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Does Mushroom Tea Lose Potency?
Mushroom tea has quickly become one of the most beloved methods of mushroom consumption, providing immunity-enhancing, stress-relieving benefits as well as other positive health outcomes.
Mushroom teas come in all forms; some blend directly with hot water while others require traditional steeping methods like regular herbal or green teas. Cordyceps is often used to enhance physical performance while Reishi can provide stress relief or mental clarity.
The answer is yes.
Mushroom teas have quickly become one of the newest trends in functional beverages, and it’s easy to see why. They provide all of the health benefits associated with mushrooms in an easy and accessible form that’s simple to drink and digest. Mushroom teas are made with hot water infused or steeped with various varieties of functional mushrooms such as Reishi, Lion’s Mane or Chaga that help boost energy, cognitive function and reduce stress levels.
The best mushroom teas are those crafted with organic ingredients and provide details about where and how their mushrooms were grown, so that you can make an informed decision as to whether it fits into your lifestyle. Many people enjoy adding mushroom tea into their morning ritual to begin each day in an easy and healthy manner; others use it during workouts or recovery, or even use it to reduce anxiety or insomnia symptoms.
Though mushroom teas have recently seen increased popularity, their scientific study and health benefits remain relatively new. While there has been some evidence supporting functional fungi as immune support or other benefits for immune support or other purposes, it’s wise to consult a healthcare professional prior to trying them.
When selecting a mushroom tea, keep your desired health goals in mind and consider which varieties will help meet them. Reishi and lion’s mane tea may help lower stress levels and boost focus while chaga tea boasts antioxidant properties; turkey tail tea has even been added into tea blends to support immune health.
Once you’ve decided on the type of tea to try, the preparation begins. Gather together a mug, some boiling water and ground or whole mushroom to begin your journey – some brands offer pre-packaged mushroom tea mixes that make this process much simpler; alternatively you could purchase tea bags designed specifically for making mushroom tea.
If you’re making your own tea, the best approach is to begin by boiling a full pot of water so the heat remains consistent during the entire process. Once this has happened, add dried mushrooms and let them steep for 10-15 minutes before stirring gently to ensure all mushrooms have been submerged into the liquid. If using loose-leaf tea infusion instead, make sure your mushrooms remain fully immersed.
Once your mixture has been strained, the last step in making tea is storing and labeling it with its date and contents to track when you made it. Now it’s time for sipping! Once done, your tea can be enjoyed wherever it suits you; whether that means sipping on-the-go or relaxing as you drink. For optimal experience, we suggest enjoying it in a comfortable space where you can unwind – perhaps setting aside five minutes each day for tea meditation to connect with yourself and body! Keep track of when and what was made when with date/content labels stored with dates/content labels on it so you know when and what was made when.
The answer is no.
Mushroom teas have recently seen an upsurge in popularity, and with good reason. When steeped in hot water, mushrooms create an earthy and flavorful brew that can subtly increase energy while offering numerous health and wellness benefits.1
Mushroom tea can help with everything from stress reduction and cellular repair, digestion improvement and immune health benefits.2
Tea made with whole or ground mushrooms can be prepared using fresh or dried mushrooms and is available as loose leaves as well as powder, for dissolving in hot water or adding to smoothies and coffee beverages. Their popularity has seen rapid expansion across artisanal startups to global producers offering these teas.
Though some users claim they use mushroom tea solely to experience visual hallucinations, most drink it for its potential medicinal properties. Thus, mushroom tea has long been recommended as an aid against anxiety and depression (since cortisol levels can be helped with through regulation), physical performance enhancement (like cordyceps) as well as for helping regulate cortisol levels (regulating them via cortisone production), or to improve physical endurance (via cordyceps).
As well, many who make their own mushroom tea use it as part of an overall holistic approach to health, which can include exercise, sleep, meditation, mindful eating and mindful drinking. According to some users, mushroom tea may even aid cancer treatment by alleviating oxidative stress and helping the body fight tumors and inflammation.
Though mushroom tea boasts of impressive health claims, there is limited scientific proof supporting most of its purported advantages. Research is promising; however, numerous hurdles must be cleared away before understanding all its health advantages fully.
As soon as it comes to making mushroom tea, it’s crucial not to overstir. Overstirring can cause mycelium and active ingredients in mushrooms to disintegrate, creating less potency for your final tea product.
An optimal time and place to enjoy mushroom tea is within 24 hours of its preparation, after which it should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated – usually two days can pass this way! If you plan on brewing large quantities, consider placing your tea into a glass jar that has a sealable lid for optimal storage and preservation of its potency. This is essential when making large batches or just for one serving. Other than this, tea can be enjoyed straight from the bag without straining; however if desired. If straining is required however, we advise using either a fine mesh strainer or coffee filters so as to remove all possible mycelial fragments that may otherwise enter your cup of joe.