Is Mushroom Coffee Legit?

Welcome to the shroom boom. Mushrooms have rarely found their way onto anyone’s “best of” lists. But over the past few years, their popularity has spread like, well… thriving fungi. Mushrooms such as lion’s mane, cordyceps, and chaga have become social media stars for their reported health benefits. And now, they’ve found their way into your coffee. People are going nuts for these fungal brews—their fame is partially fueled by mega-podcasters Joe Rogan and Tim Ferriss, who claim mushroom coffee boosts their brain power and productivity [1,2].  

But does mushroom coffee really work? And is it worth replacing your favorite cup of joe with a shroomy substitute? Below, we’ll explore the science behind mushroom coffee to help you decide whether to sip or not to sip. And if mushrooms are not your ideal beverage, we’ll give you some alternatives that actually work. 

What the Heck is Mushroom Coffee, Actually? 

Mushroom coffee is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s coffee mixed with mushrooms, you drink it just like you would a normal cup. To make mushroom coffee, roasters blend coffee grounds with ground mushroom powder—so, you can’t buy mushroom coffee beans, if you were wondering. Mushroom coffee comes in a number of varieties, including instant, pod, and classic drip for your coffee maker. 

The choice caps for mushroom coffee aren’t the shrooms you find on the shelf at the grocery store. Instead, the coffee is made with “adaptogenic” mushrooms—which is a fancy way of saying mushrooms that have a history of being used as medicine. The most common is a mushroom called chaga, which may have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties [3]. Other mushrooms commonly found in coffee mugs include lion’s mane, reishi, cordyceps, and turkey’s tail. Each brings its own potential health benefits to the table, which include:

• Reduced stress
• Increased energy
• Lower cholesterol
• Boosted immunity 
• Improved mood

Where Mushroom Coffee Comes Up Short

Drinking mushroom coffee may make you feel like you are at one with nature, foraging, and bio-hacking your way to influencer status on Instagram. But we investigated the unfiltered truth about mushroom coffee. 

There’s ZERO evidence that mushroom coffee actually works

Many studies have been conducted on these adaptogenic mushrooms (particularly Lion’s Mane), and the results are promising. We’re not disputing that. But to say that you’re receiving the potential benefits in your coffee is just too much of a stretch. There are three reasons for that:

1. For many of these mushrooms, there just aren’t enough studies to confirm any benefits. Researchers admit that more studies are needed before any health claims can be made. 
2. There are very few studies on humans. Most shroom studies have been conducted on animal subjects—and those animals were not sipping mushroom coffee.
3. There’s no evidence that brewed mushrooms maintain their adaptogenic properties [4]. Most of the research was done on whole mushrooms. 

We can’t say for certain that mushroom coffee doesn’t have any of its promised benefits. We just don’t know. What we can say is that it seems most mushroom coffee brands are making highly exaggerated claims about their products when you take the science into account. If mushroom coffee was cheap, it might be worth rolling the dice, but sadly, that is not the case. 

It’s expensive

That mug of mushroom coffee better gets you a bunch of new followers on TikTok, because it ain’t cheap. Mushroom coffee costs about twice as much as regular coffee. And, it has LESS caffeine. For some that might be a good thing (and it may be why people claim not to get the jitters from mushroom coffee). But for true coffee addicts, you’ll need more shrooms to get the same boom. 

Before you think that spore espresso is a big scam, you should know that there’s a reason why it’s so expensive. Most of the fungus found in mushroom coffee has to be found in the wild, making these mushrooms difficult to come by. So yes, you are getting an exclusive brew, which is kind of cool. But if there isn’t concrete evidence for the benefits, is it really worth paying for? 

It doesn’t taste very good

First, let’s get this straight—mushroom coffee doesn’t taste like mushrooms. It tastes like normal coffee, but you might find it a bit earthier or nuttier than your usual blend. However, just because it doesn’t taste like portobello paté doesn’t mean it’s good coffee. Some may love the flavor, but we wouldn’t choose it over our favorite blend. Plus, there’s not much variety when it comes to mushroom java. True coffee lovers will probably prefer the taste of real coffee, especially because you can get a seriously gourmet bag of beans for the price of a bag of mushroom grounds. 

It may interact with some medications 

Mushroom coffee is potentially risky for people taking certain medications, such as medication for blood pressure and diabetes. Multiple mushrooms commonly found in mushroom coffee can interact with medications, such as reishi and chaga [5,6]. If you’re on any meds and want to try mushroom coffee, check with your doctor first. 

How to Get the Benefits of Mushroom Coffee—Without the Mushrooms

Let’s get real for a minute: we all know that the only reason most people buy mushroom coffee is for the health benefits. Most of us don’t want to give up the delicious taste of our favorite brew (some of us would rather die than go a day without it!). 

And don’t get us wrong, we love using naturally-sourced ingredients wherever we can, like in our Elderberry Immune formula, but it’s important that there’s strong research to back it up. Luckily, you can get the same benefits promised by popular mushroom brews from real nutrients that are very well supported by science:

• B Vitamins: Mushroom coffee claims to boost energy and aid in digestion, but they have nothing on B vitamins—the literal building blocks of metabolism. Vitamins like B1, B2, B3, and B5 help your body convert nutrients into energy effectively. Studies have found that they, along with B6, B8, B9, and B12, boost energy levels and improve cognition [7]. How do you get all of those Bs at once? Take a B-complex supplement and leave your coffee alone.  

• Magnesium: Podcast hosts claim that mushroom coffee gives their big brains a boost—but there’s not much evidence for this. However, there’s loads of evidence that magnesium improves cognitive function and mood [8,9]. If you want to get more done, fight stress, and feel better even when you’re busy, choose a magnesium supplement over mushrooms.

• Curcumin: If you’re looking for a powerful antioxidant, you don’t need chaga mushrooms in your coffee. Curcumin is one of the most researched and effective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients you can get your hands on. Studies suggest it has numerous health benefits, and those studies were done on humans—not just animals [10]. However, curcumin is not easy for your body to absorb, so make sure you take a liposomal curcumin formula. Your body can absorb up to 10x as much curcumin when it’s paired with liposomes! 

• Vitamin D: Vitamin D is essential to immune system function. Because most Americans get far less vitamin D than they should, you’re probably much better off taking vitamin D to boost immunity than sipping some mushroom brew [11]. Vitamin D empowers immune cells, regulates inflammation, and a lot more [12]. Let’s see a mushroom do that! Just make sure to take vitamin D3 with K2 to maximize the effects. 

There’s No Magic in Mushroom Coffee

Mushroom coffee is a huge success—on social media. But in real life, it probably affects your wallet a lot more than it does your health. If you really want to boost your immunity, reduce stress, empower your brain, and all of that other good stuff, just go to the proven source of well-being: a healthy diet with loads of nutrients. If you’re a true shroom fanatic, pick up some real mushrooms from the store and try incorporating them into your diet. These days, you can easily find specialty mushrooms like Lion’s Mane or Chaga at farmer’s markets or grocery stores! Or, just take a potent multivitamin and forget the fungus altogether!