Sounds awful… but many are enhancing their cup of Java – not for flavor, but to increase health benefits. There are several different ideas floating around… Mushroom coffee is one that seems to have gained popularity, as now some cafes across the country are carrying it.
Mushroom coffee is basically a regular coffee that has been combined with powerful medicinal mushrooms, such as cordyceps, lion’s main, and chaga, to boost health benefits and brain function. Can there really be merit to this fad?
Benefits
- Lion’s Mane may help decrease depression and anxiety, and help with mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to dementia.
- Chaga may enhance immunity.
- Cordyceps may help control blood sugar.
- Shiitake mushrooms may help prevent arterial plaque formation, helping circulation.
Side Effects
One should ALWAYS consult their doctor before taking any supplements.
- Mushroom coffee can interact with various drugs and prescription medications.
- For some people, the caffeine in coffee can cause jitteriness, nervousness, insomnia, and nausea. For some people, mushroom coffee can cause IBS type of symptoms.
- There are rare cases of side effects with medicinal mushroom supplements. One example of an adverse reaction involves Reishi mushrooms. It was linked to fatal hepatitis for a small percentage of consumers. Researchers attribute this to some interaction with prescription medications.
Special note that this is a new concept to the US, and mushroom coffee has not been studied directly in controlled scientific studies, so optimal dosages for coffee in combination with medicinal mushrooms have not been established. Nutritionists have referred to the recommended doses of coffee and respective mushrooms separately to create this products for the effective purpose of boosting immunity and cognitive function.
Available Products
I believe mushroom coffee is great during flu season (or a pandemic/endemic) or for anyone with a compromised immune system due to its immune-boosting properties. I especially like the easy delivery system for those of us with a daily habit of a hot beverage in the mornings. I don’t get any incentives for talking about these products, but I do use the last one mentioned!
- Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee Mix is ideal if you want to swap in mushroom coffee into an already-established coffee routine, and can be made with any standard coffee maker. You can even use it to make a cold brew if that’s what you prefer.
- SOLLO Chaga Immunity is a K-cup style mushroom coffee that combines arabica coffee with chaga mushroom extract.
- Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee Instant Mix is best-suited for making instant coffee on the go. It contains a blend of lion’s Mane, chaga, rhodiola and instant coffee powder.
- Super Organics Energy Boost Coffee uses fair trade and organic coffee with extracts of cordyceps maca root, other herbals, and probiotics.
- Naturealm Mushroom Coffee Creamer (what I use) is a dairy-free creamer (coconut milk) with a blend of maitake, cordyceps, and lion’s mane, so you can turn your favorite coffee beans into a mushroom coffee. If you typically don’t use a coffee creamer, then this is not for you.
