Mushroom Coffee: A Better Spin on Your Morning Latte

Mushrooms are a perfect addition to omelettes, frittatas, egg bites and plenty of other breakfast dishes. But have you tried putting this fungus in your coffee? Mushroom coffee is popping up everywhere, from the shelves of your local grocery store to your Instagram feed. While a steaming hot mug of mushrooms might not sound incredibly appealing, this unique bean blend is winning over coffee enthusiasts. 

Why is mushroom coffee so magical? Well, it doesn’t taste as odd as you might expect – and it’s loaded with potential health benefits. It may even be better for you than a cup of simple black coffee. Discover just how awesome mushroom coffee can be and how you can make it part of your morning routine.

What is mushroom coffee?

Don’t worry – this beverage doesn’t involve adding whole mushrooms into your morning latte. It’s far more subtle.

Mushroom coffee is made with different varieties of medicinal mushrooms, not culinary mushrooms. Reishi, chaga, cordyceps, lion’s made and turkey tail mushrooms are all popular choices. Extracts from these mushrooms or finely ground powders made from dried mushrooms are then added into regular beans or instant coffee.

The goal isn’t to turn your favorite caffeinated beverage into something new. It’s to include some beneficial fungus in coffee grounds to provide a bit of a health boost. Because of this, a mushroom-coffee mix delivers less caffeine than your average cup of joe. The added mushroom doesn’t contain any caffeine, so it reduces the total by as much as half. This is great news for anyone who’s sensitive to caffeine, as a blend may lessen side effects like a rapid heart rate or upset stomach. 

Worried about the taste? While mushrooms tend to have an earthy, meaty flavor, they really don’t have a standout profile when blended in with traditional beans. Mushroom coffee tastes pretty similar to regular black coffee, so you likely won’t even notice a difference. 

Mushroom coffee might just be healthier than traditional coffee

One of the biggest reasons this fungi-rich coffee is taking off is its purported health benefits. While a regular old cup of coffee is great for weight loss, a potentially lower risk of certain cancers and burning fat, mushroom varieties have even more to offer. 

Some of the health claims surrounding mushroom coffee tout its ability to lower stress, boost the immune system, improve memory and even reduce inflammation. And medicinal mushrooms like those commonly blended with coffee beans have a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine practices.

Some of the extracts and compounds that mushroom coffee contains are adaptogens, which are present in medicinal mushrooms. Adaptogens, research suggests, are stress-response modifiers that can increase your resistance to stress. 

And while there haven’t been any specific research studies that examine the benefits of mushroom coffee, there’s plenty of information on the health benefits of medicinal mushrooms. Research suggests that turkey’s tail mushrooms can demonstrate immune-boosting properties; this variety may also have potential for cancer prevention. Chaga mushrooms have shown evidence of suppressing the cells responsible for allergic responses to some foods, and they might have potential to combat ulcers.

In general, mushrooms also contain antioxidants, which can reduce inflammation and have a positive effect on the immune system. And mushroom coffee gives you one easy way to work more adaptogen- and antioxidant-rich ingredients into your everyday diet.

It’s easy to find and easy to brew

Thanks to its growing popularity, mushroom coffee is easy to find. You can shop for it online, check the shelves of your favorite grocery stores or even have it delivered by local grocery delivery services. 

Wondering how to make a cup once the coffee is in your hands? Mushroom coffee is available in just about every brewing option, from instant packets to bags of grounds to single-serving pods. However you like to make your morning brew, it’s possible to find a mushroom spin. You can even use the grounds to create more specialized concoctions beyond black coffee, like lattes.

One of our favorite mushroom coffee creators is Four Sigmatic. This brand’s blends are a Clean Choice Awards favorite, and you can find a variety of options including instant mushroom coffee, mushroom coffee with probiotics and ground adaptogen varieties. 

Give this kind of coffee a try! You can discover some of the other perks of medicinal mushrooms in any form by reading these articles:

• The Power of Medicinal Mushrooms
• 3 Ways to Cook with Adaptogenic Mushrooms
• Would You Try It? Exploring Holistic Dentistry + Medicinal Mushrooms