Mushroom coffee, which refers to coffee that has been blended with grounded functional mushrooms, is having a big moment right now. In fact, the global market is estimated to be worth around $2.6 billion. Its popularity is largely because of the alleged health benefits; mushrooms like chaga, lion’s mane, and reishi have been used in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda for centuries, but their potential health-boosting powers are backed up by some modern research, too. If you want to give mushroom coffee a go, we’ve gathered a few of our favorite products below. But first, here’s more about what it actually is and what it might do to the body.
What is mushroom coffee?
Mushrooms have been used as a coffee substitute in the past. In fact, in Finland, during World War II, many people drank ground-up chaga mushrooms instead of coffee beans, which were in short supply at the time. “Finnish people used chaga mushroom, native to our country, as a coffee substitute during World War II,” Tero Isokauppila, the founder of mushroom drink brand Four Sigmatic, told Food52. “To our knowledge, our grandparents invented the concept of using chaga as a coffee substitute.”
Today’s mushroom coffee products are a little different, however. Now, mushroom extracts are typically added to instant coffee or coffee grounds. The resulting beverage may have a slightly earthy or nutty flavor, depending on the type of mushrooms used and the brewing method.
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Is mushroom coffee good for you?
Research suggests that functional mushrooms may have several significant health benefits.
Turkey’s tail mushrooms, for example, which are commonly found growing on dead or decaying trees and logs in forests around the world, are linked with improved immunity, digestive health, and potentially, anti-cancer effects. This is similar to other mushrooms, like reishi and lion’s mane. The latter is linked with brain health, and some studies indicate that it may help with mood, mental well-being, and cognitive function.
This is just scratching the surface of the benefits that functional mushrooms may be able to offer, but it’s important to note that, right now, research on humans is limited and more is needed to understand their full effect on the body.
That said, the preliminary evidence seems to be strongly in their favor.
7 vegan mushroom coffee products to try
If you want to try functional mushrooms for yourself by mixing them in with your morning caffeine boost, here are some of our favorite vegan mushroom coffee products on the market.
Four Sigmatic
1 Four Sigmatic Focus Organic Coffee
According to Four Sigmatic, this organic coffee, which is infused with 1,500 milligrams of functional mushrooms (in the form of chaga and lion’s mane) and ashwagandha, is full-bodied, with delicious notes of caramel. The brand notes it may help to enhance your focus, boost your energy levels, and potentially even lift your mood long-term.
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Laird Superfood
2 Laird Superfood Functional Mushroom Coffee
If you prefer ground coffee, this offering from Laird Superfood combines certified organic Peruvian ground beans, which have been hand-picked and slow-roasted, with several functional mushrooms, including chaga, lion’s mane, and cordyceps. Depending on your preference, you can opt for the dark or medium roast option.
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Earth & Star
3 Earth & Star Dark Roast Mushroom Coffee
Another ground coffee option, this mushroom coffee from Earth & Star combines the potential benefits of lion’s mane, chaga, cordyceps, and reishi with L-theanine. Found in green tea, the latter is an amino acid linked with relaxation, stress reduction, and improved focus.
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4 Clevr Chai SuperLatte
If you’re more of a latte person, you might prefer this organic instant SuperLatte mix from Clevr, which includes a mix of reishi mushrooms, lion’s mane, probiotics, and organic spices. It’s masala chai tea, so not actually coffee, but as it still contains caffeine and the effect is very similar, we think it deserves a place on this list.
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5 VitaCup Focus Coffee
If you don’t want to give up your morning cup ‘o joe from your much-loved coffee machine, you don’t have to. VitaCup’s vitamin-rich Focus Coffee—which also contains both lion’s mane and chaga—is available in recyclable pod form.
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6 Grateful Earth Mushroom Instant Coffee
Sometimes, it’s easy just to whip up a cup of instant coffee and be done with it. If that’s you, you’ll enjoy Grateful Earth’s medium roast instant coffee sachets. They’re packed with not just lion’s mane and chaga, but also L-theanine, black pepper, turmeric, and cinnamon.
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7 Shroomi Premium Ground Mushroom Coffee
Shroomi’s mushroom coffee is ideal for anyone who wants to try functional mushrooms without giving up the premium coffee that they love. It’s made with fair-trade, organic coffee from Guatemalan farmers, and doesn’t actually taste anything like mushrooms, according to the brand. This is although it contains lion’s mane extract.
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For more on mushrooms, read:
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
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