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Fabulous fungi -

Mushrooms are having a moment. Scientists have just begun to scratch the surface of how mushrooms can benefit our health.

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Mushroom coffee -

Mushroom coffee is a trending coffee blend, but it has a long history. During World War II, mushrooms were used as a coffee substitute in Finland.

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Mushroom coffee -

Today's iteration is a little different. Ground mushrooms and coffee beans are combined to brew a dark, smooth, and nutty coffee.

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Not a psychedelic -

The medicinal mushrooms present in mushroom coffee do not contain any psilocybin, aka the psychedelic component that gives people hallucinations. So it's safe to drink.

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Tasteless -

Despite what you might think, it doesn't have a strong taste. According to reviews by consumers, the flavor profile of mushroom coffee is very similar to regular coffee.

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Lion's mane -

Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) is a mushroom that grows on trunks of dead hardwood trees such as oak, and is native to Europe, North America, and Asia.

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Lion's mane -

It gets its name from its long, stringy appearance, and is also known as bearded tooth fungus, bearded hedgehog, or old man's beard. They contain compounds that have immune-enhancing, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.

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Chaga -

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) grows on birch and other trees. It can sometimes resemble burnt charcoal. The name chaga comes from the Russian name of the fungus.

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Chaga -

Chaga is most commonly found in the birch forests of the Northern Hemisphere, but it's also been found on alder, beech, and poplar trees. Chaga contains flavonoids and polyphenols, both of which have powerful antioxidant effects.

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Turkey tail -

Turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) is a multicolored, polypore mushroom with distinctive markings. Its shape resembles a turkey's tail feathers, hence the name.

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Turkey tail -

Turkey tail is common in North America, where it grows in groups or rows, on logs and stumps of deciduous trees. The cap is commonly a rust or dark brown color. They also contain compounds that have immune-enhancing, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.

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Cordyceps -

Cordyceps can be cylindrical, branched, or complex in shape. They contain cordycepin, a biologically active compound that’s been shown to have antitumor, immune-modulating, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anticancer, antidiabetic, and anti-obesity effects.

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Cordyceps -

Cordyceps are found worldwide, with around 600 known types in existence, most of which are found in Asian countries—notably Nepal, China, Japan, Bhutan, Vietnam, and Thailand.

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Reishi -

Polypore mushroom Lingzhi (Ganoderma sichuanense), more commonly called reishi, is native to East Asia. It grows at the stump of deciduous trees.

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Reishi -

Reishi has a reddish-brown, kidney-shaped cap and fan-like appearance. Today, it's cultivated on hardwood logs, or on sawdust and woodchips. Some forms of reishi may alter inflammation pathways in white blood cells, and improve the function of lymphocytes, which help to fight infections.

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Coffee formulation -

Mushroom coffee can be made using the exact same formulations used to make regular coffee. The fruiting bodies of mushrooms are extracted to make an organic powder.

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Coffee formulation -

The mushrooms are dehydrated, ground into a fine powder, and mixed into ground coffee beans to be purchased as instant or ground coffee, or coffee pods.

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Less caffeine -

If you're struggling to give up caffeine, mushroom coffee could be a good idea. Due to the formulation, it typically contains half the caffeine of regular coffee.

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Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) -

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has used medicinal mushrooms for centuries. In the 1970s, researchers began to look into the adaptogenic properties of mushrooms.

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Adaptogens -

Adaptogens are a category of plants and mushrooms that help the body respond to stress, anxiety, and fatigue, by helping the body to return to a state of homeostasis (balance).

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Enhanced immunity -

It's claimed medicinal mushrooms can help enhance immunity. In certain test tube studies, turkey tail was shown to demonstrate immune-boosting properties.

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Improved focus -

Many people take mushroom supplements for their cognitive health benefits. Lion's mane in particular has been shown in studies to have immediate and long-term cognitive benefits.

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Stress relief -

It's claimed mushroom coffee helps modulate the stress response. Combined with the fact it has half the caffeine of regular coffee, it's a lot less likely to give you the jitters.

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Heart health -

In tests, reishi mushrooms have shown promising effects when it comes to reducing blood cholesterol levels—which in turn helps to reduce the risk of heart disease.

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Anti-allergy -

The immune cells responsible for the allergic response to certain foods were shown to have their activity suppressed by chaga mushrooms, in test tube studies.

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Improved performance -

Both the caffeine and the sustained adaptogenic effects of the mushrooms are claimed to combine to provide increased energy, helping you perform better. However, more concrete research is needed on this.

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Evidence of claims -

It's important to remember that many of the claims about medicinal mushrooms have yet to be proven through rigorous testing on human subjects.

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Expensive -

Mushroom coffee prices can vary greatly, sometimes costing double what regular coffee does. This can make it an expensive option.

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Supplements -

Most of these mushrooms are also available in supplement form as tablets or powder, sold separately and in mushroom blends.

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Try it for yourself -

It's unclear if consuming mushroom coffee will significantly improve your health; however, it may help increase your intake of certain antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds.

Sources: (Healthline) (Health.com) (Forbes)

See also: How mushrooms could save the planet

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