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Want To Ease Anxiety? This Mushroom Pairing Shows Promise
When anxiety follows you from your morning to-do list into your evening wind-down, a supplement promising a calmer mind can sound pretty appealing.
Lion’s mane and reishi mushrooms are often marketed for their potential brain and mood benefits, but human research on their effects on anxiety is still limited.
A recent clinical trial1 put these fungi to the test, exploring whether combining them could offer an advantage over taking lion’s mane alone.
About the study
Researchers recruited 84 women ages 18 to 26 and randomly assigned them to take lion’s mane alone, a combination of lion’s mane and reishi, or a placebo for 28 days.
Neither the participants nor the researchers knew who received which treatment. The goal was to find out whether pairing the two mushrooms could help ease anxiety more effectively than lion’s mane on its own.
The lion’s mane & reishi combo showed promise
After four weeks, women taking the combination of lion’s mane and reishi reported lower anxiety scores than those taking lion’s mane alone.
The difference appeared across the study period and at the final assessment. However, researchers didn’t establish why the combination performed better or whether reishi was responsible.
Other measures of anxiety and stress showed only suggestive differences that weren’t statistically convincing after accounting for multiple comparisons, meaning those results could have occurred by chance.
What we still need to learn
The trial included just 84 young women and lasted four weeks, so the findings may not apply to other age groups or people with diagnosed anxiety disorders.
Researchers also don’t know whether any potential benefits would last beyond the study.
Larger, longer trials are needed to confirm the results and determine whether the combination meaningfully eases anxiety.
How to approach mushroom supplements
Curious about trying lion’s mane and reishi? Keep these points in mind:
- Keep expectations realistic: The combination showed promise in one small trial, but it isn’t an established anxiety treatment.
- Check the label: Look for clearly listed mushroom species, ingredients, and dosages, along with independent quality testing where available.
- Seek support when needed: If anxiety affects your daily life, speak with a qualified health care professional. Supplements shouldn’t replace evidence-based care, and check for potential medication interactions before trying one.
The takeaway
Lion’s mane and reishi might make a good team for anxiety, though it's always a good idea to seek professional help when it feels like more than a short stint.