Mushroom Coffee Benefits: What the Evidence Actually Says
3 min read By Mataye
In brief
Most mushroom coffee benefits you read about are not proven in people yet. What each mushroom has been studied for, the side effects, and who should avoid it.
The proven benefit of mushroom coffee is the one you get from any coffee: caffeine helps you feel more alert. The mushrooms (lion's mane, reishi, cordyceps, chaga) are being studied for focus, stress, energy and immunity, but the research in people is small and mixed, and no health claims are authorised for them in the UK. Here is what is known, mushroom by mushroom.
The short answer
- Alertness: yes, from the caffeine in the coffee.
- Focus, memory, calm, immunity: studied, not proven in people.
- Weight loss: no good evidence.
- A daily habit that is easy to keep: yes, it is just your morning coffee.
Benefits you can count on
Caffeine is well studied. In moderate amounts it improves alertness and reaction time, which is why most of us drink coffee in the first place. A mushroom coffee keeps that, and adds the mushrooms in a format you will remember to take, because you were going to make a coffee anyway. If you like the taste, that is a real reason to drink it.
What each mushroom has been studied for
| Mushroom | Traditional use | What researchers study | Human evidence so far |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lion's mane | Food and traditional Chinese medicine | Nerve growth factor, memory and focus | A few small trials, mixed results |
| Reishi | Traditional Chinese medicine, rest and wellbeing | Immune response, sleep, fatigue | Small trials, no clear benefit in reviews |
| Cordyceps | Tibetan and Chinese medicine, stamina | Energy and exercise capacity | Small trials; little effect in trained athletes |
| Chaga | Folk tea in Russia and Northern Europe | Antioxidants, immune response | Almost none in people |
| Shiitake | Everyday food in East Asia | Immune response (beta-glucans) | A few small diet studies |
Most of the promising results come from cells and animals. That is a reason for research, not a reason to expect a specific effect from your cup.
Is mushroom coffee good for you?
For most healthy adults it is about as good for you as the coffee it is made from, with the same caffeine limits. The mushrooms are foods with a long history of use. Where it can beat your usual coffee is in what you leave out: some blends, ours included, have no added sugar. Where it cannot beat it is in proven health effects, because those have not been shown yet.
Does mushroom coffee help with weight loss?
There is no good evidence that it does. Harvard Health notes there is very little research on these mushrooms in humans. A cup has very few calories (22.8 kcal for ours), so swapping a sugary coffee-shop drink for it cuts calories, but that is the swap, not the mushrooms.
Is it less acidic or easier on the stomach?
You will often read this, but it has not been properly tested. Blends with less coffee per cup may feel gentler simply because there is less coffee. If coffee upsets your stomach, try a small serving with milk and see how you feel.
Mushroom coffee side effects
- Caffeine effects: jitters, faster heartbeat, poor sleep if you drink it late. Adults should stay under 400 mg of caffeine a day (EFSA).
- Stomach upset: mild digestive discomfort has been reported with lion's mane and other mushroom powders.
- Allergy: avoid it if you react to mushrooms or moulds.
- Medicine interactions: reishi, chaga and cordyceps may affect blood clotting, blood sugar and blood pressure. Ask a pharmacist if you take blood thinners, diabetes or blood pressure medicine.
- Liver: rare liver problems have been reported with concentrated reishi powder.
Who should avoid it
- Children.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women, unless their midwife or GP agrees. The NHS limit in pregnancy is 200 mg of caffeine a day.
- Anyone on the medicines above, before surgery, or with an autoimmune or liver condition, without medical advice.
How to try it sensibly
Swap one of your usual coffees for a cup, keep your total caffeine the same, and see whether you like the taste and how you feel after two or three weeks. If you want to compare brands first, use our checklist for choosing a mushroom coffee in the UK. Mataye Mushroom Coffee is £25.99 for 30 cups with free UK delivery and 30-day returns on unopened bags.
Keep reading: the evidence for each mushroom in lion's mane benefits, reishi benefits and chaga, and the numbers in mushroom coffee caffeine.
Before you start: side effects and who should avoid it.
Read next: ganoderma coffee, how to make mushroom coffee, is erythritol safe?.
Read next: arabica vs robusta: which coffee is in the blend.
Sources
- Harvard Health, Mushroom coffee: worth a taste?
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, About Herbs: lion's mane, reishi, cordyceps, chaga, shiitake
- NHS, Foods to avoid in pregnancy: caffeine
- European Food Safety Authority, Caffeine
