The wellness world loves a trendy ingredient and right now that’s mushrooms. The ‘shroom boom’ is officially underway and that means putting fungi into everything, including our morning cup of coffee.
Keep in mind we’re not talking about the kinds of mushrooms that you cook with or the ones that will make you hallucinate. This is coffee blended with medicinal or functional mushrooms. The most popular are lion’s mane, chaga, cordyceps and reishi.
Why should I swap this with my regular cup of Joe?
One of the best things about mushroom coffee is that it typically contains half the amount of caffeine than regular coffee. This means you’re less likely to experience jitters, anxiety and the dreaded caffeine crash.
Medicinal mushrooms are also thought to have a legion of positive health effects. “Certain mushrooms are adaptogenic, which means they support the body in dealing with stress and fatigue,” says nutritionist Kim Pearson.
“Chaga mushrooms are rich in antioxidants and have immune and cardiovascular health benefits, while lion’s mane is understood to have cognitive health benefits and may improve concentration and memory,” she adds.
Some of the ES Best Shopping team members have ‘slight’ coffee addictions, so we wanted focus without the overstimulation; no crashes, jitters or sleepless nights. We swapped out our usual brew for mushroom coffee, assessing its taste, energy-boosting effects, and whether it delivered sustained focus without the usual caffeine highs and lows.
Fancy giving it a try? Shop the best mushroom coffees below.