Mushroom coffee is one of those supposedly miraculous drinks that become fashionable from time to time. It is made with mushroom extracts such as reishi, chaga, lion’s mane and cordyceps, which are dehydrated, pulverized and combined with coffee beans to create a drink with a pleasant flavor, with a fine earthy touch. and a slight nutty flavor. As for the price, about 100 g of mushroom coffee can cost between €15 and €25, a figure much higher than the price of both conventional and decaffeinated coffee.
Beyond the health benefits that both mushrooms and coffee may have, which have been amply demonstrated by science, the so-called mushroom coffee presents, a priori, two other advantages. On the one hand, it contains less than half the caffeine of regular coffee, so if taken as a substitute it can help improve the well-being of many consumers, reducing anxiety and helping to regulate sleep cycles.
Consumption
Mushroom coffee can be drunk alone, in ristretto or long format and combined with milk or vegetable drinks.
Another advantage is that having a cup of mushroom coffee is an experience identical to that of drinking coffee, since it can be drunk alone, in ristretto or long format and combined with milk or vegetable drinks at the same moments of consumption.
To the question of whether the so-called mushroom coffee is good for your health, the answer is complex. In principle, it is a healthy drink, which if consumed in moderation within the framework of a balanced diet, combines the benefits of mushrooms with those of coffee, which have been supported by science repeatedly. However, “in no case is it miraculous, as the industry would have us believe,” says doctor and nutritionist Núria Monfulleda, from the Loveyourself Center in Barcelona.
“Mushroom coffee has become fashionable lately and it has done so simply because the industry is forced to come out with new products to get rich. Is it bad? Not at all. It is still an infusion that combines coffee and mushrooms, but in no case does it serve to substantially improve the quality of life, much less to lose weight, as many consumers believe,” says the specialist.
Mushroom coffee is a vegan drink
For her, neither the mushroom coffee that has become fashionable now nor the kombucha of a few years ago or the Goji berries of many years ago, to give just a few examples of supposed “superfoods” with miraculous properties, are in themselves harmful to health, but it is necessary to question them. “What is bad is the misinformation that comes with this whole string of miracle products that do nothing but make the consumer dizzy and misinform, who is more lost every day,” he points out. For this reason, the nutritionist urges not to fall into the trap of fashions and highlights that a balanced approach to the diet should always be prioritized.
“Although some mushrooms may have healthy properties, the consumption of a single food does not in any case guarantee extraordinary results,” he assures, adding that these can only be achieved “through a balanced diet combined with regular physical exercise and, if You want to lose weight, eat fewer calories than you expend. “No more, no less.”
centuries ago
The history of medicinal mushrooms has its roots in traditional Chinese medicine, where they have been attributed health-improving properties.
The history of medicinal mushrooms dates back centuries, especially in traditional Chinese medicine, where various health-improving properties have been attributed to them. Reishi, for example, is known as the “mushroom of immortality” and has been used to strengthen the immune system and reduce stress. Cordyceps, famous for its ability to increase energy and physical endurance, has been a popular ingredient in the sporting arena.
For its part, lion’s mane is related to better intellectual performance and chaga stands out for its antiviral and antibacterial properties and because it strengthens the immune system, reduces inflammation and increases antioxidants. All of them, combined with coffee, can help regular consumers reduce caffeine doses without hardly realizing it and without modifying the consumption experience.
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We must not forget, however, that science has shown that moderate coffee consumption (up to three cups a day) is safe, so that a priori it does not seem necessary to eliminate it in the case of healthy adults without pathologies. A 2017 meta-analysis published in The New England Journal of Medicine concluded that coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of mortality from various causes, as well as a decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Additionally, coffee has been shown to have antioxidant properties that may contribute to overall well-being.