Is Mushroom Coffee Healthier?

Coffee can be incredible for mood and alertness (just checkout out this double-blind study by the National Institute of Health). But add some mushrooms and those benefits go far beyond a tiny energy kick!

Mushroom coffee offers an enhanced brew that infuses your coffee with powerful functional properties for immunity 🦠, stress 😓, gut health 🍽️, focus 🧠, and more. It also helps with the dreaded crash that you’d get from regular coffee by giving you more sustained, balanced energy. ⚡This means less jitters, crashes, or drain on your adrenals.

Is mushroom coffee the fix to regular coffee's problems?

Almost! But here’s the deal: not all mushroom coffees are created equal. It’s easy to grab one that looks great, but is actually packed with fillers, weak ingredients, or even some sketchy stuff. But don’t stress!

This is your all-in-one-go-to guide for finding the perfect mushroom coffee. Keep your beloved morning ritual while adding some serious perks like better focus, more energy, improved digestion, and a stronger immune system. And the best part? You can ditch those jitters, crashes, and restless nights that often come with regular coffee.

Wait, but is mushroom coffee psychedlic?

Not at all! The mushrooms used in most mushroom coffees are completely different from the ones that can cause you to hallucinate. There are actually thousands of mushroom species in the Fungi Kingdom (~6x more than in the Plant Kingdom!). And each one has its own unique compounds.

Psychedelic mushrooms are known for containing psilocybin, the compound that gives you those mind-bending experiences.

Then you’ve got culinary mushrooms, like the portobellos and criminis you might toss on your pizza (fun fact: they’re actually the same fungi at different stages of their growth!).

And let’s not forget about functional mushrooms! These guys are packed with a ton of beneficial compounds that contribute to their amazing health benefits. That’s why we started incorporating them in coffee!

What are Functional Mushrooms?

Functional mushrooms (think lion’s mane, reishi, and chaga) aren’t psychedelic at all. Instead, they come with a ton of amazing health benefits! These mushrooms are some of the most nutrient-dense foods on earth. 🌎

They can help support your immune system, gut health, stress management, energy levels, focus, and so much more. Each type has its own unique perks that put many so-called “superfoods” to shame.

And the best part? They’re completely legal and you can usually find them at your local grocery store!

Mushrooms With Research-Backed Benefits

Functional mushrooms can supercharge your focus, boost your energy, lift your mood, and help manage stress. And tthere are hundreds of studies and throusands of years of use cases to prove it.

Take Lion’s Mane, for example. It’s super popular for enhancing focus and promoting mental clarity. One study found that taking 250 mg of lion’s mane three times a day significantly supported cognitive function in just 4 months*.

But it doesn’t stop there. Chaga is another powerhouse—it acts like an internal anti-aging boost and has about 1,300x more antioxidants than blueberries!

Reishi mushrooms have shown promise in studies for reducing fatigue in people with chronic fatigue syndrome. *

Cordyceps is a favorite among Olympic athletes. Research on Cordyceps suggests it can improve VO2 max. The benefits of functional mushrooms are practically endless!

If you’re sold on the benefits, check out the top-ranked mushroom coffee brands 

The best "mushrooms" for real benefits

Some mushroom powders don’t even contain the actual mushroom you’re imagining! Most studies focus on the fruiting body of the mushroom—the part that looks like the classic mushroom and is loaded with active compounds. So, it’s super important to make sure you’re getting the right stuff!

There are several parts of fungal anatomy 🍄

1️⃣ The part of the mushroom you can see—the one that pops into your head when you think of mushrooms—is called the fruiting body. (Like the mushroom emoji above!)

2️⃣ Spores are like the mushroom’s reproductive “seeds.” They carry its DNA and help it spread to new areas.

3️⃣ Underneath the ground or within the substrate the mushroom is growing on (often trees, in the case of functional mushrooms), there’s a huge network known as mycelium. You can think of it as the “roots” of the mushroom.

🚨 Mushroom coffee with mycelium almost always means lots of fillers!

This is because mycelium is usually grown on grains like rice or oats. When it’s processed, that substrate (the stuff the mycelium is growing on) is ground up along with the mycelium. So, when you buy products labeled as mycelium, they’re often 90-95% grain! Don’t get tricked into paying for pricey oats when you’re really after the powerful benefits of the fruiting bodies.

Are Functional Mushrooms Safe?

Absolutely! Functional mushrooms are safe, nontoxic, and available as dietary supplements all around the world. Just like with any supplement, it’s a good idea to pay attention to how your body reacts. Consult your doctor if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or have underlying health conditions.

The key thing to keep an eye on is the quality of the mushrooms. Mushrooms are like little sponges—they absorb everything in their environment. 🧽 That’s awesome when they’re growing on nutrient-rich trees or logs (just like in nature), but it’s not great if they’re grown on substrates that have pesticides, herbicides, or heavy metals.

All mushrooms you eat, both culinary and functional, should always be:

• Double-Extracted (so your body can actually absorb the nutrients)
• 100% Fruiting Body (so you're getting real mushrooms)
• 3rd Party Tested For Toxins (heavy metals, mycotoxins, molds, yeast, and irradiation)

How to Choose the Best Mushroom Coffee?

It's essential to consider several factors. First, you want to ensure you get the best quality and effectiveness. But you’ll also want to reconsider what tastes the best and fits your current habits.

Functional mushrooms really shine when you use them consistently over time. So, the closer they taste and feel like your regular coffee, the more likely you are to keep it in your routine and enjoy those benefits!

Here’s a quick rundown of what to look for and why each factor matters:

Mushroom Coffee Quality & Effectiveness

• Double Extracted Mushrooms: If the mushrooms aren’t extracted, your body can’t access their beneficial compounds. Extraction breaks down chitin, a tough substance in their cell walls (kind of like what you find in shrimp or crab shells). This makes the beneficial compounds bioavailable.

🔎 TIP: Look for the word “extract” on the Supplement Facts panel to ensure your body can actually make use of the mushroom.

• Avoid Mycelium, Use Fruiting Bodies: The fruiting body of the mushroom—the part we typically think of—contains the highest concentration of active compounds. Mycelium, which are the mushroom's roots, contain fewer active compounds and often comes with lots of fillers. These products can be made up of 90-95% grains like rice or oats.

🚫 TIP: Avoid “cultured on mycelium” or “myceliated oats/rice/grain” in the Supplement Facts.

Real fruiting-body mushrooms consistently test high for beta-glucans, triterpenoids, and estergolsterol. AKA the compounds that give functional mushrooms their benefits.

• Start at 500mg: An effective dose of extracted functional mushrooms is between 500 mg - 1500mg. Always start small and slowly build up after a few days as your body allows. Benefits start plateauing around 3,000 mg/day.

🧠 TIP: Combine functional mushrooms with nootropics for an added brain boost!

• 3rd Party Tested for Toxins: This is super important to ensure the product is free from heavy metals, mycotoxins, molds, yeast, or irradiation. Since mushrooms act like sponges, you’ve got to be extra careful!

🌱 TIP: Make sure what you buy is tested for toxins, instead of just "purity"

Ideal Mushroom Coffee Taste and Texture

• Smooth Texture Without Grit or Sediment: Some mushroom coffees can leave a gritty texture that makes drinking them unenjoyable.

When particles from the mushroom coffee mix fall to the bottom of the cup, this is called “settling.” It happens when the particles are not fully dissolved or suspended in the liquid. This causes them to separate and settle at the bottom of the container.

For a better experience, look for mushroom coffee that dissolves easily—less sediment means a smoother sip. If it doesn’t dissolve well, that could indicate lower-quality ingredients or fillers.

• Real Flavors from the Ingredients: Choose products that get their flavors from the actual ingredients, not “natural” or artificial flavors. It can be misleading; for instance, “natural” flavoring might not be what your expect.

For example, Castoreum, often used for vanilla or raspberry flavors, comes from the castor sacs of beavers. Yep, you read that right! It's a secretion they use to mark their territory, and somehow, it ends up in our food.

❌ TIP: Steer clear of anything labeled “flavorings.” Both artificial and natural flavors mean you’re not getting the real deal—they’re just additives that can hide the true ingredients.

The #1 Mushroom Coffee

#1 Neubrain's Smart Coffee

(Just a little disclaimer: we are Neubrain!)

But we truly believe we’ve crafted a better cup of mushroom coffee (and countless others agree). Not only have 10,000+ go-getters subscribed to our mushroom coffee, but we also have 1,000+ 5-star reviews from raving fans.

We’re the 1st mushroom coffee to use patented nootropics in the US (and still #1 today)! 

Our best-selling Smart Coffee Performance Blend features instant Arabic coffee infused with lion’s mane, chaga, cordyceps, reishi, and turkey tail mushrooms. Great for your brain, and delicious for your morning cup!

You’ll also wake up and be on top of your game after just one cup – thanks to the nootropics we add to the blend – L-Theanine, L-Tyrosine, Alpha GPC, Infinergy® and CognatiQ®.

👉 We make sure our coffee is the highest quality, and most beneficial blend possible:

• 100% Fruiting Body Mushrooms - always! No fillers, grains or mycelium here.
• Dual extracted for maximum bioavailability
• Packed with 500 mg of log-grown lion's mane
• 3rd party tested for toxins (heavy metals, mold, mycotoxins, yeast)

🧠 We also add nootropics to boost your focus, cognition, and brain health:

• CognatiQ® - Derived from high-quality coffee berry, CognatiQ® supports cognitive function and was clinically shown to increase processing speeds up to 33% when used consistently over a 30 day period.
• Infinergy® - A patented caffeine delivery system made for sustained all-day energy without the jitters or crash.
• Alpha GPC - A powerful cognitive enhancer that supports memory, focus, and overall brain health. 
• L-Theanine - Promotes a state of calm focus by balancing the stimulating effects of caffeine and supporting Alpha brain waves.
• L-Tyrosine - Boosts neurotransmitter production to improve focus, memory, and mood.

We also know that you need to love what you’re drinking to brew it daily and unlock the true potential of our mushrooms. That’s why we use real coffee that tastes just like your typical cup. Seriously, you can’t taste the difference with a regular, medium roast coffee.

And if you’re still uncertain – try it out risk-free! We have a 💸 money-back guarantee. 💸 That’s just how confident we are that you’ll love the taste and feel the difference.

Neubrain VS. The Competition

#1 MUSHROOM COFFEE

Try Neubrain's Smart Coffee™!

Sip coffee with benefits (without compromising on taste or quality). Try the #1 mushroom coffee brand today. See the difference for yourself risk free. If you don't love it - get your money back!