What is Lion’s Mane?
Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus) is a striking mushroom with long, shaggy white spines that grows naturally on hardwood trees across Asia, Europe, and North America. It has a rich history in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine stretching back centuries. In Japan, Buddhist monks known as Yamabushi used this mushroom to support clarity during deep meditation — which is why it's sometimes called the "mountain priest mushroom."
Cultivation started in Shanghai in the 1950s and has since spread worldwide. Beyond its traditional use, Lion's Mane is also gaining popularity as a culinary ingredient. Despite its unusual appearance, it's considered a delicacy, its flavour is often compared to crustaceans like lobster or crab, with a subtle citrus note.
What makes Lion's Mane particularly interesting is its unique composition. The mushroom naturally contains beta-glucans (including 1-3 D-beta-glucans), polysaccharides, erinacines, and hericenones, along with all eight essential amino acids, phytosterols such as beta-sitosterol and ergosterol, and minerals like zinc, iron, selenium, and organic germanium
Product specifications
Extract type: hot water extraction from dried fruiting bodies
Polysaccharide content:>30%
Extraction ratio: 8:1 to 12:1 (indicative)
Source material: 100% fruiting body, no mycelium
Growing material: sawdust mix (oak, maple, birch, poplar), organic wheat bran, cane sugar, natural gypsum
Certification: organic (DE-ÖKO-003)
Quality control: every batch tested by independent AGROLAB laboratory group
Production process: grinding, metal detection, hot water extraction, centrifuging, spray-drying
Shelf life: 4 years when stored properly at room temperature, protected from light and humidity
Pure fruiting body, no fillers
Many mushroom products on the market blend mycelium grown on grain into their powders. The result? A product with a high starch and cereal content that artificially inflates the polysaccharide percentage, without actually containing meaningful amounts of mushroom-specific compounds. In the US, the FDA has even issued guidelines to prevent these "mycelium on grain" products from being labelled as mushrooms.
Our Lion's Mane extract is different. It is made exclusively from the fruiting body, which is where the highest concentration of mushroom-specific compounds, like erinacines, hericenones, and genuine beta-glucans — is found. The growing material used to cultivate our Lion's Mane consists of a sawdust mix (oak, maple, birch, poplar), organic wheat bran, cane sugar, and natural gypsum. The mushrooms are grown in their natural habitat in the Chinese highlands by experienced local farmers, and organic production follows current EU regulations.
Every batch undergoes strict quality controls, including testing by the independent, state-accredited AGROLAB laboratory group and a unique SEC analysis developed specifically for mushrooms in a GMP Pharma environment. Residue samples are taken from each batch, ensuring full traceability from harvest to finished product.
Traditional use and benefits
In traditional Asian medicine, Lion's Mane is often used in the context of stomach and intestinal support, and as an accompaniment for nervous system related concerns, including anxiety and sleep-related issues. Studies on its active compound erinacine suggest it may be of interest in the context of nerve cell regeneration and nerve fibre growth, though this remains a subject of ongoing research.
Popular traditional combinations include pairing Lion's Mane with Reishi powder for sleep-related support, with Cordyceps for nervous system support, or with Shiitake and Coprinus for stomach and intestinal support.
