I drank mushroom coffee for 2 weeks --here is how it made me feel
Adaptogenic mushroom coffee is gaining popularity for its touted health benefits, so I wanted to try it out and see what all the fuss was about.
An important part of becoming fully awake for many adults involves a cup coffee.
I'm one of those adults, and I've been pretty happy with it. But lately with everything going on in the world, I noticed that I’ve had more anxiousness especially after my beloved afternoon cup of joe.
Because I still wanted (or needed) to drink something coffee-like, I decided to order something called MUD\WTR. MUD\WTR has a similar appearance to cocoa powder. It's a combination of masala chai, cacao, turmeric, cinnamon, Himalayan sea salt, and four types of mushrooms: lion’s mane, cordyceps, chaga and reishi.
Why mushrooms? One of the big wellness trends of the last few years has been adding "functional mushrooms" to foods in the hopes of taking advantage of their immune-boosting, cancer-fighting properties. After a little research around this, I found that mushrooms do have disease-fighting antioxidants, but whether those antioxidants stay present in a hot drink and then improve your health hasn’t appeared in published research… but this is just to my knowledge. But, they are certainly not harmful.
MUD\WTR’s developer Shane Heath boasts of other health benefits, too. As the website explains, "each ingredient was included in this blend for a specific purpose," and the various ingredients are touted for advantages including increased alertness, stamina, focus, mental performance, an abundance of "phytonutrients," and practically every other wellness buzzword.
I decided to drop some cash and I went with the 30- day starter kit ($60) and here is what it came with:
30-serving tin of mud.
USB rechargeable frother.
Free guidebook.
Free sample of the MUD\STR creamer.
Free Stickers.
I started with the MUD MYLK, stirring one tablespoon of the powder into three tablespoons of hot water, and then adding to a cup of steamed oat milk with a tablespoon of coconut oil and a teaspoon of honey. My second go of it I drank it black—just a tablespoon of powder in eight ounces of water.
My first sip of the MUD MYLK practically took me across the globe. While I’ve never been to India, the flavors brought to mind the spice markets and colorful walkways I hear about and see in photographs. The cacao, cinnamon and turmeric add unique layers of flavor that tone down the chai and prevent mushroom flavors from peeking through. It tasted, frankly, like a latte, which was delightful.
Next, my plain cup. It’s too spicy to be compared to coffee, but is not nearly as earthy and bitter, and is certainly much more textured and full-bodied. At the bottom of my cup, there were some gritty remnants of the mix, but it wouldn't be hard to remove those by pouring the liquid through a mesh strainer. For cups after the first two I tried it with the free creamer. And surprisingly I loved it. It’s plant-based, vegan, sugar and gluten-free and made from coconut milk and MCT oil. It's a powder, so you just need to add a scoop to your mud to turn it into a super powdered smooth latte. It stayed smooth, didn’t clump, and it wasn't overly coconutty.
Like coffee, MUD\WTR has a bold flavor and a touch of caffeine (14mg—a cup of coffee has about 95mg on average), but that’s where the similarities end, and I am OK with that.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my morning cup of coffee—and sometimes my afternoon coffee too But that often leaves me jittery, and I have to pee as soon as I drink a cup. No wonder since coffee stimulates our adrenal glands, triggering the release of cortisol, the stress hormone. The bad news? I definitely experienced headaches from caffeine withdrawal, but given that I was more of a mild coffee drinker, these subsided after a few days.
MUD\WTR, on the other hand, gave me the alertness I was after, without any of the shakiness. I also didn’t have to go to the bathroom as frequently, and because it has less caffeine it didn’t mess with my sleep cycle. The MUD\WTR was also easy to make (you just pour the powder into some hot water.) But since I didn’t like to drink it straight, I ended up heating two liquids which meant dirtying two cups, a measuring spoon, and a spoon to stir everything together. I tried different dairy free combos too. I tried oat milk, cashew milk, a Barista blend, macadamia milk, and coconut/almond milk. My favorite ended up being the oat milk and second cashew milk (if you want a little thicker but still creamy and smooth).
Even though the medical community needs more clinical trials to come to a research-backed conclusion, I’ve come to a verdict.
As for what the science currently says, mushrooms like chaga, reishi, lion’s mane, and cordyceps are anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, gut-friendly, contain high amounts of antioxidants (more than acai, blueberries, and cacao), and support our liver in flushing out toxins. Mushrooms are also adaptogens–healing plants that, well, heal. World-renowned integrative medicine guru Andrew Weil, MD, describes adaptogens as being able to bring the body back to homeostasis. It’s no wonder medicinal mushrooms have been used for centuries. Studies confirm they mitigate the effects of stress by supporting our adrenals–the glands responsible for balancing our hormones, and regulating things like our energy levels, emotions, metabolism, and brain function.
I’ve definitely enjoyed welcoming mushroom coffee into my mornings and afternoons. If you’re someone who, like me, enjoys the taste and smell of coffee, but feels caffeine-sensitive, I’d encourage you to try it. Alternatively, you can find mushroom powder alone and use it with any beverage, smoothie, or soup. Gwyneth does.
I have found it’s one wellness trend that has lived up to the hype!
Have you tried any adaptogenic mushroom blends? If so, what are your favorite brands and why? Share with us in the comments below!
