If you're looking for the nutrients in your morning cup of coffee, the latest trend, Reishi Mushroom, might be just what you're looking for. Swap your matcha latte and butter coffee for the new on-site drink – reishi mushroom coffee. The up-and-coming Ganoderma coffee is a popular drink in the health and wellness sector and is generating a lot of excitement. In fact, Whole Foods selected medicinal mushrooms as one of the trendiest foods of 2018. So it seems only right that we know why this new type of coffee has become such a hot topic. Many experts have touted the health benefits of reishi mushroom. These range from stopping the growth of cancer cells to preventing jitters from caffeine. However, there's a lot more than just hype to this trendy medicinal drink.
At first, you can just imagine mushy, moist mushrooms in your coffee cup. As Kelly Milligan, a chef with naturopathic backgrounds, says, it's a little different: "Mushroom coffee is made from powdered medicinal mushrooms like reishi mushroom, whichmixed with coffeeis to improve the general condition.” The recipe essentially consists of coffee with the addition of powdered Reishi mushroom made from dried Ganoderma Lucidum. These are first boiled, liquefied into an extract and accordingly processed into powder for the convenience of the coffee drinker.
The medicinal mushroom is also often sold as a powdered mixture or Reishi capsules, which consist of 50 percent coffee and 50 percent mushrooms. You can buy this from companies like Amazon and Four Sigmatic. However, be sure to check the label for caffeine content, as some brands contain more than others and you may not have too muchConsume caffeinewant. A normal cup of coffee contains approximately 100 milligrams of caffeine. So, opt for packaged Ganoderma coffee, which is around 50 milligrams per serving. Accordingly, it is best not to consume more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day.
Although reishi mushroom is the most popular and well-known, there are a handful of other medicinal mushrooms that you could use in a powder mixture. Such as the Cordyceps or Tongue Seed, Lion's Mane, Slate Schillerporling, Enokitake, etc. The best thing about medicinal mushrooms is that they all contain many healing properties, vitamins and minerals, so there is no pressure when choosing a particular type of mushroom coffee. No matter which one you choose, you will reap sufficient health benefits.
Origin
What seems to be the new trend of the coffee world is not new at all. Mushroom coffee has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine for its potential anti-aging, stress reduction, and memory and energy storage properties. The Chinese called it lingzhi and used it in powders and teas.
Mushroom coffee was also used as an alternative during World War II, when some of today's staple foods were difficult to obtain. It started in Finland in the 1940s, when coffee was one of the first goods to be in short supply, along with sugar. For this reason, the Finnish people began using Chaga mushroom, native to their country, as a coffee substitute.
Health benefits at a glance
So why drink this version of coffee? Because of their high levels of antioxidants, mushrooms have a number of health benefits including:
- Strengthening the liver
- Supporting digestion
- Improving the health of diabetics
- Strengthen the immune system
- Protection against cell damage
- Slowing the growth of cancer cells
- Because these antioxidants protect the body from free radicals that cause inflammation and cell damage, they also help ward off chronic diseases such as:
- Krebs
- Diabetes
- heart disease
- Parkinson's disease
- Alzheimer's disease
- Eye diseases such as cataracts
Tim Ferriss, entrepreneur and author of “The 4-Hour Workweek,” is an avid coffee drinker and partner at Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee. He attributes his mental stamina, focus and consistent energy to the positive effects of Reishi mushroom. “I try to force this on all my houseguests,” he says.
Another positive aspect is that Ganoderma coffee is less acidic than the traditional variant. Our body's pH, which can influence nutrition, plays an important role in maintaining health. Since too much coffee or caffeine can increase acidity in our bodies, causing a change in acidity, switching to a less acidic drink like mushroom coffee can prevent the symptoms of acid reflux, stomach upset, and increased stress hormones. And since this type of coffee contains less caffeine than regular coffee, you avoid the nervousness and possible overdose.
How to make Ganoderma coffee
Similar to instant coffee, medicinal mushroom coffee is individually packaged for convenience. Simply pour the powdered mixture into your cup, add about 125ml of hot water and stir. Would you prefer a fresh pot by adding Reishi capsules or mushrooms yourself? Mushroom powders without coffee are another good option. The drink can also be served with milk or a non-dairy substitute such as cashew milk, almond milk or coconut milk.
For those hot summer days when you need an iced drink, pour ice over a freshly made cup or simply make your coffee the night before and let it cool in the fridge. A few teaspoons of honey is a good alternative to add just the right amount of sweetness.
Are there any side effects?
According to the Botanical Safety Handbook, Cordyceps Sinensis and Reishi Mushroom are Safety Class 1A plants - the safest possible classification. For this reason, no side effects are yet known in the available literature and clinical studies. A report published in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine (2012) states that no apparent side effects were noted with the use of reishi mushrooms.
However, before you gulp down cup after cup of the stuff, it's important to keep a few things in mind. Milligan states that due to the mushrooms' powerful medicinal properties, detoxification symptoms may occur, including mild indigestion, dizziness, flu-like symptoms and skin rashes. It is also important to talk to your doctor if you are taking any medications, as certain herbs can interfere with medication and sometimes blood clotting.
