Mushrooms have been used to improve overall health and wellbeing for thousands of years in ancient medicines and they’ve been incorporated more and more into mainstream supplements over the past few years.
Now, the craze on the mushroom market seems to be mushroom coffee!
Although there are different variations produced by each brand, generally, mushroom coffee is a blend of mushrooms and coffee beans – it produces a ground coffee-like mixture that can be used to make an ordinary cup of coffee!
The specific selection of mushrooms in mushroom coffee once again depends on each brand that produces this mix.
However, the most commonly used mushrooms in mushroom coffee are Turkey’s Tail, Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Chaga, and Cordyceps.
With a large selection of brands producing mushroom coffee and a lot of people jumping on this trend, it’s time to ask the question, “does mushroom coffee actually provide benefits?”.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at whether or not mushroom coffee provides benefits, what those benefits are, and whether you should be consuming mushroom coffee to improve your overall health.
Does Mushroom Coffee Provide More Benefits Than Normal Coffee?
Although traditional coffee is often synonymous with jitters and anxiety, it does actually have its own list of health benefits.
Coffee can boost physical performance, help burn fat, promote cognitive function, reduce the risk of certain cancers and conditions such as Parkinson’s.
However, mushroom coffee is said to have more benefits than normal coffee since it contains both traditional coffee and mushrooms.
Each mushroom within most mushroom coffee provides its own list of nutrients and promotes a selection of unique health benefits.
So, overall, mushroom coffee is said to have more benefits than traditional coffee.
Let’s take a look at some of these benefits in-depth!
Related: MUD WTR coffee alternative
10 Benefits of Mushroom Coffee
Although each mushroom coffee may have different benefits due to the specific mushrooms that exist within them, here is a list of the top 10 benefits associated with mushroom coffee.
1Provides Essential Nutrients
Although definitely not as packed with nutrients as a superfood powder, mushroom coffee provides a variety of essential nutrients.
Mushrooms are not only packed with antioxidants, protein, and fiber, but they also contain essential micronutrients such as vitamin B, vitamin D, and minerals such as copper, potassium, magnesium, and zinc.
If you struggle to consume enough of these micronutrients through your diet, drinking mushroom coffee daily might help to boost those levels.
2Reduces Stress Levels
Many mushrooms, such as reishi mushrooms, are also adaptogens. Adaptogens reduce stress and anxiety levels by physically helping the body adapt to stressors, hence the name.
Therefore, mushroom coffee can reduce stress levels and help you enter the day as a calmer, less anxious person. It can also promote sleep when you do finally get to bed at the end of the day.
Here are some other Adaptogenic herbs worth checking out.
3Boosts Energy Levels
Mushroom coffee does contain traditional coffee and therefore caffeine, and so it still boosts energy levels in the way that a normal coffee would.
If you take a mushroom coffee alternative, this may be caffeine-free, so may not provide such a powerful energy boost.
However, overall, mushroom coffee is a great thing to consume to improve your energy levels, whilst lowering the anxiety that often arises after drinking traditional coffee.
4Supports Healthy Blood Sugar Levels
Mushroom coffee, especially if it includes maitake mushroom, will help to support healthy blood sugar levels and promote a healthy blood sugar balance.
Therefore, a mushroom coffee could be a great alternative for anyone who struggles with high blood sugar levels and normally tries to stay away from coffee (especially if they like it with sugar, syrups, or milk).
5Promotes A Healthy Gut
Mushroom coffee, as mentioned briefly above, has a high fiber content. Naturally, this promotes regular bowel movements, benefitting the overall digestive health.
More specifically though, mushrooms have high prebiotic fiber content and polysaccharides that both support the growth of good bacteria within the gut and improve digestive health as a whole.
6Pushes Toxins From The Body
Mushroom coffee contains high levels of antioxidants, especially if the mushrooms within them are particularly antioxidant-rich, such as Chaga mushroom.
Therefore, mushroom coffee can help to reduce radical damage and oxidative stress, whilst actively pushing toxins from the body.
7Boosts The Immune System
Most functional mushrooms, specifically mushrooms like turkey tail, provide beta-glucans that support and improve the immune system.
Therefore, consuming a mushroom coffee every day can give your immune system that little extra boost that it might need to battle bad bacteria and keep you in an optimal state of health.
8Supports Physical Performance
Many functional mushrooms, and especially cordyceps, one of the most commonly used mushrooms in mushroom coffee, promote blood flow, help the body to properly utilize oxygen, and improve stamina.
Therefore, drinking mushroom coffee before working out can be a great way to improve physical performance.
Not only that, but mushroom coffee can actually help support muscle recovery after exercise.
9Improves Cognitive Function
Mushroom coffee can help to improve cognitive function, brain health, and the health of the central nervous system.
If you’re wanting to see an improved level of memory, concentration, focus, and clarity, consume a mushroom coffee every day!
If you are specifically looking to benefit from better cognitive function, make sure you purchase a mushroom coffee that contains Lion’s Mane mushroom – a type of mushroom that is especially known for improving cognitive function and helping to regulate mood.
10Reduces Inflammation
Mushroom coffee is packed with various vitamins and minerals that can help to reduce inflammation in the body.
If you aren’t aware, chronic inflammation is one of the biggest causes of illnesses and conditions.
Therefore, to stay as healthy as possible, you want to keep your inflammation as low as possible – mushroom coffee may be a great way to support your body to lower inflammation!
Potential Downsides of Mushroom Coffee
Although there’s a wide range of benefits associated with mushroom coffee, there are three issues with mushroom coffee.
Firstly, unlike most types of supplements that have been on the market for a while, there’s a lack of scientific backing to the benefits associated with mushroom coffee.
However, there is a substantial amount of evidence backing the consumption of mushrooms to boost overall health.
Secondly, mushroom coffee is much more expensive than traditional coffee.
Therefore, it may not be reasonable for everyone to purchase and consume mushroom coffee on a regular basis.
Thirdly, mushroom coffee is typically much more high in fiber than traditional coffee – high fiber mixed with essential nutrients and caffeine may cause digestive problems for some. This is especially true for those that suffer from digestive issues such as IBS.
If you notice that you are experiencing increased or irregular bowel movements after drinking mushroom coffee, half the dose you’re consuming and see if that helps.
Will Everyone Benefit From Mushroom Coffee?
Although most people should benefit from drinking mushroom coffee, not all mushroom coffees are suitable for everyone.
Each mushroom coffee is suitable for different types of people, so you should always check the label of the coffee you’re consuming first to see if you can consume it.
However, since mushrooms are potent, I would recommend consulting your doctor before consuming mushroom coffee if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, or have a medical condition.
When Will You Start Seeing Benefits From Mushroom Coffee?
Although you may experience certain benefits, such as improved concentration, focus, and energy levels immediately after consuming mushroom coffee, you will start to really notice experiencing most of the benefits after around 2-3 weeks.
To ensure you’re seeing benefits from mushroom coffee in the long run, you should attempt to consume mushroom coffee on a daily basis.
So, Are You Ready To Add Mushroom Coffee Into Your Morning Routine?
There may be a good reason why mushroom coffee has become such a huge thing – it has a huge list of benefits associated with it and it seems to work.
So, are you ready to incorporate this coffee alternative into your diet and experience the benefits of mushroom coffee for yourself?