Mushroom coffee is a trendy new beverage blending traditional coffee with medicinal mushrooms, like chaga, lion’s mane, reishi and cordyceps. Fans of this blend claim it offers a natural energy boost, lowers stress and provides a number of other health benefits.

Manufacturers create mushroom coffee by drying and extracting the mushrooms’ purported healthful ingredients, then blending them with ground coffee beans and a tea blend. Unlike the mushroom caps you’d find in a cup of fungi, these dried and extracted mushrooms don’t make for an unappetizing brew. The result is usually a drink with a flavor and texture similar to regular coffee and with less caffeine than your average cup of Joe.

Mushroom Coofee: Is It Worth the Hype

Medicinal mushrooms like chaga, lion’s head, reishi, cordyceps, and turkey tail have been used as wellness tools in Asian cultures for centuries. They’re called adaptogens and are believed to help the body adapt and overcome stress. Research in test tubes and animals suggest some of the alleged health benefits of mushroom coffee include lowered blood pressure, increased immune system function and improved cognitive performance.

But more human studies are needed to support these claims, and some people may experience digestive discomfort from the combination of coffee and mushrooms. Chaga mushrooms in particular are high in oxalates, which can raise your risk of kidney stones. And those taking beta-blockers should avoid mushroom coffee as it could interfere with their medications.