Stories about the miraculous health benefits of mushroom coffee have sprouted and spread like wildfire across social media. Claims include immune system enhancement, reduced inflammation, improved cognitive function, liver health, and antioxidant support.
But does mushroom coffee really do the job, considering its high price? And how does it compare to classic, regular coffee?
What is mushroom coffee?
Despite what the name suggests, mushroom coffee doesn’t have bits of mushroom floating around in your morning cup. Instead, it’s usually a combination of regular coffee and ground mushrooms.
To make mushroom coffee, medicinal mushrooms like lion’s mane, chaga, turkey tail, reishi, and cordyceps are dried and extracted. The mushroom extracts are then mixed with ground coffee. The result is a nutty and smooth elixir that tastes like regular coffee with an earthy, nutty twist.
And if you’re not interested in the brewing process, mushroom coffee comes in a variety of forms. These include coffee grounds, ready-made lattes, instant sachets, and even convenient capsules.
Possible Benefits of Drinking Mushroom Coffee
Mushrooms are packed with essential nutrients, says Mindy Haar, a registered dietitian and chair of interdisciplinary health sciences at the New York Institute of Technology. “They’re a source of B vitamins, potassium, selenium and copper,” she says. Some mushrooms also provide zinc and vitamin D and are a good source of fiber.
AND research review published in 2023 in the journal Particles notes several benefits of medicinal mushrooms. According to the review, they have compounds that may help prevent cancer, control diabetes, regulate the immune system, fight obesity and slow aging.
Because mushroom coffee combines ground coffee beans with decaffeinated mushroom powder, it contains less caffeine than regular coffee. For example, a cup of brewed coffee contains 96 milligrams of caffeine. Ryze mushroom coffee, on the other hand, contains about 48 mg of caffeine per cup. Four Sigmatic says one packet of mushroom coffee contains about 50 mg.
Reducing caffeine levels means feeling less anxious, especially as you age, says Matthew Landry, a registered dietitian and assistant professor of population health and disease prevention at the University of California, Irvine.
In addition, caffeine acts as a diuretic. This means that caffeine causes you to urinate more often by removing water from your body. In older people, who may not drink enough water throughout the day, this can lead to dehydration, Landry says. In such cases, the lower caffeine content of mushroom coffee may be helpful.
Unfortunately, the hype surrounding mushroom coffee has outpaced the research. Research on the benefits and side effects of mushroom coffee is limited, according to Landry, although there is a wealth of research on the health effects of mushrooms.
If you’re looking for the unique benefits of mushrooms, Haar recommends sticking with regular coffee and adding mushrooms to your diet. He suggests it’s more cost-effective to get the benefits of mushrooms by eating them in food form.
It’s unclear whether the process used to create mushroom extract preserves the health benefits. However, there has been promising research on mushrooms used in food.
Here are some studies on the potential benefits of eating mushrooms:
1. Reduces stress
Medicinal mushrooms have been found to have adaptogenic properties. Landry explains that adaptogens “help the body better adapt to stressful situations.”
