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Table of Contents
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Table of Contents
Contents
By
Ru Chen
Key Takeaways
Mushroom coffee hits different. Drinking a regular cup of joe every morning is a comforting and productivity-boosting routine for many. However, caffeine jitters, headaches, and acid reflux can be a big problem. Mushroom coffee can improve your focus and health with less of a caffeinated impact.
Let’s compare mushroom coffee and regular coffee in terms of health benefits, flavor, caffeine content, and other key points.
Mushroom coffee is any coffee that uses a blend containing functional mushrooms (e.g. Lion’s Mane or Chaga). This usually means adding powdered adaptogenic mushrooms to traditional coffee. As a result, you get a caffeinated beverage that is earthier than a standard cup of coffee.
Mushrooms that are functional have natural health properties, such as stress-reducing and brain-boosting. They’re not just good for nutrition, but also for other health-supporting purposes.
Like normal coffee, you can get mushroom coffee in the form of instant powders, ground coffee, and single-serve pods.
Lion’s Mane
The large, fluffy Lion’s Mane mushrooms are commonly used in medicine for their focus and cognitive support properties. Studies have shown they have cognitive and stress-reducing benefits. It may be able to improve your memory and other mental functions. Lion’s Mane coffee has a minimal mushroom taste, making it perfect for those who are just dipping into the mushroom coffee world for the first time. The most popular mushroom coffee brands incorporate Lion’s Mane into their formulae.
Chaga
Chaga mushrooms are rich in antioxidants. People with a healthy, balanced, high-antioxidant diet can reduce their oxidative stress. Chaga coffee usually tastes earthy and slightly bitter, with a hint of vanilla beans.
If you’re looking to support your immune system, consider a cup of Chaga mushroom coffee. Of course, if you are immunocompromised or have an otherwise special circumstance, it is a good idea to consult a health expert before drinking a mushroom beverage.
Reishi
Stressed and sleepless? Reishi could be for you. AKA Lingzhi mushrooms, Reishi mushrooms can be good for stress reduction and relaxation. These red, kidney-shaped mushrooms are used in a variety of cuisines and medicines. When it comes to mushroom coffee, Reishi mushrooms can help you reduce your stress levels and lessen fatigue.
Cordyceps
Cordyceps can be useful for improving energy and heart health. It is sometimes used in mushroom coffees for its immune- and energy-boosting potential. However, be sure you’re not consuming excessive cordyceps mushrooms, since they can bring about gastrointestinal discomfort. The taste is also not as easy to get used to.
So, what are the main differences between mushroom coffee and regular coffee?
Regular coffee: Roasted coffee beans can be dark, medium, light, and everything in between. If you customize your coffee, you can add just about anything. Personally, we love adding caramel syrup and creamer.
Mushroom coffee: Coffee beans mixed with various mushroom extracts. Powdered mushroom is generally used for mushroom coffee. Many brands of mushroom coffee include L-Theanine and other ingredients. Look at your chosen brand’s list of extracts and ingredients to be sure what it contains.
In the long run, moderate consumption of coffee is linked with reduced chances of chronic diseases, such as Type 2 Diabetes. Mushroom coffee offers the health benefits of caffeine in addition to the benefits of functional mushrooms.
Regular coffee:
Mushroom coffee
Both mushroom and regular coffee can reduce oxidative stress within your body thanks to antioxidants. Adaptogenic mushrooms are even better at this purpose. If you’re experiencing difficult times, functional mushrooms (e.g. Lion’s Mane and Reishi) can improve your body’s ability to manage stress. Since there is less caffeine, there is also a lower chance you’ll struggle to fall asleep at night.
Regular coffee: Higher caffeine levels, which unfortunately has the potential for jitters and crashes. A cup of coffee typically contains 90 to 110 mg of caffeine. If you’re caffeine-sensitive, you might have long learned to avoid large cups of coffee, lemonade refreshers, energy drinks, and more.
Mushroom coffee: Most mushroom coffee formulae include lower caffeine levels. Less caffeine in mushroom coffee means a gentler energy boost. Instant mushroom coffee usually only has 50 mg of caffeine, making it more comparable to tea.
According to the FDA, most adults should have 400 mg a day maximum. Any more can result in negative effects, such as nausea, upset stomach, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, difficulty sleeping, headache, and tremors. People with pre-existing health conditions (such as heart disease) should avoid caffeine.
Regular coffee: Rich, bold, and often bitter. Of course, you can always add creamer, flavored syrups, and more to distinguish your brew from black coffee. Even the type of beans you get can drastically change the flavor and aroma.
Mushroom coffee: Earthy, smooth, and nutty. Often has a milder coffee taste. The power of the mushroom aroma can vary depending on your chosen mushroom. Lion’s Mane coffee has a negligible shroomy taste. Meanwhile, the other mushrooms might taste too earthy to some coffee drinkers.
Like regular coffee, the taste of the mushroom coffee really depends on what brand and type of mushroom you pick. Blends with mass appeal will taste more like regular coffee, whereas those that emphasize the “shroominess” will taste earthier and more unique.
Does your stomach hurt after consuming caffeine or other energy-boosting ingredients? This might be a key dealbreaker for you when seeking a new type of beverage.
Regular coffee: Although coffee can be good for digestion, caffeine can also be a trigger for acid reflux or other types of digestive discomfort. If you have GERD, try out a low-caffeine and low-acidity mushroom coffee like the Everyday Dose.
Mushroom coffee: Typically easier on the stomach due to mushrooms, which are alkaline. Regular coffee is typically much more acidic in comparison, which can cause more acid reflux and other digestive issues. Mushroom coffee can even ease bloating and reduce stress, which often improves your overall digestive health.
No matter if you’re drinking regular or mushroom coffee, beware the usual suspects: allergies, overconsumption, and drug interactions. If you ever feel ill from drinking mushroom coffee, stop and consult your physician.
The best mushroom coffee brands will use healthy, pleasant-tasting mushrooms. Here are our favorite mushroom coffee brands ranked.
We find Atlas+ Mushroom Coffee delicious. Not only is it best-tasting, but it also sources high-quality ingredients so you don’t have to worry when trying out new mushroom flavors. Atlas+ offers:
The Atlas+ Superblend starts at $38 also comes with a free starting kit. If you catch it during a sale, you can snag the incredibly delicious kit for only $19.
Our next favorite is Four Sigmatic. It’s the original mushroom coffee brand that has served over 100 million cups, and for good reason. Their mushroom coffee provides calm, better gut health, and focus. By upgrading your coffee to Four Sigmatic, you can enjoy:
The Four Sigmatic Lion’s Mane is delicious and a great energy boost, making it a wonderful morning coffee alternative. We’re a fan of the affordable Focus Ground Coffee, which starts at only $20. It’s a dark Arabica roast with Lion’s Mane and Chaga mushrooms.
Everyday Dose brings something fresh to the mushroom coffee world by keeping their blends at low acidity. Their incredibly smooth coffee has:
Like their brand name suggests, the Everyday Dose is easy to drink because of their lower acidity and caffeine levels. If you are concerned about gut health but still want to get your daily coffee, the Everyday Dose is a solid option.
Also check out our detailed comparison of the best mushroom coffee to learn about the best brands.
Mushroom coffee offers plenty of health benefits thanks to its added ingredients for sleep and immune system support. Of course, your mileage can vary depending on your chosen coffee brand and personal reaction to mushroom coffee. Still, mushroom coffee is deemed by many to be worth a taste. It is a lower caffeine beverage that is gentler on the stomach, which is anecdotally a win for those who have tried mushroom coffee.
The taste of mushroom coffee is the #1 concern for many people. If you choose Lion’s Mane or another more neutral-tasting mushroom blend, it’s not actually that noticeably shroomy.
Pros:
Cons:
Coffee is the beverage of choice for around 1 billion people. That means 1 in 8 people in the world drinks coffee. Our team drinks lattes and mochas every day. Coffee does a lot of things to excellence – people bond over it, become more productive thanks to it, and drink coffee as a comforting ritual. Here are the classic pros and cons of traditional coffee.
Pros:
Cons:
If you’re here for an energy boost, along with the rich flavor of coffee, mushroom coffee probably isn’t for you. If you want the health benefits of mushroom coffee, it doesn’t have to come from replacing your cup of joe.
Try mushroom coffee if you’re looking for wellness benefits, less caffeine, or love mushrooms. Functional mushrooms have been used for health-boosting purposes for thousands of years throughout human history. With mushroom coffee, you can now enjoy their benefits outside of protein powders or pills.
Don’t lock yourself down to either or. Why not drink both? You can choose regular coffee when you need a burst of productivity or energy. On the other hand, make a cup of mushroom coffee when you’re stressed or need better sleep. That way, you’ll never miss either type of coffee too much.
Mushroom coffee is generally easier to digest for those with sensitive stomachs. It also contains lower caffeine levels and health benefits, such as:
Reishi, Chaga, Lion’s Mane, and Cordyceps are the most popular mushroom coffee types. Choose Lion’s Mane for a more neutral taste, or the others for earthier, shroomier flavors.
At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong with trying mushroom coffee at least once. Choose a high-quality brand that has a balanced taste, such as the Atlas+ Latte Superblend.
Ru Chen
Content Writer
Ru Chen is a content writer with several years of experience in creating engaging and well-researched articles. She mostly writes about coffee, business, digital marketing, and law. In her free time, she can be found watching horror movies and playing board games with her partner in Brooklyn.
Ru Chen is a content writer with several years of experience in creating engaging and well-researched articles. She mostly writes about coffee, business, digital marketing, and law. In her free time, she can be found watching horror movies and playing board games with her partner in Brooklyn.
