From brain boosting to hormone balancing – we test three mushroom coffees
IF somebody had suggested to me a couple of years ago that I should drink mushroom coffee in the morning I’d have probably laughed in their face.
Now I love it because I know you can get amazing benefits without – thankfully – any mushroom flavour.
Functional mushrooms are clever little things that offer a range of potential health benefits.
Today I put three to the test . . .
SUPPLEMENTS
DIRTEA Coffee Superblend contains 100% Arabica beans with 1,000mg of brain-boosting Lion’s Mane mushroom extract.
It also contains adaptogens ashwagandha and maca for adrenal, digestion and hormonal support plus vitamins B6, B12, pantothenic and folic acids.
This contains about 80 per cent less caffeine than regular coffee.
It is 56% coffee and 40% Lion’s Mane and is only two calories per serving.
It was a lovely smooth coffee and I loved the fact I was getting 71 per cent of B6 with my morning coffee.
£38 for 150g (60 servings) from dirteaworld.com
MULTI MUSHROOM
THE Wellness Blend from Innermost also contains Arabica coffee plus in each 3g serving there is 250mg each of chaga, tremella, shiitake, reishi, maitake and cordyceps giving 1,500mg of mushroom power.
The mixture can help with cholesterol, stress, immunity and anti-ageing.
It made me feel more awake than with my usual coffee and calmer at the same time. Clever!
Adaptogenic mushrooms help regulate cortisol levels, promoting a healthier stress response.
It’s strong, which I liked, but tricky to mix. I added milk first and used my “whizzer” to get rid of any little lumps and floaters.
It’s not cheap, but it does cost less than a coffee shop brew. Four calories per serving. £27.96 for 150g (50 servings).
HORMONE
THE main ingredient in Hormone Balance blend from Sixways is myo-inositol, a type of sugar that helps your body process insulin, often described as a vitamin-like compound.
It is found in whole grains, citrus fruit and dried prunes and is widely recommended for people with polycystic ovary syndrome.
This also contains cocoa powder plus ingredients that claim to help with PCOS, such as 1,000mg maca root and 250mg maitake mushrooms.
The zinc, vitamin B5, B12, ginger root and chromium may also help with PCOS by decreasing insulin resistance.
You can taste the cocoa so for me it doesn’t sit right at breakfast time. From £26.25 for 150g (30 servings) sixways.co.
From £26.25 for xxg (30 servings) sixways.co