Natural Society Examines the Two Clinical Studies Behind Logic Lion's Mane

An independent look at the research behind Logic, including the one result in the 45-day trial that nobody was expecting.

Natural Society has published a detailed examination of the two human clinical trials conducted on MycoThrive™, the standardized lion's mane extract in Logic Lion's Mane. The piece, written by Natural Society founder Mike Barrett, covers both studies, the chemistry behind them, and what separates a genuine fruiting body extract from most of what is sold in this category.

We think it is worth reading in full. Here is what it covers, and one thing about it we particularly appreciated.

The beta-glucan point most shoppers never hear

The article opens on a distinction that decides more about a lion's mane product than the milligram count on the front of the label.

Beta-glucans are polysaccharides in a mushroom's cell wall, and in the supplement industry they serve a second purpose: they are the marker used to verify that what is in the bottle is actually mushroom. That matters because a large share of lion's mane on the market is mycelium grown on grain, and at harvest the mycelium and the grain cannot be fully separated.

As the piece points out, starch is also a polysaccharide. So a label reading "40% polysaccharides" can be technically accurate while describing mostly rice or oats. A stated beta-glucan percentage cannot be stretched the same way.

It also raises a point we rarely see covered: mushroom cell walls are built largely from chitin, which human digestion does not break down well. Without extraction, much of what is inside those walls stays there. A raw powder has had none of that done to it.

The 45-day result that stands out

The second trial covered in the article is the more interesting one.

Researchers ran a 45-day study in 87 healthy adults aged 40 to 65. Three groups each took one gram a day for six weeks: the MycoThrive™ fruiting body extract, a commercial mushroom blend made from mycelium and fruiting body, or a placebo.

By day 45, the fruiting body group reported significant improvements from their own starting point in day-to-day memory, concentration, mental clarity and focus.

But the finding the article highlights is not a cognitive one. Only the fruiting body group showed a significant increase in Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, a gut bacterium and one of the body's principal producers of butyrate, a compound involved in maintaining the intestinal barrier. The mycelium blend, at the same daily amount, over the same six weeks, inside the same study, did not.

Two products carrying the same species name. Only one moved it.

The argument for fruiting body has been made on chemistry and sourcing for years. This is the first controlled human comparison we are aware of in which the distinction produced a different measurable biological result.

The part we appreciated most

The article does not overstate the research, and it includes the limitation.

In the first trial, improvements were measured against each participant's own starting point. The extract did not pull significantly ahead of the placebo group in the head-to-head comparison. Barrett states this plainly, and notes that we publish the same limitation ourselves.

We do, and we intend to keep doing it. Both studies, their full citations, their limitations, and the disclosure that the first trial was funded in part by the ingredient supplier are all on our clinical evidence page. Research that only looks good when you leave things out is not research worth building a product on.

Four questions worth asking about any lion's mane product

The article closes with a buyer's checklist we would endorse for any brand in this category, not just ours:

• Does the label specify fruiting body, or only the species name?
• Is there a stated beta-glucan percentage, rather than a total polysaccharide figure?
• Is it an extract, or a raw powder?
• Can you obtain a certificate of analysis matching the lot number on the bottle?

If a product cannot answer all four, the species name on the front of the label is not telling you very much.

Read the full article at Natural Society.

Frequently asked questions

What is MycoThrive™? It is a standardized lion's mane extract produced by Applied Food Sciences, made from 100% fruiting body sourced from Finland and standardized to beta-glucans. It is the lion's mane extract used in Logic.

How many clinical studies has it been in? Two human trials. An acute study published in Nutrients in December 2023 measuring effects at 60 and 120 minutes after a single dose, and a 45-day study in 87 adults comparing fruiting body extract against a mycelium blend and a placebo.

Did the extract beat placebo? Not outright. Improvements in the first trial were measured against each participant's own pre-dose scores, and the extract did not separate significantly from placebo in the head-to-head comparison. We publish this on our clinical evidence page, and larger and longer trials are needed, as the researchers themselves called for.

Why does fruiting body versus mycelium matter? Mycelium is typically grown on grain that cannot be fully separated from the final material, so a share of what you are buying can be starch rather than mushroom. Hericenones, the compounds most associated with lion's mane cognitive research, concentrate in the fruiting body.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This is not medical advice and is for informational purposes only. Before using any dietary supplement, always consult a licensed healthcare professional, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, or have or suspect a medical condition. Referenced clinical studies were conducted on MycoThrive™ Lion's Mane powder at a 1,000 mg daily dosage; Logic Lion's Mane provides 970 mg per daily serving (485 mg twice daily) of the same standardized extract delivered through a proprietary liquid extraction process. Results may vary.