Entering the mushroom and adaptogen world, you’ll encounter this buzzword: lion’s mane. It’s not the ‘king of the jungle’s’ actual mane, but a powerful functional mushroom celebrated for its cognitive benefits. Lion’s mane mushrooms get their name from their short white strands resembling the appearance of a lion’s mane. This nutrient-dense mushroom is a powerful ally for your brain and its appearance is a rhyming reminder of its prowess.

In a nutshell, it’s a functional mushroom championing cognition, focus, creativity, and productivity. Steeped in Native American traditions and Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries, lion’s mane is both a culinary delight and a folk medicine superstar. Consumed, it has an earthy and light taste that can be seen on Michelin Star menus for its seafood-like taste, distinguishing it from typical umami mushrooms. Throughout history, Native Americans used it topically to stop bleeding, while in China, it addressed digestive issues. Today, it is mainly used for its cognitive benefits.

Choosing lion’s mane mushrooms as a supplement demands attention. Opt for organic, log-grown, and properly extracted fruiting bodies. Avoid lab-grown lion’s mane, especially products that call out “mycelium” in the ingredient panel, as it means buying roots and filler. An easy way to ensure you are getting the real mushrooms (aka “fruiting body”) and not another inferior part of the species is to check the “Other Ingredients” section of a product and make sure it does contain grains like rice or oats. The next most important tip is to ensure the products you choose have the word “extract” or “extraction” on them. Without extraction, your body cannot utilize the amazing compounds in the mushroom.

Once you’ve secured an authentic lion’s mane supplement, dosage matters. An effective range is between 500 mg and 1500 mg of extracted mushrooms (be careful here; there are many brands selling mushrooms that have not been extracted so the dosage will be much higher, even up to 2000 mg. That does not make those products better! In fact, more mushrooms that are not extracted just means more fluff and filler that your body can’t actually utilize!). The best advice for those new to lion’s mane or function mushroom use in general is to start with 500 mg/day and then build up from there, always keeping in tune with your body’s needs. Benefits taper off around 3000 – 5000 mg/day, so more isn’t always better, it’s finding the dose that works best for your unique body. Wondering when to take lion’s mane? We love adding it to morning beverages such as coffee or consuming it as an afternoon pick-me-up.

Consistency is key when it comes to adaptogens like lion’s mane, so consider adding it into existing routines, like your morning cup of coffee. Four Sigmatic makes this really easy with several options including Think Ground Coffee that you can brew at home in your preferred method, or even packets of Think Instant Coffee that are perfect for travel.

Luckily, there are some brands that do all this heavy lifting for you. We love Four Sigmatic because they check all of the boxes: organic, log-grown, real mushroom fruiting bodies (no mycelium or grain fillers), properly extracted, and at doses ranging from 500 – 1500 mg/serving. They’ve made getting brain boosting benefits from lion’s mane mushrooms easier than ever. The Original Mushroom Coffee Brand™, they infuse the highest quality organic functional mushroom extracts into everyday products you love, like coffee, so you can get cognitive benefits with every sip.

If you’ve read this far, you’re ready for the magical benefits of organic, log-grown, fruiting body extracts of lion’s mane. Be sure to check out your local Mother’s Market for Four Sigmatic’s ‘Think’ line which includes: Think Ground Coffee, Think Instant Coffee, Think Coffee Latte, Think Elixir and Focus Blend for all your brain boosting needs. Interested in other benefits? Mother’s Market also stocks a variety of Four Sigmatic’s full line of functional beverages.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.