Mushroom coffee has gone from health-food-store curiosity to a supermarket staple. Fans say it gives them a smoother morning. Skeptics wonder whether it is just expensive coffee with mushroom powder. Here is what you are actually buying.
What is mushroom coffee?
Despite the name, mushroom coffee is not made from mushrooms that taste like coffee. It is usually regular ground or instant coffee blended with powdered extracts of functional mushrooms. The most common are:
- Lion's mane, the shaggy white mushroom studied for its compounds hericenones and erinacines.
- Chaga, a fungus that grows on birch trees.
- Reishi, a mushroom with a long history in traditional Chinese practice.
- Cordyceps, popular with athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
Some products are mostly coffee with a small amount of mushroom. Others use little or no coffee and lean on cacao, chicory or other ingredients for a coffee-like flavor.
Caffeine: the biggest difference
An 8-ounce cup of regular brewed coffee typically contains about 80 to 100mg of caffeine. Because mushroom coffee replaces part of the coffee with mushroom powder, many blends land lower, often around half the caffeine of a regular cup. Some are caffeine-free. Always check the label, since amounts vary widely.
For people who love coffee but feel jittery after a second cup, less caffeine can be the main appeal.
Taste
Mushroom extracts are fairly neutral, so most mushroom coffees taste like a slightly milder, earthier coffee. Fans of bold, dark roasts sometimes find them flat.
What to watch for
- Fruiting body vs mycelium. Some mushroom products use mycelium grown on grain, which can mean a lot of the powder is actually the grain. Look for "fruiting body" and, ideally, a beta-glucan percentage.
- Hidden doses. Many blends list mushrooms in a "proprietary blend," so you can't tell how much you are getting.
- Price. Mushroom coffee often costs much more per cup than regular coffee.
Do you have to give up your coffee?
Not at all. If you already have a coffee you love, you don't need to switch brands to get functional ingredients in your cup. You can keep your beans, your grinder, your favorite café order, and add what you want on top.
A few ways to make regular coffee more functional
- Add L-theanine. This amino acid from tea is commonly paired with caffeine in research.
- Add cacao. A spoonful of raw cacao brings flavanols and a mocha flavor.
- Add cinnamon. Flavor without extra sugar.
- Swap sugar for honey. You get sweetness from a single whole ingredient.
How to try mushroom coffee sensibly
If you're curious, start by replacing one cup a day rather than your whole routine. Pay attention to how you feel over a week or two, not just the first morning. Check the caffeine per serving so you're comparing like with like, and read the label for the specific mushrooms, their amounts and whether they come from fruiting bodies. If you take medication or have a health condition, check with a healthcare professional first, since some mushroom extracts may interact with certain medications.
The easy route: HYVE in your coffee
HYVE Mind Focus & Memory combines several of those ideas in one 14g packet. Each one has raw, USDA Organic honey plus 222mg of organic lion's mane extract (20:1, dual-sourced from 100% fruiting body, no mycelium or grain filler), 80mg of L-theanine, organic raw cacao, organic bee pollen and organic vanilla.
Squeeze it into your regular coffee and stir. It sweetens like honey, tastes like vanilla-chocolate, adds 45 calories and adds zero caffeine, so you decide how strong your cup is. Don't ditch the coffee. Just make it smarter.
Get 20% off your first order with code WELCOME20.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Not for infants under 12 months or anyone with bee or bee-product allergies.
