There’s an invigorating new variety of tea making waves at health food stores and trendy healthy cafes: mushroom tea. Not only is this flavorful beverage delicious, but its use may provide immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory, stress regulation and mental clarity benefits – just to name a few of its potential advantages.

While whole mushrooms and mushroom chocolate can provide the same effects, tea provides more control over dosage and offers additional ways to consume it, including infusions with cordyceps, lion’s mane, reishi and turkey tail mushrooms. Plus, making mushroom tea at home is easy and relatively cost-effective!

Preparing mushroom tea generally entails boiling water and adding an assortment of functional mushrooms and herbal blends, though pre-packaged mushroom tea is available with travel sizes for added convenience on-the-go. Some pre-made brands may even include lemon juice, licorice root extract, ginger root or honey that enhance its flavor profile further.

Psilocin takes about one hour to break down into a form detectable in the body, so drinking mushroom tea may not have the same impact as eating multiple mushrooms or taking an edible with psilocybin such as mushroom chocolate. Many factors affect when and how quickly psilocin enters our system: eating quantity of mushrooms; digestive process speed and whether taken on an empty stomach are all significant contributors in how quickly its effects manifest themselves.

Mushrooms have been proven to bind to serotonin receptors in the brain and produce various psychological effects, from altered states of consciousness and visual stimuli that make colors seem brighter or more vivid, to increasing feelings of connectedness, empathy and spirituality among others. Furthermore, mushrooms can act as adaptogens which help manage stress within your body.

Mushrooms have numerous health-enhancing benefits and there’s no need to justify them with medical diagnoses or self-diagnoses in order to justify their consumption. Indeed, cancer patients can especially benefit from including mushrooms in their diet as it provides emotional support while increasing stamina levels.

Fusing them into tea can help the mushrooms absorb into your system more quickly than taking them whole or as dietary supplements. Whether using dried and ground mushrooms yourself or purchasing an already prepared product, ensure it is brewed appropriately to get an effective dose. For best results, follow this regimen for at least two weeks to see the desired effects.