Like kale and spirulina, mushrooms have become increasingly mainstream as an integral component of healthy diets. With various kinds of mushrooms such as chaga, reishi and lion’s mane boasting powerful medicinal benefits from alleviating fatigue to soothing frayed nerves, many experts consider mushrooms “adaptogens,” foods which support your body’s natural resilience against stress.

Functional mushrooms were once widely utilized in traditional Eastern medicine to promote long-term health and well-being, due to their powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that reduced oxidative stress – the imbalance of good antioxidants with harmful free radicals which contributes to chronic disease. They were typically eaten fresh; however, today there are also nutritional powders and supplements available; adding them into coffee is one of the easiest ways to reap their many advantages.

Mixing ground coffee with mushroom powder creates what is commonly known as mushroom coffee, containing approximately half the caffeine found in regular cups of joe. Some mushroom coffee brands come as instant, while others utilize specialty beans and come packaged in special reishi-inspired pods.

When buying reishi-infused coffee, opt for a blend that uses high quality ingredients, including pure and organic ground coffee as ingredients. Some products may also contain other extracts; read labels carefully. If this is your first time experiencing functional mushrooms, start off slowly until you feel effects from taking larger doses over time.