Key takeaways
- Hericenones are associated with the Lion’s Mane fruiting body; erinacines mainly with the mycelium.
- Fruiting body and mycelium Lion’s Mane products aren’t interchangeable.
- Grain-grown mycelium products may contain substantial starch.
- Clear labelling of the part used matters more than either choice.
For most mushrooms, the difference between fruiting body and mycelium products is mainly about grain and transparency. For Lion’s Mane, there is an extra twist: its two best-known groups of compounds are found in different parts of the fungus. This article explains what that means for anyone choosing a Lion’s Mane product.
Two parts, two chemistries
Hericenones are associated with the Lion’s Mane fruiting body. Erinacines are found mainly in the mycelium, and are present in the fruiting body in very small amounts, if at all. Both groups have attracted research interest, largely in laboratory and animal studies. See Hericenones Explained and Erinacines Explained.
The grain question
Many Lion’s Mane mycelium products are grown on grain and sold with the grain included, so the finished powder can contain a lot of starch. Even if erinacines are present, it’s hard to know how much, or how much of the product is actually fungus. See Mycelium on Grain Explained.
So which should you choose?
That depends on what you’re looking for, and on honest labelling:
- A fruiting body product gives you the mushroom itself, the same part eaten as food in East Asia.
- A mycelium product should tell you how it was grown, whether grain is included and, ideally, what testing shows.
- Some brands combine both; if so, they should say in what proportion.
What matters most is that the label tells you clearly which you’re buying.
Our choice
Our Lion’s Mane tincture is made only from UK-grown Lion’s Mane fruiting bodies. We don’t use mycelium, and we don’t claim it contains erinacines. For the general picture, see Fruiting Body vs Mycelium; for the species, The Complete Guide to Lion’s Mane.