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Tales of the miraculous health benefits of mushroom coffee have sprouted and spread on social media like fungi after a rain. Claims include: immune system boosting, inflammation reduction, cognitive enhancement, liver wellness and antioxidant support.
But, with its premium price tag, does mushroom coffee really deliver?And how does it compare to the classic favorite, regular coffee?
What is mushroom coffee?
Contrary to what the name suggests, mushroom coffee does not contain chunks of mushrooms floating in your morning mug. 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 blended into regular coffee grounds. The result is a nutty and smooth elixir that tastes like regular coffee with an earthy, nutty twist.
And if you’re not into the brewing process, mushroom coffee comes in different forms. These include grounds, premade lattes, instant packets and even convenient pods.
Possible benefits of mushroom coffee
Mushrooms are rich in essential nutrients, says Mindy Haar, a registered dietitian and chair of interdisciplinary health sciences at the New York Institute of Technology. “They are sources of the B vitamins, potassium, selenium and copper,” she says. Some mushrooms also provide zinc and vitamin D and are good sources of fiber.
A review of studies published in 2023 in the journal Molecules notes several benefits of medicinal mushrooms. According to the review, they have compounds that may help prevent cancer, manage diabetes, regulate the immune system, fight obesity and slow aging.
Since mushroom coffee blends ground coffee beans with caffeine-free mushroom powder, it contains less caffeine than regular coffee. For instance, a cup of brewed coffee has 96 milligrams of caffeine. In contrast, Ryze mushroom coffee has around 48 mg of caffeine per cup. Four Sigmatic claims about 50 mg in one packet of its mushroom coffee.
Reduced caffeine levels mean less jittery feelings, especially as we age, according to Matthew Landry, a registered dietitian nutritionist and assistant professor of population health and disease prevention at the University of California Irvine.
Additionally, caffeine acts as a diuretic. This means caffeine causes more frequent urination by eliminating water from the body. For older adults who may not drink enough water throughout the day, this can lead to dehydration, Landry says. In such cases, mushroom coffee’s lower caffeine content could be helpful.
Unfortunately, the hype around mushroom coffee has outpaced the research. Studies on mushroom coffee’s benefits and side effects are limited, according to Landry, although there are a number of studies on the health effects of mushrooms.
If you’re looking for the unique benefits of mushrooms, Haar recommends sticking to plain coffee and adding mushrooms to your diet. She suggests it’s more affordable to get mushrooms’ advantages by eating them in food form instead.
It’s unclear whether the process used to create the extract from mushrooms preserves the health benefits. But there has been some promising research on mushrooms used in food.
Here’s a look at some of the research on potential benefits of mushrooms:
1. Reduces stress
Medicinal mushrooms have been found to have adaptogenic properties. Landry explains that adaptogens “help the body adapt to better respond to stressful situations.”
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