Ingredient Evidence Review
Erinacine-A mycelium concentrate
Hericium erinaceus HeG-strain (CNS-penetrant fraction)
Last updated 2026-05-19 · 3 primary citations
Mechanism
Lion's Mane mushroom has two families of brain-active compounds. Hericenones (in the row above) work on one growth signal. Erinacines work on a different, complementary signal called BDNF — and erinacine A is special because it crosses directly into the brain (most compounds can't). Together they cover both major brain-growth pathways the perimenopausal brain needs.
Why we use it
Most Lion's Mane supplements only have hericenones because erinacines are hard to grow. We use a specific cultivated strain of the mushroom that has 22× more erinacine A than commodity Lion's Mane. That means the dose actually does something — instead of being a decorative line on the label.
How we dose it
Hericea uses 200 mg per serving (per AM stick pack). The clinical trial range that anchors this dose is 100–400 mg/day.
200 mg of a Lion's Mane extract specifically concentrated for erinacine A — the compound that actually gets into the brain. Every batch is tested to deliver at least 1 mg of erinacine A. Most Lion's Mane supplements don't measure this at all.
Quality & sourcing
HeG-strain or equivalent. HPLC-CAD ≥1 mg erinacine A per serving per lot. ≥5 mg/g raw material.
Mycelium concentrate — the only fraction with the erinacine pathway in commercial quantity.
Primary literature
Cordaro M et al. (2025)
Front PharmacolSystematic review
Reviewed every preclinical study of erinacines — consistently raise the brain growth factors NGF and BDNF; erinacine A specifically crosses into the brain.
Confirms erinacine A is the active compound doing the brain work. This is why we put it in its own concentrated row instead of relying on Lion's Mane alone.
PMID 40626304
Roda E et al. (2023)
Int J Mol SciTranslational review
Comprehensive review of how Lion's Mane and its erinacine compounds are being investigated for neurodegenerative conditions.
Frames erinacine A as one of the most promising natural-compound candidates for age-related cognitive decline — the same biology behind perimenopausal brain fog.
PMID 37233262
Friedman M et al. (2023)
NutrientsMechanism review
Documents how erinacine A actually moves from the gut into the brain and triggers nerve-growth-factor release.
The blood-brain-barrier crossing matters: many natural compounds never reach the brain. This paper shows erinacine A does.