PlainPill

Lion's Mane vs Omega-3 for memory

Short answer: For memory, more users report improvement with Lion's Mane — 89% of 130 reports, versus 78% of 50 for Omega-3.

Lion's Mane has 4 meta-analyses and 5 randomized trials on PubMed; Omega-3 has 1,341 and 3,093.

Based on 888 reports about Lion's Mane and 1,959 about Omega-3. Not medical advice.

Lion's Mane
Supplement
Omega-3
Supplement
User score4647
Verdict
Mixed
Mostly positive
Positive
of reports that state an outcome
48%66%
Reports8881,959
ResearchBResearch: ModerateAResearch: Strong
Meta-analyses / RCTs4 / 51,341 / 3,093
Mainly used for
Weight loss
% reporting improvement
—100% (2)
Focus
% reporting improvement
88% (177)82% (129)
Energy
% reporting improvement
66% (35)74% (42)
Sleep
% reporting improvement
54% (28)79% (24)
Anxiety
% reporting improvement
67% (54)75% (69)
Mood
% reporting improvement
73% (98)82% (201)
Memory
% reporting improvement
89% (130)78% (50)
Performance
% reporting improvement
40% (5)88% (16)
Recovery
% reporting improvement
67% (3)90% (20)
Pain & inflammation
% reporting improvement
90% (10)91% (82)
Digestion
% reporting improvement
50% (2)22% (9)
Libido
% reporting improvement
4% (49)71% (14)
Hormones
% reporting improvement
—100% (2)
Blood sugar
% reporting improvement
—50% (2)
Heart & lipids
% reporting improvement
100% (2)76% (58)
Skin & hair
% reporting improvement
—89% (38)
Immunity
% reporting improvement
—60% (10)
Longevity
% reporting improvement
—86% (7)
Common side effectsvivid dreams, libido loss, anxiety, anhedoniabrain fog, anxiety, depression, fatigue
Typical dose reported900 mgsparingly
Lion's Mane
Latest review conclusion

Although commonly unreported, potential side effects of HE include stomach discomfort, headache, and allergic reactions. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024571250.

Front Nutr, 2025 ↗
What a user said
“Lions Mane notably lights my brain up (cognitive boost) and helps boost my mood through my typical afternoon lull.”
Full Lion's Mane profile →
Omega-3
Latest review conclusion

For glycated hemoglobin, there was no significant effect in the meta-analysis. This systematic review with meta-analysis demonstrated that supplementation with omega-3 has protective effects on diabetes parameters.

Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2022 ↗
What a user said
“I do supplement a lot of fish oil and vitamin A as retinyl palmitate though. It has really helped my depression, anxiety and ADHD and has enabled me to stop using more serious psychiatric drugs for those things.”
Full Omega-3 profile →

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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate