Mushroom Coffee: What is it and is it healthy?

Welcome to my blog! Today’s topic is on mushroom coffee and the benefits or lack thereof and what it is exactly. So adding mushrooms in your diet is nothing new to anyone. People have been adding mushrooms for the wellness incentive for thousands of years. Mushrooms (adaptogens) are used in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine as powders, extracts, and gummies to help people all over the world. But coffee? Let’s look into this craze a little further.

What is it?  

          Mushroom coffee comes in a wide variety of preparations but the most common one we will mention here is just your average normal coffee grounds. The mushrooms first go through a drying process where the beneficial compounds are extracted and then gets blended into the regular coffee grounds. There is a variety of these as well such as coffee pods, lattees, instant mushroom coffee packets, and so on. The most popular shrooms used are Reishi, Chaga, and Lion’s Mane.

Health Benefits

          There are a lot of claims of the health benefits of mushroom coffee such as helping you sleep better, reduces stress, increases energy, supports memory, reduces inflammation, and so on just to name a few. Mushrooms in general or in your regular diet like on a salad or something does have some health benefits due to their antioxidant properties. However, there is very little research done on the mushroom coffee and the health benefits. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “the hype around mushroom coffee is built on an untested assumption.” In addition to the lack of real research, mushroom coffee does have some side effects. The side effects are for people with digestive issues and kidney issues. It has been proven that the Chaga mushrooms are high in oxalates which are known to affect and increase kidney stones. Also, mushroom coffee, although not as much as regular coffee, still contains caffeine. So you have the effects of the caffeine such as the jitters, increase heart rate, dehydration etc.

Should you try it?

          One thing to note is that mushroom coffee is very expensive. It is about twice what regular coffee costs. So in deciding whether or not to try it depends on two factors, one being cost and the other is the potential side effects. Due to the lack of research as to the benefits of consuming the coffee I would say that is not a deciding factor. If you like trying something new and you are not worried about the side effects, I say just try it and see. You might like it. But I do not recommend it from a health perspective. Just stick with putting mushrooms on your salad or side dishes in your regular diet.

I hope this helps in at least getting some information about this new craze. If you want to know more make sure to check out the reputable websites that give both health benefits and risks to whatever you do. Until next time.

Take Care,

Darren