Lion's Mane Bloom

What Lion's Mane Bloom Is

Lion's Mane Bloom is a lion's mane mushroom food supplement. Lion's mane is one of the more recognisable ingredients in the range, and also one of the ones where labels differ most from one another — so this page spends most of its time on how to tell them apart.

What Lion's Mane Is

Lion's mane is the common name for Hericium erinaceus, a mushroom that grows on hardwood trees across parts of North America, Europe and Asia. It gets its name from its appearance: instead of a cap and stem it forms a rounded white mass of long, soft spines, which does look rather like a mane.

It is edible and is used in cooking as well as in supplements, particularly in East Asian cuisine, where it has a long culinary history.

Fruiting Body Or Mycelium — The Distinction That Matters Most

If you learn one thing before buying any mushroom supplement, this is it.

A mushroom as most people picture it — the part that grows above ground and is picked — is the fruiting body. It is the reproductive structure of the organism.

The mycelium is the network of fine threads that grows through the substrate below. It is the larger, mostly unseen part of the fungus.

Supplements are made from either. They are different material, and a good label says which. There is a further distinction within mycelium products: mycelium is often grown on a grain substrate, and if the substrate is not separated out, the finished powder contains a substantial proportion of that grain. A product made this way is sometimes described as "mycelium on grain", and its total weight is not the same as the weight of fungus in it.

None of this makes one type wrong. It makes them not directly comparable, which is exactly why the label should state which was used.

Extract Or Whole Powder, And What The Ratio Means

The second distinction is whether the product is whole dried mushroom powder or an extract.

An extract concentrates the material, and the ratio — written as something like 8:1 — states how much raw material went into a given weight of the finished concentrate. Some mushroom extracts also carry a standardisation figure, such as a stated percentage of beta-glucans, which are structural compounds found in fungal cell walls and are commonly used as a marker of extract quality.

Put together with the fruiting body question, these are the three lines that make two lion's mane products comparable: which part, whole or extract, and at what ratio or standardisation.

Why We Do Not Tell You What It Does

Lion's mane is marketed with a lot of promises. We do not make them.

In the United Kingdom a supplement may only carry a health claim that appears on the official register of authorised claims, and there is no authorised claim for lion's mane. This applies to every brand selling it here.

What we can do — and what this page has done — is explain what the mushroom is and give you the three questions that separate a well-specified product from a vaguely specified one. That is more useful than a promise, and it has the advantage of being true.

How It Fits Into Your Routine

Lion's mane is taken as a daily habit rather than occasionally. It appears in several of the multi-product edits in the range if you would rather build a routine than assemble it product by product.

What You Get In Each Pack

A single pack, a 2 pack and a 4 pack. Identical product in each; only the quantity changes. Prices are shown on this page before you add anything to your basket.

Who It's For

Adults who want a lion's mane supplement and want to know what is actually in it.

If you have a mushroom allergy, avoid it. If you take prescribed medication, are pregnant, are breastfeeding or are under medical supervision, speak to your doctor before taking it.

Questions, Answered

What is lion's mane?
Hericium erinaceus, an edible mushroom that grows on hardwood trees and forms a rounded mass of long white spines rather than a cap and stem.

What is the difference between fruiting body and mycelium?
The fruiting body is the mushroom as usually pictured, growing above the substrate. The mycelium is the network of fine threads growing through it. Supplements are made from either, and they are different material.

What does "mycelium on grain" mean?
That the mycelium was grown on a grain substrate and the substrate was not separated out, so the finished powder includes a proportion of that grain.

What does an 8:1 extract ratio mean?
That a stated weight of raw material was concentrated down to a smaller weight of extract.

What are beta-glucans?
Structural compounds found in fungal cell walls. A stated beta-glucan percentage is commonly used as a marker of extract specification.

Is lion's mane a mushroom you can eat?
Yes. It is edible and has a long culinary history, particularly in East Asian cooking.

Why does this page not say what lion's mane does?
Because there is no authorised health claim for lion's mane in the United Kingdom, and we do not make claims that are not authorised.

Should I check with my doctor before taking it?
Yes, if you take prescribed medication, are pregnant, are breastfeeding or are under medical supervision. Avoid it if you have a mushroom allergy.

Important Information

Storage: Store in a cool, dry place. Store out of the reach of young children.

Warnings: Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Store out of the reach of young children. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or under medical supervision, consult your doctor before use.