Mushroom Coffee: Understanding the Hype

Mushrooms have taken the health community by storm. But these aren’t the portobello or shiitake mushrooms that you might find on your dinner table – they’re adaptogenic ones with potent healing properties, like reishi, lion’s mane, chaga, and cordyceps.

These non-toxic, medicinal fungi have been used in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It’s only recently, though, that the Western world has started to recognize the benefits of mushroom supplementation. Enter mushroom coffee.

Mushroom Coffee: Understanding the Hype

In essence, mushroom coffee is regular coffee blended with the extracts of medicinal mushrooms. To make the extract, producers soak mushrooms in alcohol to pull out the compounds, and then use a process called spray drying to convert the liquid to a powder. Some companies, like Finnish mushroom coffee powerhouse Four Sigmatic, use a dual-extraction process, which removes both the water- and fat-soluble active compounds from the mushrooms. The result is an extract that has superfood properties and no mushroom fibers.

Those who dislike mushrooms may wonder whether the taste makes its way into the coffee. While it’s not entirely hidden, most people agree that the earthy flavor of the mushroom extract complements bold, roasted coffee beans and offers a nice, smooth flavor. For most people, the potential benefits outweigh the different flavor profile.

There’s a plethora of research out there highlighting the beneficial properties of coffee by itself. It may help boost the metabolism, prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s, and reduce the risk of depression. But it’s also highly acidic and has negative side effects for many people, including affecting digestion, sleep patterns, and anxiety levels.

The addition of adaptogenic mushrooms – that is, mushrooms that support the body in adapting to stress – helps mitigate the less desirable side effects of coffee and amplify the good ones. Lion’s mane is thought to improve memory and concentration, while chaga mushrooms are detoxifying, full of antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties. Cordyceps is excellent for before a workout or hike, as it supports energy, stamina, and athletic performance, and also has antioxidants.

Adaptogenic mushrooms, particularly chaga, are adept at reducing acidity in the body and may contribute to the production of healthy gut bacteria, which promotes good digestion and helps absorb nutrients. Since mushroom coffee contains less caffeine than regular coffee, it’s also less likely to cause insomnia or other sleep disturbances.

According to nutritionist, author, and health podcast host Monica Reinagel, though, mushroom coffee may be a case of ‘buyer beware.’ She says that while modern research on medicinal mushrooms demonstrates benefits like increased immune function, reduced blood pressure and cholesterol, enhanced cognitive function, and anti-cancer activity, much of this research has been carried out in test tubes or with lab rats. The trials involving humans – so far, anyway – have been relatively small, generally focus on those suffering from specific diseases, and find only modest benefits.

Nevertheless, mushroom coffee is incredibly popular right now, and proponents of it say that it makes them feel energized, focused, and overall better. Whether it’s a case of the placebo effect remains to be seen, but we can likely expect more research on the subject – and more companies to jump on the bandwagon in the meantime.

(Read more about Development and Agribusiness in South Korea)