At the recent NutraIngredients Active Nutrition Summit (ANS) held in Vienna, sessions highlighted areas such as improved focus and sleep as increasingly recognized key components of sports performance.
The mushroom space is booming thanks to this, and brands now include popular varieties such as lion’s mane, chaga, reishi and cordyceps in popular functional foods and beverages.
Lion’s mane is arguably the most popular for cognitive health. However, according to Robin Gurney, director of the Estonian certified organic mushroom extract supplier Musheez, its true potential may lie in its physical effects, particularly in areas such as nerve recovery, muscle–nerve function and tissue repair following physical stress.
Prioritizing this as an area of research and investment could be the “next big step in unlocking this mushroom’s true potential for brands and consumers alike,” Gurney said during a panel discussion at the ANS.
Lion’s mane for cognitive health
Lion’s mane is known for its ability to promote neurogenesis, enhance cognition and boost mood. Short-term human trials have highlighted immediate improvements in memory and focus, making it a potential alternative to caffeine for mental performance.
Several brands have capitalized on the popularity of this space, with mushroom coffee companies like Spacegoods and Dirtea growing rapidly and retail giant Marks & Spencer launching its own lion’s main functional drink earlier this year.
Google searches for lion’s mane mushroom spiked by 450% in May 2024 in the UK, driven by a mix of TikTok influencers, health practitioners and television show references.
The mushroom category is now reportedly the fourth-largest in the ingredient space, a growth attributed to consumer demand for cognitive health products, with brands like PepsiCo’s Rockstar Energy integrating lion’s mane into products, based on consumer feedback.
Beyond cognitive health
According to Gurney, the real promise of the fungus may lie in its physical health applications.
“While lion’s mane is widely known for supporting mental clarity and focus, we’re beginning to see its potential go far beyond the mind,” he told NutraIngredients.
The cognitive effects of lion’s mane are primarily linked to erinacine A, a neuroactive compound found in the mycelium of lion’s mane. However, in the UK and European Union, mycelium-derived ingredients like erinacine A are classified as unauthorized novel foods and cannot be marketed unless they undergo formal safety evaluation and approval.
Meanwhile, the fruiting body of lion’s mane, which contains a group of bioactive compounds called hericenones is legally marketable and widely used in supplements.
“While hericenones are larger molecules that do not efficiently cross the blood–brain barrier, they may still influence neurotrophic signaling indirectly via peripheral NGF stimulation, which can affect nerve growth and repair pathways that communicate with the brain,” Gurney explained.
Animal research suggests that hericenones from lion’s mane mushroom’s fruiting body could boost nerve growth factor (NGF) production, primarily outside the brain—in the skin, liver and immune system.
And according to Gurney, this increase in NGF may potentially speed up nerve healing after injury, enhance communication between nerves and muscles, improve recovery from physical stress or training and support tissue repair and immune system function.
“The expanding science points to whole-body recovery and resilience as the next frontier for high-hericenone extracts,” Gurney told NI. “This makes the body-wide benefits of fruiting-body-only extracts a potentially larger and underappreciated opportunity in the current lion’s mane market.”
Market disconnect
The science points to “real potential for athletes and gym-goers recovering from strain or overuse,” Gurney said.
Despite these promising developments, he notes a glaring disconnect in the marketplace. Among the approximately 60 lion’s mane brands Musheez works with, none focus on non-brain-related benefits. The lion’s share of products remains narrowly targeted at memory, focus and mental well-being.
This gap between emerging research and market offerings presents a compelling opportunity, he explained, noting that the question is not whether lion’s mane has potential beyond brain health but more when the industry will catch up.
“Given all this, I wonder where are we going to see new applications? I think it’s going to be outside the brain. That’s where the future lies,” he said.
