Life is stressful.
Okay, but seriously, studies prove it – nearly half of Americans experience significant daily stress according to one Gallup poll. Imagine that. Every day almost 50% of us wake up and stress is the last thing on our mind. Until it’s not.
So what can you do about it?
If you’re like most people you’ve stopped drinking coffee or cut way back. But there’s another solution many folks are learning about. It’s called smart mushroom coffee.
Made from special mushrooms blended with regular coffee, mushroom coffee is taking the wellness world by storm as a powerful natural way to relieve stress and anxiety. And if you’re wondering what are the benefits of smart mushroom coffee, stress relief is just the beginning.
Here’s what we’ll cover…
Let’s Break Down:
- Why Stress Is So Common (& Hard To Beat)
- Smart Mushroom Coffee Defined
- The Stress Relief Benefits Of Smart Mushroom Coffee
- Top 3 Stress Fighting Mushrooms
- How To Choose The Best Mushroom Coffee
Stress Is An Epidemic Most People Accept
Did you know 43% of Americans say they feel more anxious now than they did just last year?
According to the American Psychiatric Association, the number of adults who feel this way has increased steadily every year…since 2022.
Here’s the crazy part…
Think about your morning routine. Now think about how you’re getting yourself going these days. If you’re like most folks you’re drinking coffee to tackle your to-do list. Morning coffee = extra cortisol = stress hormone rushing through your body. That stressful morning meeting you have to get through? Coffee is keeping you going. But at what cost? Even more stress?
It’s a vicious cycle. And unless you take action to break the cycle, that’s how it’s going to remain.
Enter smart mushroom coffee.
What Exactly Is Smart Mushroom Coffee?
First things first: smart mushroom coffee is made from real coffee blended with mushroom extracts.
Essentially, mushrooms are harvested, dried out, then blended into a powder to mix with traditional coffee beans.
The key is using equal parts mushrooms to coffee beans.
Prepared this way you end up with:
- A beverage that tastes nearly identical to regular coffee
- Roughly half the caffeine of regular coffee
- Bonus: adaptogenic properties that help your body deal with stress
This isn’t some new age health fad. Smart mushrooms have been used to support the body for thousands of years in Eastern medicine. Cultures around the globe have turned to these magical plant-like organisms to enhance everything from immune health to energy levels. Fast forward to 2023 and you’ll find the global mushroom coffee market was worth $2.6 billion in 2022 alone. Analysts predict it will skyrocket to over $4 billion by 2032.
For the chronically stressed and anxious, that’s huge.
How Smart Mushroom Coffee Helps With Stress
Ready for the science bit?
Cortisol is your body’s built-in stress response hormone. Feel stressed? Congratulations, your body is pumping cortisol through your bloodstream.
Mushrooms contain natural compounds called adaptogens. Supplementing with adaptogens has been shown to help regulate cortisol production in the body. Smart mushroom coffee benefits work by providing your body with adaptogens to fight against that dreaded cortisol spike.
Drink less coffee = lower cortisol levels = less stress.
Boom. Science.
To break that down into plain english:
Less caffeine equals less anxiety.
Coffee mushrooms are essentially ground up dried mushrooms with zero caffeine. By blending coffee beans and mushroom powder half and half you cut the overall caffeine content in your morning brew by 50%. If you’re highly sensitive to caffeine this makes a world of difference.
Coffee mushrooms help your body regulate its stress hormones.
Smart mushrooms are chock full of beta-glucans and polyphenols. These are the fancy science words for the chemical compounds found in mushrooms that help regulate your body’s natural stress response. Translation: smart mushrooms help you feel more relaxed during times of stress WITHOUT making you feel tired or groggy.
Not too shabby if you ask me.
Which Mushrooms Are Best For Stress & Anxiety?
Not all mushrooms are created equal.
When it comes to relaxing those tense muscles and slowing down racing thoughts there are three mushrooms that stand head and shoulders above the rest:
Reishi Mushroom
For years researchers have studied reishi’s ability to support healthy adrenal function. The adrenal glands are responsible for producing hormones like cortisol. If you can support adrenal health you can better regulate stress hormones.
Lion’s Mane
The closer we look at lion’s mane the more incredible its benefits appear. In short, lion’s mane helps grow NGF (nerve growth factor). NGF is responsible for helping your brain function at optimal levels.
Participants in a 2023 study who consumed lion’s mane daily for 28 days noticed less stress AND performed basic cognitive tasks faster than the control group.
Lion’s mane = better brain = less stress.
Cordyceps
Ever feel like your body just can’t keep up with your mind? Physical stress is real (especially if you’re stuck at a desk all day) and cordyceps is one of the best mushrooms for fighting back.
By helping your body use oxygen more efficiently you feel more energized and ready to tackle that to-do list.
Less physical exhaustion = more energy to deal with mental stress.
Benefits of Mushroom Coffee: Inside & Out
Here’s what we know smart mushroom coffee can do for you:
- Balance your bodies natural stress response with adaptogens
- Reduce your overall caffeine intake
- Improve brain health with lion’s mane
- Sleep better at night by reducing caffeine-induced sleeplessness
- Fight inflammation with the addition of chaga mushrooms
The research into smart mushrooms is ongoing. The above references focus on the benefits of the individual mushrooms, not coffee blends.
How To Spot A Good Coffee Mushroom Blend
Thinking of buying some coffee mushrooms to try for yourself? Hold up, there’s a few things you should know.
Know what’s inside. Look for blends that clearly identify the mushrooms used in their mix. We recommend sticking to blends with reishi, lion’s mane, chaga, and cordyceps.
Opt for organic (always). The best brands source their mushrooms from organic farms and include zero fillers or additives. Bonus points for brands that utilize a dual extraction process to preserve the active compounds.
Know how much caffeine you’re consuming. Mushroom coffee isn’t caffeine free. Not by a long shot. However, the amount of caffeine in each batch can vary wildly depending on the blend. Make sure you know how much caffeine you’re getting before you buy.
There’s a lot of great options out there. Make sure you’re picking the best for you
Wrapping Things Up
If you’re dealing with daily stress and anxiety smart mushroom coffee can help. While it’s not a silver bullet by any means reducing your caffeine consumption while boosting your body’s natural ability to regulate stress hormones is a smart move.
To keep it simple here’s what you need to know:
- 49% of Americans experience serious daily stress
- Drinking coffee can actually increase your stress and anxiety over time
- Smart mushroom coffee helps your body regulate stress hormones naturally
- Reishi, lion’s mane, and cordyceps are the holy grail of stress-relieving mushrooms
- Not all mushroom coffee is created equal. Buy organic, additive-free blends that list the mushrooms used on packaging
Mushroom coffee isn’t going to solve all of life’s problems. But if you’re like most people who want to keep their morning coffee ritual alive and thriving, smart mushroom coffee might be the solution you’ve been looking for.
