Mushroom Atlas

Lion's Mane vs. Reishi: Which One Should You Take?

What this page covers:what each mushroom is studied for, per named clinical trials, compared side by side. It does not rank one as better than the other, they aren't studied for the same effect.

This isn't really a head-to-head comparison, because Lion's Mane and Reishi aren't studied for the same thing. Lion's Mane's clearest research looks at cognitive performance. Reishi's clearest research looks at immune-system markers. Picking between them depends on which effect you're interested in.

What each is studied for

Per Mori et al., 2009, Lion's Mane at 3 g/day for 16 weeks improved cognitive scores in adults with mild cognitive impairment, an effect that reversed after subjects stopped taking it. Per Chen et al., 2023, Reishi at 200 mg/day of a standardized beta-glucan extract for 84 days increased T-lymphocyte and NK-cell immune markers in healthy adults. A separate Reishi trial (Klupp et al., 2016, 3 g/day whole extract, 16 weeks) found no metabolic or cardiovascular benefit in adults with diabetes and metabolic syndrome, worth knowing since not every Reishi trial found a positive result.

Why this isn't a "which is stronger" question

Comparing effect sizes across two different trials measuring two different outcomes in two different populations doesn't produce a meaningful answer about which mushroom is "stronger." The more useful comparison is which studied effect matches what you're looking for. See the full research and dose picture for each on the Lion's Mane hub and Reishi hub, or the side-by-side summary of all five mushrooms on Why People Take Functional Mushrooms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lion's Mane vs. Reishi: which one should you take?

They're not studied for the same effect, so this isn't a head-to-head comparison. Lion's Mane's clearest published research (Mori et al., 2009) measured cognitive scores in adults with mild cognitive impairment. Reishi's clearest published research (Chen et al., 2023) measured immune-marker changes in healthy adults. Which is relevant depends on which effect you're looking for, not which mushroom is generally stronger.

Can you take Lion's Mane and Reishi together?

This page doesn't evaluate combination use; no clinical trial on this site tested the two together. Some multi-species blend supplements include both, see the Multi-Species Blends hub for label comparisons, but that's a different question from whether combining them changes the effect of either.

Is Lion's Mane better than coffee for focus?

This page doesn't compare Lion's Mane to caffeine directly since they work through different, separately studied mechanisms. Lion's Mane's clinical research measured cognitive scores over 16 weeks of continuous use, not an immediate focus effect the way caffeine is typically used. See the Lion's Mane hub for what the cognitive research measured.

Which has more human research, Lion's Mane or Reishi?

Both have named human trials, but with different, sometimes conflicting results. Reishi has two trials on this site: Chen et al., 2023 found an immune-marker benefit in healthy adults, while Klupp et al., 2016 found no metabolic benefit in adults with diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Lion's Mane's main trial (Mori et al., 2009) found a cognitive benefit that reversed after subjects stopped taking it.

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