All About Mushroom Coffee: Benefits + 6 Best Brands To Buy

Let me be clear: I appreciate a rich, bold, no-fuss cup of coffee as much as anyone around. That said, as health editor at mindbodygreen, I'm always on the lookout for ways to infuse my daily well-being routine with extra perks.

So when I began seeing more and more mushroom coffee products emerging, I was certainly intrigued—after all, plenty of nutritionists and functional medicine doctors recommend taking adaptogenic mushrooms for their scope of potential benefits.

To get a better sense of this mushroom moment, I chatted with experts and gave these products a try for myself.

Let's back up for a second: Mushroom coffee is a mounting trend in the modern health food world—however, it certainly isn't a novel beverage. Mushrooms have been used in traditional medicinal practices and functional medicine approaches for centuries, says Ella Davar, R.D., CDN.

More recently, according to information from Four Sigmatic, mushrooms were used as a coffee substitute in Finland (where their founders are from), during World War II when coffee beans weren't available.

Now, there are more and more packaged mushroom coffee products hitting the shelves, in a variety of forms. Some contain a balanced blend of beans and mushrooms, and others include additional functional components. A few opt for tea or other energizing ingredients, in lieu of actual coffee or espresso. The common denominator? They all contain some form of ground medicinal mushrooms or extracts to contribute a host of potential health benefits.

As mentioned, certain mushrooms have been a part of traditional medicinal practices1, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, for many years.

"There are thousands of species of mushrooms, and their purported benefits range from supporting liver and heart health to enhancing energy and more," allergist and immunologist Heather Moday, M.D., previously told mindbodygreen.

While the benefits of mushrooms differ based on type—and research is still emerging—here are a few promising benefits to consider, from Moday and Davar:

What's more, opting for mushroom coffee may help balance out some of the unwanted side effects of caffeine, or even help you cut back on coffee, if that's one of your goals. (You can also read more about specific mushroom varieties and potential benefits here.)

As an integrative dietitian, Davar says she uses medicinal mushrooms quite often. "One of my favorite ways to have mushrooms is in a mushroom latte, mixed with plant-based milk." In other words: mushroom coffee.

If you're interested in giving mushroom coffee a try, I've rounded up some great brands and products—I can personally vouch for all of these, plus Moday and Davar back up a number of these recs, too.

As with any type of nutrition supplement, it's important to speak with your health care provider before adding mushroom coffee to your regimen—particularly if you're on any medications or have a preexisting health condition. If you do experience any side effects after drinking mushroom coffee, be sure to consult with your doctor.

What's more, while none of the products on this list contain refined added sugars or artificial ingredients, some options on the market do—so we recommend eyeing the label before buying any premade mushroom coffee.

Mushroom coffee is a beverage made from adaptogenic mushrooms, either in powdered form or via an extract. Sometimes the drink contains cold brew or ground coffee, while other times this beverage can simply feature mushrooms and other functional ingredients. This can be a great option if you're looking to get more benefits out of your morning cup of coffee or even cut back on caffeine. Just be sure to speak to your health care provider if you're on any medications or have an existing health condition, before giving these earthy beverages a try.