April 26, 2022 5 min read

Lion's Mane is an adaptogenic mushroom known for its potential ability to boost cognition and support healthy brain function. Although it's been used as an herbal remedy for centuries, many experts are just now working out the details of how to best use Lion's Mane to our advantage. As they dive further into Lion's Mane benefits, consumers frequently have one question in mind–when is the best time to take Lion's Mane each day?

It's an important question, so we're going to cover everything you need to know about when and how often to take Lion's Mane to help you design your own dosing regimen. First, let's discuss the most prominent benefits of Lion's Mane and how they impact when you should take your daily dose:

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Table of Contents
Lion’s Mane Benefits
When to Take Lion’s Mane
How Long Will It Take for Lion’s Mane to Work?
How Much Lion’s Mane Mushroom Can You Take?
Tips for the Best Time to Take Lion’s Mane
Resources

Key Takeaways

  • Most people take Lion’s Mane in the morning in order to reap it’s potential cognition-enhancing benefits during the day.
  • Some people experience different effects from Lion’s Mane and prefer to take it at night.
  • You’ll need to keep up a consistent dosing routine for a couple of weeks to determine how your body will adjust to you Lion’s Mane dosage.
  • When in doubt, always discuss your Lion’s Mane dosage routine with your doctor to rule out possible drug interactions and create a routine that works for you.

A Lion's Mane mushroom, names for its white, shaggy, mane-like appearance

Lion's Mane Benefits

The benefits of Lion's Mane are pretty far reaching, and it's thought to have a variety of benefits for digestion, immunity, mental health, and more. Most significantly, though, Lion's Mane is thought to be helpful for maintaining cognitive functioning as we age and supporting focus and memory. In fact, some evidence links it to a nerve growth factor (NGF), which has a number of brain boosting benefits. NGF is a protein known to help regenerate neural pathways and support healthy brain functioning.

One study found that consuming Lion’s Mane daily for four months was associated with a significant increase in cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairments. Other research suggests that Lion’s Mane may help prevent dementia and related disorders because it stimulates the production of two important brain cells–hericenones and erinacines. One other study also found that Lion’s Mane extract may prevent memory loss and brain damage caused by the type of plaque that accumulates in the brain in Alzheimer’s patients.

Finally, experts also believe that Lion's Mane can help balance mood and help the body process stress, lessening the impact of stress on the body over time.

Lion’s Mane also contains beneficial antioxidants, beta glucans, and other nutrients that support overall health, making it a powerful addition to your daily wellness regimen in more ways than one. Now, let’s talk about when to take Lion’s Mane for optimal wellness benefits:

When to Take Lion's Mane

Since Lion's Mane is most frequently taken to help boost cognition, the best time to take Lion's Mane is usually in the morning.

As an adaptogen, Lion's Mane can help support systemic balance when taken consistently over time. That means you should ideally be taking Lion's Mane everyday, at or around the same time each day. In time, Lion's Mane creates responses that may help regulate neural pathways and balance gut bacteria, leading to a slew of beneficial brain and immune system effects.

However, because it's an adaptogen, it will "adapt" to the body's needs and therefore affects everyone differently. Despite it being thought of as a daytime, cognition enhancing supplement, some people find that they feel more relaxed, at ease, or even a bit tired after taking Lion's Mane. If this is the case, this may be exactly what your body needs–but it may also mean taking Lion's Mane at night is more beneficial than taking it during the day.

We recommend trying Lion's Mane for yourself for a few days to understand how it impacts you. You can always adjust your dosage routine as needed. After you determine when's the best time to take Lion's Mane for yourself, you just need to take it at the same time daily for optimal benefits.

A single Lion's Mane capsules, which is a once-daily dose for many people

How Long Will It Take for Lion's Mane to Work?

Don't be disappointed if you don't notice the effects of Lion's Mane right away. As long as it doesn't make you feel sleepy, you may need to continue taking Lion's Mane each morning for around two weeks before you notice any significant effects. Lion's Mane's benefits rely on the body's systemic response, which takes time to adjust and regulate.

After Lion’s Mane has had time to regulate bodily processes, you may feel the effects of your Lion’s Mane dose after 30-60 minutes. That means taking Lion’s Mane with breakfast may help you reap it’s potential focus-enhancing benefits at the very start of your day.

How Much Lion's Mane Mushroom Can You Take?

Whether you take your Lion's Mane in the morning or before bed, you'll need to determine your body's unique dosage needs. Your dosage needs will vary based on your tolerance, size, weight, and other unique biological factors.

The regular dose for Lion's Mane ranges from 500 mg and 1500 mg daily. On average, many people take 1,000 mg daily. Usually, this is taken in a one-off dose, but it's also possible to break your Lion's Mane dosage up into two different daily doses.

We generally recommend starting on the low side of the dosing threshold and increasing your dosage as needed until you experience the benefits you're after. The most important thing is to take Lion's Mane daily since it may take up to two weeks to experience the full benefits. For more information, read "Lion's Mane Dosage."

Tips for the Best Time to Take Lion's Mane

  • Consider working Lion's Mane into your daily meal routine, taking it with breakfast, an afternoon snack, or even dinner. Like most supplements, taking Lion's Mane with food can help avoid nausea, heartburn, or other unwanted side effects.
  • If you determine that you need a larger dose of Lion's Mane than a standard capsule offers, consider a Lion's Mane powder. The benefit to powder is that it can be measured in precise increments to better meet your dosage needs.
  • Keep a journal of when you take your Lion's Mane dose and how you feel at different intervals afterwards. For instance, do you feel energized? Focused? Relaxed? Sleepy? This will help you choose what time to take Lion's Mane to best meet your needs.
  • Talk to your doctor if you take other medications or supplements, as some may interact with Lion's Mane mushrooms. Read "Lion's Mane Side Effects" for more in depth information about what to expect.

Resources

  1. “Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial”https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18844328/
  2. “Neurotrophic properties of the Lion's mane medicinal mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Higher Basidiomycetes) from Malaysia” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24266378/
  3. “Effects of Hericium erinaceus on amyloid β(25-35) peptide-induced learning and memory deficits in mice” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21383512/

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