The effects of four-week supplementation of Lion’s mane and a Lion’s mane and Reishi blend on prioritised mood and wellbeing measures in young women
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial
Abstract: Background Functional mushrooms, particularly Lion’s mane ( Hericium erinaceus ) and Reishi ( Ganoderma lucidum ), are increasingly marketed for cognitive and mood-related benefits, despite limited evidence to date. Objectives This trial examined the effects of four-week supplementation of Lion’s mane and a Lion’s mane and Reishi mushroom blend on mood and wellbeing in Gen Z women experiencing subjective stress and/or anxiety. Methods A preliminary sort-and-rank study was conducted to identify priority outcomes for the population. Following this, a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-groups trial was conducted. Eighty-four young women (aged 18–26) received either 1.8 g powdered Lion’s mane, 1.8 g powdered Lion’s mane and Reishi mushroom blend, or placebo in capsulated form for 28-days. Mood and wellbeing were assessed at baseline, weekly during the intervention period and at Day 42 (follow-up). Qualitative data regarding subjective changes to wellbeing were collected on Days 28 and 42. Results Analysis indicated that the mushroom blend resulted in lower anxiety (GAD-7) than Lion’s Mane, overall ( p = 0.018) and at Day 28 ( p = 0.003). Following FDR correction, secondary interactions for anxiety (HADS) and stress (PSS) were attenuated to trend-level, exploratory post hoc tests suggested a pattern of benefits of the mushroom blend over Lion’s mane and placebo at various timepoints ( p = 0.001–0.043), though these should be interpreted cautiously rather than confirmatory. Qualitative data supported this pattern. Significant improvements across all psychological measures were observed regardless of treatment allocation, suggesting participatory benefits alongside intervention effects. Conclusion Results indicated that 28-day supplementation with the mushroom-blend improved the primary anxiety outcome (GAD-7), relative to Lion’s mane alone. Trend-level findings on secondary anxiety (HADS) and stress (PSS) measures point to a similar pattern of benefit over both comparators, but require confirmation in adequately powered trials. This trial contributes to a growing field investigating functional mushrooms, however, to further understand efficacy effects, substantial work is required to determine key methodological questions including dosage, intervention duration and blend composition. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov , identifier NCT06406946.
Source: Frontiers in Nutrition
Authors: Ellen F. Smith, Sarah Docherty
Institution: Northumbria University
Language: English
Subfield: Pharmacology (medical)
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
Funder: Northumbria University
OpenAlex ID: W7223010827