Is Lion's Mane Safe With Blood Pressure And Cholesterol Medication?

Answer

Thanks for reaching out to us! I always start out with answers concerning natural products (e.g. botanicals, supplements, etc.) that there typically is not much research that has properly evaluated interactions with prescription drugs. So, a lack of information being available doesn't necessarily mean that no interaction exists.

I always recommend talking to your doctor and pharmacist before combining prescription medication with supplements, to make sure you are properly informed and monitored.

Having said all of the above, there are no known interactions between the medications you listed in your question (benazepril) and lovastatin, and lion's mane, a type of mushroom. Additionally, I could not find any data or studies to indicate an interaction potentially exists.

What Is Lion's Mane?

Lion's mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) is a mushroom that has been used medicinally for a number of years. It grows on the dead trunks of several types of hardwood trees, including:

• Oak
• Beech
• Japanese walnut

Lion's mane mushroom contains a variety of compounds, including polysaccharides, erinacines, cerebrosides, hericenones, erinapyrones, lectins, and phenolic acids. Lion's mane mushroom also contains proteins, sterols, fatty acids, and esters, as well as several unknown compounds.

What Is Lion's Mane Used For?

Lion's Mane is used for a variety of purposes, and there is some preliminary evidence that it may be beneficial for a variety of disease states and conditions, including:

• Depression/anxiety
• Dementia
• Gastrointestinal conditions
• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Weight loss
• Reduction of oxidative stress
• Neuralgia
• Diabetes

While studies do show some positive benefits, more large-scale ones are needed to determine the true medical benefit of Lion's Mane and where it may fit into therapy for any given individual.

Based on the drugs you mention in your questions (benazepril and lovastatin), I imagine you are trying Lion's Mane for its cardiovascular effects.

Animal research has shown that administering lion's mane mushroom extract to rats along with a high-fat diet can blunt an increase in blood and liver triglyceride levels and help to lower total cholesterol levels (one study noted a 33% decrease in rats).

Research indicates that it may have these effects on cholesterol by working in a similar way to how 'statin' drugs work, by inhibiting HMG Co-A reductase activity.

Lion's Mane Drug Interactions

Studies have, for the most part, not found any significant interactions between Lion's Mane and other prescription drugs.

In fact, the only potential drug interactions studies have noted are additive effects with certain drug classes. For example, lion's mane mushroom may have a mild antiplatelet effect, and therefore increase the risk of bleeding when used with anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs.

Similarly, lion's mane mushroom may have additive effects when used with antidiabetic drugs since animal research suggests that it can reduce blood glucose and increase insulin levels.

The drugs you mentioned in your question, benazepril and lovastatin, are for blood pressure, and cholesterol respectively.

Benazepril is an ACE-Inhibitor, while lovastatin is a 'statin', also known as an HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor. Lion's mane has no known interaction with any of the drugs in these classes, but as mentioned, be sure to let your doctor and pharmacist know about all the drugs you are taking.

Final Words

Thanks again for reaching out to us! I hope this answer helped answer your question.