Adaptogenic Mushroom Coffee
Adaptogenic mushroom coffee (also called nootropic coffee) combines about equal parts regular coffee grounds with mushroom extracts that may be made of lion’s mane, cordyceps, chaga, or reishi mushrooms. These mushrooms are often touted for their ability to improve focus, reduce oxidative stress, and provide other health benefits.
Mushrooms are known to contain antioxidants, which help to prevent oxidative damage to cells in the body. They also have immune-boosting properties. And reishi mushrooms may support liver function and improve overall cellular health by encouraging the removal of waste products like toxins and heavy metals from the body.
Reishi Mushroom Coffee: Calm Your Mind and Energize Your Body
But it’s too soon to know whether or not the effects of mushrooms are real. Research on medicinal mushrooms is limited, and it’s not clear if their benefits can be reproduced by eating or drinking them. And the claims about how mushrooms can improve concentration and mood aren’t supported by evidence.
Besides their potential immune-boosting and cancer-fighting qualities, mushrooms have the ability to regulate cortisol, a hormone that rises during periods of stress. But it’s not clear whether this effect carries over when they’re dried, extracted, and added to coffee grounds to make mushroom coffee.
Mushroom coffee also contains caffeine, which in moderation can improve focus, but in excess can cause jitters and anxiety. Some brands of mushroom coffee, however, are marketed as low-caffeine options and claim to contain less than half the caffeine found in a cup of regular coffee. And some include extra fiber from the mushrooms that can lengthen or blunt any stimulant effects of the coffee.