Is Lion’s Mane Safe for Kids?

I’ve been asked by many parents about the safety of lion’s mane and other mushroom supplements for their children. It’s really no surprise that this concern exists since you now find Lion’s Mane in beverages, gummies, and all sorts of “functional foods” that are colorfully packaged and attractive to kids. While there exists a problematic transparency issue when it comes to many of these products, the good news is that lion’s mane and other mushroom supplements are indeed safe for children. After all, there is no known toxicity associated with lion’s mane, and it can be consumed in doses hundreds of times greater than recommended for health benefits without any negative consequences.

Remember, long before Lion’s Mane was ever considered a health supplement, it was highly regarded as a culinary mushroom! As a matter of fact, it still is! You can find a bunch of delicious recipes out there that your kids might even enjoy. Lion’s Mane schnitzel is a great one for kids.

While there hasn’t exactly been clinical trials on Lions Mane and children, there has been on other functional mushroom extracts like Cordyceps, Reishi, and Oyster Mushrooms. Below I’ll list a couple.

• Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Herbal Therapy for Children with Asthma
• Randomized Clinical Trial for the Evaluation of Immune Modulation by Yogurt Enriched with Lingzhi or Reishi Medicinal Mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum (Agaricomycetes), in Children from Colombia
• An open label trial of a standardized extract of cultured Lentinula edodes mycelia (ECLM) in children with refractory epilepsy
• Anti-allergic Effect of Pleuran (β-glucan from Pleurotus ostreatus) in Children with Recurrent Respiratory Tract Infections
• Immunomodulatory Effect of Pleuran (β-glucan from Pleurotus ostreatus) in Children with Recurrent Respiratory Tract Infections

Indeed, according to existing studies, functional mushroom extracts tend to have numerous beneficial effects on children’s health. In particular, mushroom supplements have been shown to improve children’s immune function. This could mean a lower likelihood that your child will bring back an illness from school! While it hasn’t been studied directly, Lion’s Mane may help children focus and improve their ability to retain information, much like it does in adults.

In summary, Lion’s Mane and other mushroom supplements are safe for children of all ages. There are no known negative side effects associated with Lion’s Mane in adults nor children. In fact, traditional recipes in China use Lion’s Mane to soothe indigestion and pain in children.