Over the past few months, you may have noticed many influencers mixing dark, earthy powders into their mugs, claiming this will improve their daily lives. It seems like mushroom coffee is everywhere. This drink has promises of greater focus, overall calmness, and better immune support, but without having to deal with caffeine jitters.
So, does mushroom coffee actually deliver, or is it another overly priced fad from an incredibly strong marketing team? Well, before you toss out your beans and try mushrooms,s let’s find some evidence to compare against the hype surrounding mushroom coffee.
What Exactly is Mushroom Coffee?
Your cup won’t have pieces of button mushrooms in it, as you would think. Instead, mushroom coffee is actually a combination of ground coffee beans and an extract from functional mushrooms.
Functional mushrooms are fungi that are thought to offer health benefits that go beyond their normal nutrition. The coffee is made by drying out the mushrooms; then they are ground into a concentrated powder. Mushroom coffee has only about half the caffeine of a regular cup of coffee, which is partly why people say it feels smoother when they drink it.
The “Big Three” Mushrooms and Their Claims
Mushroom coffee typically uses a specific set of fungi, which are as follows:
1. Lion’s Mane (The “Brain” Mushroom)
The Hype of The Lion’s Mane mushroom is like a brain booster for Memory and Focus.
There have been some smaller-scale studies suggesting a connection between Lion’s Mane and growing nerves and brain health. However, most of the Heresay about Lion’s Mane is based on animal and lab studies, so more and more human evidence is now being added. However, the Lion’s Mane is by no means a magic pill for boosting intelligence
2. Reishi (The “Zen” Mushroom)
Reishi has a positive reputation amongst wellness enthusiasts as a natural option that can help lower stress levels and improve sleep. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Reishi is an adaptogen, which means it helps people to “adapt” to stress. Reishi has been used as a medicinal herb for centuries, but there are still not many clinical studies in humans that demonstrate its efficacy as a relaxation aid — don’t count on it alone for a great healthy sleep routine!
3. Chaga (The “Immune” Mushroom)
Chaga is very popular among health-conscious individuals for its ability to prevent illness and reduce inflammation. Chaga is very high in antioxidants, and laboratory studies show it has great potential to combat oxidative stress. Unfortunately, more human studies are needed to support the claim that it can prevent disease in the long term.
Hype vs. Reality: What the Research Says
When we look at mushroom coffee through a scientific lens, the picture gets a bit more complicated.
- The Caffeine Effect:
The scientific study of mushroom coffee provides an interesting and complicated picture. Most people focus on how much caffeine is in a regular cup of coffee compared to a cup of mushroom coffee. This difference in caffeine levels is where the drink gets most of its attention. Having a lower amount of caffeine in the coffee will create a reduction in feelings of anxiety and/or jitters. It does not necessarily indicate the existence of a mushroom miracle. Rather, it indicates that you simply have less caffeine available to you.
- The Dosage Problem: According to scientific study, for mushrooms to have an effect, you must take them in the proper dosage. Many commercial coffee blends do not provide an accurate total dosage amount for the amount of mushroom extract in a serving of the coffee blend, therefore, it is possible that you may only be receiving a dusting of mushroom rather than an effective dose of mushroom.
- The Lack of Human Trials:
Most of the wonderful claims regarding mushroom coffee are based primarily upon the results of in vitro (petri dish) experimentation. There have not yet been enough in vivo (human) studies to adequately determine whether or not all of the various mushrooms/cooking mushrooms will indeed create the positive benefits when consumed as mushroom coffee.
We are still awaiting results from large, long-term human studies to determine whether or not the use and/or consumption of mushroom coffee will produce actual and verifiable benefits similar to those produced in the aforementioned studies.
Practical Things to Know Before You Buy
If you would like to give it a shot, consider these things regarding mushrooms as your coffee:
Taste: A lot of people say it does not taste like mushroom soup, but instead they would describe it as having a strong, earthy coffee flavor with a bit of a nutty taste.
- Cost: You will also need to prepare yourself for potentially being shocked at the expense of mushroom coffee as it can be at least two times more than high-quality regular coffee.
- Side Effects: For some who experience issues associated with digesting foods, mushrooms are generally classified as hard to digest for humans.Those who have kidney issues or take blood-thinning medication should consult their physician prior to consuming any type of mushroom based products. Like the Chaga, for example, contains oxalates in high quantities which can be particularly damaging to the kidneys.
- The Ritual: While some researchers find that if drinking a cup of mushroom coffee creates an overall feeling of being mindful and healthy, that placebo effect is still of significant importance to mental health.
The Final Verdict
Mushrooms have a high level of nutrition and many theoretical benefits as well, given the promising research funding for mushrooms. However, many of the extreme health claims you will read online about the “magic” of mushrooms are based primarily on marketing than the actual empirical data from human studies.
If you want to lower your caffeine consumption and enjoy an earthy flavor to your drinks, then this might be a good option for you. That said, you shouldn’t expect significant changes to your health immediately. Your overall health will be more influential on your health than any beverage you drink.
Next Step: If this sounds like something that might work for you, request a small trial sample size pack before spending a lot on a large, expensive tin glass container of mushroom coffee. Notice how focused you feel about 1 hour after finishing your mushroom coffee compared with a traditional caffeinated beverage.