Mushroom coffee has long been popular with health-minded individuals as a less caffeinated alternative to regular coffee, though its health benefits remain unproven. Mushroom coffee combines traditional ground coffee with extracts from medicinal mushrooms such as chaga, lion’s mane and reishi that have long been used as part of Chinese medicine to support immune system health, cognitive enhancement and liver wellness.

Owing to their many claims being unverified by research, most benefits associated with mushroom coffee remain unverifiable. According to Cleveland Clinic research, most benefits attributed to mushroom coffee stem from an assumption that mushrooms retain their powerful medicinal benefits when processed into a beverage and blended together with coffee grounds and mushroom extracts for brewing, although its exact quantities cannot always be accurately quantified in each serving of mushroom coffee.

Furthermore, it’s essential to keep in mind that mushrooms don’t all equate to “magic mushrooms”, which contain hallucinogens such as psilocybin. Mushroom coffee typically uses non-mind altering varieties such as chaga, lion’s mane or turkey tail mushrooms that will not produce altered states of consciousness or alter one’s state of being.

What is known is that an average cup of mushroom coffee typically contains between 20-40 milligrams of caffeine per serving – considerably lower than what can be found in regular or decaffeinated coffee, yet enough to cause stomach upset or anxiety for some individuals.

mushroom coffee contains various other ingredients that could compromise your health, such as sugar – which has been found to raise blood pressure – and oxalates, compounds which adhere to calcium deposits in kidney stones and can form kidney stones over time. While mushroom coffee generally does not contain as many oxalates as other vegetables like kale, spinach or broccoli; its concentration may still present issues for those living with specific medical conditions.

Mushroom coffee tends to be more costly than its regular ground counterpart, usually costing double what a 12-ounce bag would. As its benefits remain unclear, this product might not warrant such additional expenditure. If you want to add more mushrooms into your diet, instead of drinking mushroom coffee which could actually do more harm than good, consider including them in smoothies or salads instead. As per Cleveland Clinic recommendations, allergic reactions to mushroom extracts may occur and therefore it would be wise to avoid drinking mushroom coffee if you have an allergy to mushrooms as well as digestive or kidney issues. Furthermore, any medication prescribed must first be discussed with your healthcare provider as certain medicinal mushrooms could interact negatively.