I learned the hard way how much coffee affects my body. In college I loved the taste, smell, and energy, but over time I noticed jitteriness, nausea, and crashes that left me reaching for more caffeine. During a heart-monitoring exercise, my professor told me I had an irregular heartbeat — something later linked to my caffeine intake. Between coffee, pre-workout, and energy drinks, it’s no surprise my body was overstressed.
A few years later I discovered mushroom coffee and gradually switched. It’s been one of the best changes I’ve made. I don’t get jitters or sugar crashes, I sleep better, and I feel more evenly energized during the day. I’ve also cut down on spending at coffee shops.
Caffeine affects people differently. The average American drinks about 3½ cups (28 oz) of coffee a day, roughly 336 mg of caffeine. Experts say up to 400 mg daily is acceptable for most healthy adults, but higher amounts can cause side effects. Caffeine raises adrenaline and stimulates the adrenal glands in ways they wouldn’t naturally operate, which over time can lead to adrenal fatigue. It can also raise heart rate, increase cortisol when combined with daily stress, reduce insulin sensitivity, and contribute to higher blood glucose — factors linked to type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Coffee does have benefits: it contains phytonutrients, small amounts of magnesium, potassium, and niacin, and can improve focus and athletic performance. But when caffeine is overused, those benefits can be overshadowed by negative effects.
Mushroom coffee offers a way to lower caffeine while gaining other benefits. Some brands replace coffee entirely with mushroom blends and include only a small fraction of coffee’s caffeine; others mix ground coffee with mushroom extracts. Functional mushrooms like lion’s mane, chaga, reishi, and cordyceps can support energy, focus, and stress response because of their adaptogenic properties. They also contain antioxidants, prebiotics, polysaccharides, and beta-glucans that may support digestion, immune function, heart health, cholesterol, and blood-sugar regulation.
One important detail: many mushroom products use dried mushroom powder that’s simply steeped in hot water. True extraction of the beneficial compounds requires longer boiling — often one to two hours — so short steeping extracts only a portion of the active ingredients. For best results, look for products that use mushroom extracts rather than just raw powders. The more extracts a product contains, the more likely it will deliver real benefits.
If you want to try mushroom coffee, build it into a daily routine you already have, like morning meditation or gentle yoga. Pay attention to how caffeine affects you across the whole day — not just immediately after drinking it but into the evening and at night. If you find you depend on caffeine all day, consider cutting back or switching to mushroom coffee to help stabilize energy levels.
I don’t expect to get the absolute maximum benefits from mushrooms in every cup, but mushroom coffee lets me enjoy a warm morning drink without heart palpitations or crashing later. If you’re ready to try it, here’s a simple way I make mine:
Boil water and pour it into a mug. Add one scoop of mushroom coffee, one scoop of MCT powder, and one scoop of vanilla collagen (or similar). Froth with an electric frother, let it cool slightly, and sip. Customize with honey, agave, or plant milk to taste.
Explore what works for you. Try different blends, notice how your body feels before, during, and after meals and drinks, and adjust accordingly. Listening to your body will help you find the best choices for your health and energy.
