Mushroom Coffee: Health Benefits, Ingredients, and What You Need to Know

Mushrooms are valued for their ability to enhance savory dishes with a rich, brothy flavor known as umami, and they’re packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Not only do they taste great, but they’re also healthy. Until recently, though, you might not have thought about adding them to your coffee.

Now, mushroom coffee is gaining popularity, with enthusiasts claiming it offers various health benefits, such as improved sleep, increased energy, better focus, enhanced immunity, and reduced inflammation.

Let’s explore whether the health claims surrounding mushroom coffee are valid.

What is mushroom coffee?

Mushroom coffee is typically made using medicinal mushrooms, not the typical ones you find at the grocery store. Common varieties in mushroom coffee blends include chaga, lion's mane, reishi, cordyceps, king trumpet, and turkey tail, all selected for their potential health benefits. By the time these mushrooms are harvested, dried, and processed, their presence is often subtle, especially when mixed with coffee beans, cacao, or tea blends like matcha or chai. Most people describe the taste as "nutty" or "earthy," or they might not notice any flavor at all.

What are the potential health benefits of mushroom coffee?

The concept behind mushroom coffee is straightforward: to tap into the health advantages of medicinal mushrooms in a convenient and (hopefully) tasty coffee drink.

Many mushroom coffee brands highlight the use of mushrooms in traditional medicine, tracing back thousands of years to Chinese and Ayurvedic practices. They claim benefits like improved mental and physical performance, enhanced immunity, and better sleep. Some even suggest that mushroom coffee could aid in weight loss by boosting metabolism and fat burning.

However, there’s a lack of research on medicinal mushrooms specifically involving humans. While studies on cells or animals do show promising health benefits from consuming medicinal mushrooms, it’s unclear if the same effects apply to humans.

So, is mushroom coffee worth trying?

Possibly. Mushrooms come with various health benefits. A recent review published in the journal Molecules suggests that the medicinal mushrooms commonly found in many coffee blends can boost immunity and may help regulate metabolism. Their high antioxidant content might also contribute to slowing down the aging process.

That said, there’s still a shortage of well-structured clinical trials on humans. Plus, none of the existing research directly involves mushroom coffee, so it’s uncertain whether any health benefits survive the processing and blending of mushrooms into coffee drinks.

In the end, swapping your regular cup of coffee for mushroom coffee might not be harmful, especially if you're okay with paying a little more. However, you might get more benefits by enjoying a side of shiitake mushrooms with your morning eggs and coffee. They’re low in calories and fat, high in fiber, and tasty to boot!

Photo by Lillian Katrine Kofod