NEW YORK, July 5, 2025
Lion’s Mane: A Natural Remedy?
This mushroom shows potential in managing certain health conditions.
- Lion’s mane contains compounds that may help fight cancer.
- It might assist in managing blood sugar levels and diabetic complications.
- Animal and lab studies suggest it could lower cholesterol.
- Human research is needed to confirm these benefits.
Lion’s mane mushrooms are generating buzz for their potential health benefits, and one area of interest is cancer treatment. **But can lion’s mane mushrooms truly fight cancer?** While preliminary research is promising, it’s essential to understand the current state of the science.
Cancer-Fighting Potential
Lion’s mane contains unique compounds, and early research explores its role in combating cancer, but findings are preliminary. It’s important to note that these studies are primarily in mice and test tubes.
Another test-tube study indicated that peptides in lion’s mane might aid in treating lung cancer. These peptides can capture free radicals, those harmful substances linked to cancer, and trigger the death of cancerous lung cells.
“Lion’s mane mushrooms have shown anticancer effects in laboratory and animal studies, but more research is needed to determine the safety and effectiveness in people,” says Ednie.
Diabetes Management
Beyond cancer, lion’s mane is being investigated for its potential role in managing diabetes.
“Lion’s mane mushrooms may help lower blood sugar, improve insulin levels, and reduce diabetic complications such as nerve pain — these effects have been seen mainly in animal studies,” says Ednie.
A test-tube study discovered that several compounds in lion’s mane prevented alpha-glucosidase activity. Lion’s mane may function similarly to alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs), medications used to manage type 2 diabetes. AGIs work by limiting carbohydrate absorption in the small intestine, which helps to control blood sugar levels after eating.
Furthermore, a study showed that diabetic rats given 40 mg of lion’s mane per kilogram of body weight experienced a significant increase in their pain threshold after six weeks. This suggests lion’s mane may provide pain relief for diabetic neuropathy, nerve damage that causes pain and numbness in the legs and feet.
It’s worth reiterating that the majority of diabetes-related research has been conducted on animals and in test tubes. More human studies are necessary to determine if lion’s mane can truly benefit individuals with diabetes.
Cholesterol Reduction
The potential impact of lion’s mane on cholesterol levels is also under scrutiny.
“Lion’s mane mushrooms may help reduce heart disease risk by lowering cholesterol and triglycerides, preventing cholesterol oxidation and possibly reducing blood clot risk, but these effects have been shown mainly in animal and lab studies,” says Ednie. “There is not enough evidence from human trials yet to confirm these benefits.”
One test-tube study found that lion’s mane extract might prevent cholesterol oxidation in the bloodstream. The study’s authors suggest that when LDL (“bad”) cholesterol becomes oxidized, it can contribute to the hardening and narrowing of arteries.
Earlier research looked at lion’s mane’s cholesterol-lowering effects. Researchers fed obese rats lion’s mane once a day for two weeks. By the end of the study, these rats had significantly lower levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides compared to rats that didn’t receive lion’s mane.
Michelle Routhenstein, RDN, a preventive cardiology dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist in New York City, doesn’t recommend using lion’s mane to prevent or treat heart disease. “It’s not supported by human studies, and the safety and side effects haven’t been studied either,” she says, adding that there are safer, more effective ways to prevent heart disease through your diet, under the care of your primary physician.
