benefits.
The components of the mushroom go beyond helping with Parkinson's and other brain health disorders to prevent liver damage—this, however, only happens when you take the mushroom consistently.
While most of these studies have been done on animals, they show that Lion's mane mushrooms hold great potential for humans!
Does Lion's Mane Mushroom Extract Give You Energy?
Lion's mane mushroom is a catalyst for energy production in our bodies. This is one of the reasons why people like to use Lion's mane pre-workout. The mushroom helps these people feel energized, allowing them to get maximum results from their sessions in the gym.
Research has shown that the fungus can give you an energy boost—however, you may still be wondering why. Below, we will look at the reasons(8) why lion's mane can help boost your energy levels.
First, it is packed with antioxidants. These not only support the overall health of the cells in our bodies, but it also removes harmful and unstable molecules in the body. Since energy transportation takes place at a cellular level, an anti-oxidant-rich diet will make it easier for the body to produce energy.
Second, Hericium Erinaceus is known to decrease the levels of lactic acid(9) in the blood, which may cause fatigue after intense physical activity. Third, lion's mane mushroom also enhances the glycogen content in the tissue, ultimately promoting energy production.
The good thing about Lion's mane energy production is that it is one of the few benefits that do not force you to wait too long. Therefore, you can eat the mushroom today and enjoy its ability to boost energy production within the day.
How Does Lion's Mane Make You Feel?
Lion's mane mushrooms make you feel good on every level. The mushroom reduces depression and anxiety symptoms(10) and improves mood(11). If you take the mushroom in the early afternoon, the mushroom helps you relax and enjoy better sleep when you go to bed.
Read More: Learn how taking Lion's mane before bed improves your sleep quality.
Lion's mane mushroom also provides spiritual and mental benefits. With consistent use of the fungus, Hericium Erinaceus may be able to improve focus, clarity, and cognition.
Lion's mane is not a psychedelic mushroom and will not get you high. Instead, continued and consistent use of the fungus leads to a boost in mood and mental energy.
There are also reports that the mushroom increases the sense of smell and depth perception. Even more, few people have reported an improved ability to concentrate, make decisions, learn and solve problems.
How Long Does Lion's Mane Stay In Your System?
Chances are, you want to enjoy Lion's mane benefits on brain fog and other issues for as long as possible. This, therefore, may have you wondering how long your body can keep benefiting from one lion's mane dose.
Currently, there is no research into how long Lion's mane lasts in the body. However, it is estimated that the lion's mane will be out of your system in less than a day.
The effects of lion's mane mushroom extract stay for a more extended period. Since the health benefits of lion's mane—for example, clearing brain fog—come from the active compounds in the mushroom, these tend to take longer to disappear after one stops using the mushroom.
However, since your goal is to maintain this natural supplement's physical and mental health benefits, stopping the use of Lion's mane may not be a good idea.
Nevertheless, you shouldn't worry about Lion's mane addiction—the mushroom is not addictive. Also, consistent use will not cause side effects if you do not take a lethal dose.
However, you may need to be extra careful if you are pregnant—some of the bioactive compounds in the mushroom may affect your growing baby negatively. However, seeking professional medical advice may be ideal to know if you should stop using the lion's mane mushrooms after discovering you are carrying a baby.
Read More: Learn more about using Lion's mane during pregnancy.
FAQs About How Long Does It Take For Lion's Mane To Work
How Long Should You Take Lion's Mane?
Lion's mane mushrooms should be used consistently for at least two weeks to get the desired effects. However, it has been reported that the mushroom is possibly safe when used (in a dose of 1 gram daily) for 16 weeks.
How Often Should You Take Lion's Mane?
Lion's mane can be taken up to three times per day. Any frequency higher than this is not recommended currently.
However, it is always better to speak with your healthcare provider regarding the best dosage for you, as it may depend on the result you are trying to achieve.
Key Takeaways
The effects of Lion's mane mushroom are not immediate; you may need to wait until the mushroom builds up in the body to see the results. This may take anywhere between 2 weeks to several months.
Consistent use is key to getting the desired results. Therefore, when you start using Lion's mane, do not stop until you see the results.
Have you tried lion's mane? Let us know in the comments how it worked for you.
References
- The Neuroprotective Properties of Hericium erinaceus in Glutamate-Damaged Differentiated PC12 Cells and an Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Model, (1)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5133811/
- Protective effects of Hericium erinaceus mycelium and its isolated erinacine A against ischemia-injury-induced neuronal cell death via the inhibition of iNOS/p38 MAPK and nitrotyrosine, (2)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25167134/
- Inhibitory effect on in vitro LDL oxidation and HMG Co-A reductase activity of the liquid-liquid partitioned fractions of Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Persoon (lion's mane mushroom), (3)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24959591/
- Protective Effect of Ethanol Extracts of Hericium erinaceus on Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Neuropathic Pain in Rats, (4)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4415746/
- Mechanism of Hericium erinaceus (Yamabushitake) mushroom-induced apoptosis of U937 human monocytic leukemia cells, (5)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21779573/
- Protective Effects of Hericium erinaceus Mycelium and Its Isolated Erinacine A against Ischemia-Injury-Induced Neuronal Cell Death via the Inhibition of iNOS/p38 MAPK and Nitrotyrosine, (6)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4200813/
- Immunomodulatory effects of Hericium erinaceus derived polysaccharides are mediated by intestinal immunology, (7)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28266682/
- Hericium erinaceus: an edible mushroom with medicinal values, (8)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23735479/
- Anti-fatigue activities of polysaccharides extracted from Hericium erinaceus, (9)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4280918/
- Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake, (10)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20834180/
- Hericium erinaceus Improves Mood and Sleep Disorders in Patients Affected by Overweight or Obesity: Could Circulating Pro-BDNF and BDNF Be Potential Biomarkers? (11)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6500611/
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