No Products in the Cart
While coffee is known for its numerous health benefits, especially as an energy booster, there's an even healthier alternative that not only provides your morning pick-me-up but also offers added perks like immune support, reduced inflammation, enhanced focus, and more - MUSHROOM COFFEE!
Mushroom coffee is gaining popularity as a better alternative to your regular cup of joe. Medicinal mushrooms, also known as functional mushrooms, have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for ages. However ,recently mushroom coffee has been trending among health conscious individuals for it's perceived health benefits.
Let's look at what exactly is mushroom coffee, it's benefits, side effects and whether or not you should make a switch from your normal cup of coffee to mushroom coffee.
While the word mushroom coffee might create an image of mushrooms floating in your cup of coffee, it's not that! Mushroom coffee is typically a blend of ground mushrooms and coffee beans, which makes it very similar to your regular coffee. These coffees use medicinal mushrooms, and not the culinary mushrooms that we find in grocery stores. It does not at all tastes like mushrooms and you might not even realize that your coffee has mushroom in it.
Though mushroom coffee just came into trend among influencers, the usage of mushrooms in different foods and medicines has a long history. It has been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times, however, the concept of mushroom coffee was discovered during World War II. Finnish people faced a shortage of coffee during war time and used chaga mushrooms as an alternative to coffee.
To make mushroom coffee, medicinal mushrooms are first dried and then grinded into fine mushroom powder. Mushrooms' beneficial ingredients are extracted to be added to the coffee. Commonly used mushrooms in coffee blends are lion's mane, turkey tail, chaga, king trumpet, reishi, etc.
Coffee is not just an energy drink, it comes with a whole lot of other benefits. Coffee is associated with lower risk of depression, protection against liver diseases, better heart health, and much more. Whereas medicinal mushrooms are said to reduce cancer risk, boost immunity, support a healthy gut, etc. Combining the benefits of these both into a rich brew could turn out to be an amazing addition to your regular coffee habits.
Mushrooms contain bioactive compounds like carotenoids, which have antioxidants and immune-boosting properties. These bioactive compounds can support your immune system. Specifically, research has shown that turkey tail mushrooms have a compound that gives immune support to cancer patients. Mushrooms like Chaga and Reishi are particularly noted for their high antioxidant content and can also help with empowering your immune system. Though mushrooms have the benefit of providing immune support, further research is required to know whether they retain these properties when they're dried and mixed with coffee beans.
Mushrooms are also recognized for their ability to reduce inflammation. Medicinal mushrooms contain polysaccharides, triterpenoids, and beta-glucans, which are known for their properties to reduce inflammation. These compounds help to inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are molecules that trigger inflammation in the body. By modulating the immune response and reducing the levels of these cytokines, mushroom coffee can help in reducing inflammation, which is linked to various health issues such as arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, and even certain cancers.
A cup of mushroom coffee still has ground coffee beans and, therefore, contains caffeine content. So, drinking mushroom coffee can help enhance focus and concentration power. In particular, Lion’s Mane supports cognitive function, aiding in mental clarity and focus. However, since mushroom coffee usually contains equal parts mushroom extracts and coffee, it typically has less caffeine as compared to regular coffee. This might be beneficial if you often feel jittery from drinking normal coffee.
Mushroom coffee offers a unique blend of caffeine and medicinal mushrooms that can provide sustained energy levels throughout the day. Unlike regular coffee, which often leads to energy spikes followed by crashes, the adaptogenic properties of mushrooms like Cordyceps and Lion’s Mane help maintain balanced energy.. Cordyceps is known for enhancing cellular energy production by increasing ATP (adenosine triphosphate) levels, which boosts energy and reduces fatigue. The combination of these mushrooms with coffee’s natural caffeine promotes steady, long-lasting energy without the jitteriness or abrupt drops commonly associated with traditional coffee.
When you are stressed, your body releases cortisol, the stress hormone that affects almost all of us. Moreover, for people who are diagnosed with depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, etc, the cortisol levels are even higher. The adaptogens present in the medicinal mushrooms help level out the cortisol present in your bloodstream. Therefore, mushroom coffee could help you in managing your stress. Moreover, the net caffeine content in mushroom coffee is lesser than in normal cups of coffee, which would reduce caffeine-induced anxiety.
Mushroom coffee could offer a more restful sleep due to its other health benefits that we have already listed above. The reduction of cortisol levels promotes relaxation and can aid in better sleep. Lesser caffeine content in mushroom coffee won't interfere with your sleep cycle. And other additional health benefits of mushroom coffee, like adaptogens and bio-active compounds present in mushrooms, can also benefit your sleep.
Since everything comes with both pros and cons, so does mushroom coffee. Along with the potential health benefits that comes with mushroom coffee, there is also potential downsides that tag along with it. One should consider these downsides before making the decision of switching to mushroom coffee.
The researches that has been conducted on the health benefits of mushrooms has been done with the use of mushroom supplements and not with the use of extracts mixed with coffee. Moreover, there is lack of research on humans, most well designed clinical trials have been conducted in test tubes or on animals. This means that there is lack of evidence to support the claimed health benefits of mushroom coffee.
Additionally, due to lack of research, we do not have reliable knowledge about the amounts of dosage, who may consume it, who should avoid it, how does it interact with our body and especially with medicines. This lack of information also raises safety concerns about consumption of mushroom coffee.
If you have a known allergy to certain types of mushrooms, it's best to steer clear of the coffee that uses those in its blends. However, even if you don't have any known allergies to mushrooms, you can still have an allergic reaction to mushroom coffee because it contains functional mushrooms that you might not have tried before. The proteins and polysaccharides in functional mushrooms like Reishi, Chaga mushroom, and Lion’s Mane can act as allergens for some people, triggering an immune response. For example, lion's mane can cause reactions such as hive, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Medicinal mushrooms like Reishi, Chaga, and Lion’s Mane contain bioactive compounds that may affect how some drugs are metabolized by the liver. Reishi mushrooms can have blood-thinning properties, which could enhance the effects of anticoagulant medications, leading to an increased risk of bleeding. Chaga, known for its high antioxidant content, can interfere with blood sugar levels and insulin, creating risks for people taking diabetes medications. Therefore, if you're taking any medications, it's best for you to consult your healthcare provider before including any sort of mushroom coffee in your diet.
Mushrooms are high in fiber content, which might be harsh on your digestive system. Mushrooms like Chaga and Reishi can sometimes cause gastrointestinal discomfort, including bloating, gas, or upset stomach, especially when first introduced into the diet. Moreover, the combination of caffeine and mushrooms could worsen the existing digestive problems in those sensitive to caffeine. Additionally, some medicinal mushrooms, like Chaga mushrooms, are high in oxalates. If you already have some kidney issues, consumption of oxalates in high amounts could increase your risk of getting kidney stones.
Another issue with mushroom coffee is that most brands do not disclose the amount of mushroom extract used in their product. Some mushroom coffee brands do mention the total weight of the mushroom blend, but you would still not know how much quantity of each kind of mushroom is present in your coffee. And just because an ingredient is mentioned in the product doesn't mean that it's in sufficient quantity to have any meaningful effect on your health. So, we not only have doubts about whether or not mushroom coffee provides health benefits but also about whether there is enough mushroom in your coffee to provide those same benefits.
Another big downside of mushroom coffees is the cost. Mushroom coffees can end up costing more than double the price of a normal coffee, even when prepared at home. For minimal to no noticeable benefits of mushroom coffee, it costs double the amount!
Though most people say that the taste of mushroom coffee is no different from a regular coffee, some people report that they do not like the taste of mushroom coffee. Mushroom coffee apparently has an earthy or nutty taste to it. So make sure you enjoy the taste before going ahead an adding large quantity to make a strong cup of coffee.
Deciding whether mushroom coffee is worth incorporating into your routine ultimately depends on your individual health goals and preferences. Though mushrooms have potential health benefits, the lack of research about how much those benefits actually are retained in coffee makes us skeptical of switching up. Moreover, it costs almost double your regular coffee, so rather than paying that much for benefits that you may or may not get, you would be better off incorporating whole mushrooms into your diet.
Also, since mushroom coffee is relatively new to market, you will have to research for brands that provide authentic mushroom coffee. It might be a better option to wait for more researches to be conducted, so that we can be sure of the benefits provided by the coffee as well as get more information on the side effects of mushroom coffee.
If you're interested in mushroom coffee only out of curiosity and not the nutritional factors, then you might still wanna try it out. With very little chances of any of the side effects occurring, there is nothing to loose in it for you. However, if you're on medications or have any health issues, make sure to consult your doctor before adding it to your routine.
Mushroom coffee has potential health benefits. It could help you reduce stress and anxiety, along with enhanced immunity and other benefits due to the bioactive compounds found in mushrooms. However, there is lack research about these health claims so the precise effects of mushroom coffee on our health remains uncertain.
Mushroom coffee is a mixture of mushroom extracts along with regular coffee beans and tastes the same as normal coffee to some people. However, some people have reported a smooth, nutty, and earthy flavor. Nevertheless, mushroom coffee tastes good.
Mushroom coffee is made out of dried mushrooms, so any moisture has already been sucked out of them, which gives them a long shelf-life. However, make sure that you store your mushroom coffee in an air-tight container to keep it safe.
