Mushroom coffee is a blend of traditional coffee with medicinal mushroom extracts such as chaga, reishi, cordyceps and lion’s mane that have adaptogenic properties, helping the body adapt to stress by relaxing muscles. They also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Mushroom coffee usually has less caffeine than its traditional counterpart to reduce jitters and improve sleep quality.

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) mushrooms have long been used as powerful immune-enhancing herbs in traditional Chinese medicine, believed to stimulate white blood cells that combat bacteria and pathogens in the body, and contain beta-glucans which have been proven to slow tumor growth and protect cells against damage.

Even though they make many health claims, there’s no conclusive proof that drinking reishi coffee has the same health benefits as taking medicinal mushrooms as standalone supplements. Furthermore, mushroom powders and teas aren’t subject to FDA regulation, making it hard to know exactly how much reishi is in any product.

Reishi mushroom powder should come from the fruiting body of the mushroom rather than mycelium grown on grain substrates, as mycelium-grown powder contains significantly fewer polysaccharides than fruiting-body-sourced powder. Furthermore, Reishi is known to interact with certain medications including blood thinners and those used to treat diabetes, potentially leading to potentially dangerous blood sugar drops for those taking antidiabetics.