The Benefits Of Lion’s Mane And Chaga Mushroom Coffee Part 2

In a world where maximizing productivity often comes at the neglect of wellness, Lion’s Mane and Chaga mushroom coffee offers a holistic alternative to boost cognitive functionality and the immune system. 

It’s no secret Americans love coffee. About 62% of the entire population drinks coffee daily, with 79% of Americans brewing their coffee at home. For the average coffee enthusiast, the brew serves as a morning pick-me-up with just the right dose of caffeine to get them going. 

What if coffee served a higher purpose? What if this popular drink improved not only concentration, focus, and memory but also cognitive functionality and reduced stress and anxiety while also boosting immunity? Sure, that’s a lot of what-ifs, but let’s take a deep dive into the benefits of Lion’s Mane and Chaga mushroom coffee. 

What is Lion’s Mane and Chaga Mushroom Coffee?

Mushroom coffee is a blend of ground coffee beans and adaptogenic mushrooms. The key takeaway is that not just any type of mushroom can be used in coffee; adaptogenic mushrooms restore balance and help manage stress. The most common types of adaptogenic mushrooms are Chaga and Lion’s Mane varieties, although Reishi and Cordyceps can also be added to coffee.  

What is Lion’s Mane and Chaga Mushroom Coffee?

Mushroom coffee is a blend of ground coffee beans and adaptogenic mushrooms. The key takeaway is that not just any type of mushroom can be used in coffee; adaptogenic mushrooms restore balance and help manage stress. The most common types of adaptogenic mushrooms are Chaga and Lion’s Mane varieties, although Reishi and Cordyceps can also be added to coffee.  

Chaga mushrooms grow in the colder regions of the northern hemisphere, including the Northeastern United States, Canada, Russia, and Northern Europe. Chaga mushroom consumption in herbal teas was common in most of these regions for hundreds of years. 

The modern mushroom coffee culture is said to have originated in Finland at the height of World War 2 when the supply of coffee beans was limited. To remedy the coffee shortage, the Finnish people used Chaga mushroom, which was locally available, and its strong earthy flavor resembles that of dark roast coffee.

How is Lion’s Mane and Chaga Mushroom Coffee made?

At the heart of mushroom coffee is a blend of ground coffee and mushroom extracts such as Chaga and Lion’s Mane. While the process may vary slightly depending on the manufacturer, the general steps in making mushroom coffee involve mixing ground coffee and dehydrated mushroom powder in a 1:1 ratio.  You can follow to prepare Lion’s Mane and Chaga mushroom coffee at home as follows:

1. Gathering ingredients: you will need to get ground coffee beans or instant coffee, ground Chaga and Lion’s Mane mushrooms powder, water, and optional flavorings such as sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and cream.
2. Add the ground coffee and mushroom powder to a coffee filter in a coffee maker.
3. Pour hot water over the mushroom powder and coffee grounds and allow the coffee to brew for up to 5 minutes; this allows the adaptogens to extract into the brew. 

A quick tip- you can customize the Lion’s Mane and Chaga mushroom coffee recipe to fit your flavoring needs without compromising on the quality of the final brew. Here are a few recipes that you can try out:

Lion’s Mane and Chaga mushroom coffee latte recipe

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon lion’s mane and chaga mushroom powder
• Half a cup of strong, freshly brewed coffee or 1 shot of espresso
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• A pinch of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cacao powder (optional)
• Half cup milk (dairy or dairy-free almond, coconut, or cashew)
• 1 pinch of ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Mix the mushroom powder, maple syrup, cinnamon, sea salt, and cacao powder in a blender.
2. Heat the milk and coffee until hot and add to the blender.
3. Blend until well-blended and frothy.
4. Adjust the flavors as needed by adding more espresso for a strong coffee flavor, more sweetener or cinnamon for warmth, and diluting the earthy taste.
5. Serve with coconut whipped cream topping or as is. 

Lion’s Mane and Chaga mushroom iced mocha

Ingredients

• 2 cups cold coffee (caffeinated or decaf)
• 1 teaspoon Chaga and Lion’s Mane mushroom extract
• ½ cup milk (plant-based or whole milk)
• 2 tablespoons cacao powder
• Ice cubes
• Sugar or other optional sweeteners

Directions

1. Mix the Chaga and Lion’s Mane mushroom powder with a small amount of boiled water to dissolve it and cool it with some ice.
2. Add the cold coffee, mushroom extract, cacao powder, and sweetener into a blender and blend for at least one minute on a high setting. You can also use a drink shaker.
3. Add ice into your glass and pour the blended iced mushroom mocha. You can top it off with vanilla ice cream if the flavor is still too strong for your liking.

Spiced Chaga and Lion’s Mane mushroom coffee

Ingredients

• 2 cups cold brew coffee
• ½ cup coconut cream, dairy whole milk, or almond milk
• 2 teaspoons Lion’s Mane and Chaga mushroom powder
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons cashew or almond butter
• 1 scoop of whey protein powder
• 3 to 4 drops of vanilla stevia
• 1 to 2 handfuls of coconut and cashew shreds

Directions

1. Mix the Lion’s Mane and Chaga mushroom powder with a small amount of hot water and let it settle.
2. Add all the ingredients into a blender and blend on a high setting until desired consistency is achieved.

Benefits of Lion’s Mane and Chaga Mushroom Coffee

Fighting inflammation

While inflammation is the immune system’s natural response to infection or bodily injury, it can become chronic when left unchecked. Long-term inflammation usually leads to the overproduction of inflammatory products, such as free radicals, often leading to oxidative stress. 

Oxidative stress is responsible for a wide range of degenerative conditions, such as speeding up the body's aging process and increasing the chances of early-onset cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, neurological disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. 

Now how does Lion’s Mane and Chaga mushroom coffee fight acute inflammation? These three primary ingredients contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds that reduce oxidative stress by eliminating free radicals. While coffee, Chaga, and Lion’s Mane have varying amounts of antioxidants combined, they provide a robust and natural remedy to lower inflammatory markers.

Protecting against ulcers

 Digestive tract ulcers are mainly caused by the overgrowth of H. pylori bacteria or damage to the mucous layer due to overuse of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). A recent study found that you can prevent alcohol-induced stomach ulcers using Lion’s Mane mushrooms, as they contain compounds that can prevent the growth of H. pylori. Lion’s Mane also prevents tissue damage to the intestinal areas and reduces inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. 

Chaga mushrooms contain substances that prevent Helicobacter pylori cells from growing by interfering with cell communication, which is essential in preventing stomach ulcers. It’s important to note that while Lion’s Mane and Chaga can prevent the overgrowth of H. pylori bacteria, any existing damage to the mucous layer of the digestive tract may take time to heal, so you should consult your doctor if you are already on acid-lowering drugs or NSAIDs. 

Relieving mild symptoms of anxiety and depression

It’s estimated that more than a third of the population in developed countries regularly experiences mild symptoms of depression and anxiety. While there’s a wide range of pharmaceutical treatments for these conditions, Lion’s mane mushrooms have anti-inflammatory effects, which reduce depression and anxiety. Chaga mushrooms contain betulinic acid and ergosterol peroxide, reducing acute inflammation strongly associated with depression and anxiety. 

While research is ongoing, recent findings have shown that Lion’s Mane mushrooms contain polyphenols that can stimulate the regeneration of brain cells in the hippocampus region responsible for processing emotional responses and memories. These improvements lead to a reduction in depressive and anxious behaviors. 

Reducing the risk of heart disease

Heart disease cannot be cured or reversed; this leading cause of death in the United States comes from a wide range of cardiovascular problems ranging from congenital heart defects to arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy. 

Lion’s Mane and Chaga mushrooms contain antioxidants critical in lowering heart disease risk factors. Research shows that Lion’s Mane mushrooms can improve fat metabolism and lower triglyceride levels. Chaga mushrooms also contain compounds that reduce bad low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol, forming plaque in the arteries. 

Researchers also found that Chaga mushroom extracts help balance the total cholesterol levels by increasing good high-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol. Lion’s Mane mushroom extract can prevent the oxidation of LDL in the bloodstream, thus reducing the chance of developing hardened arteries, which can significantly increase the risk of heart attacks. Lion’s Mane mushrooms are also rich in Hericenone B, reducing blood clotting and lowering the risk of stroke. 

Managing diabetic symptoms

Diabetes metabolic disease causes high blood sugar, which occurs when your body cannot effectively make or use insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. Chronic high blood sugar levels end up triggering other health complications such as vision loss, nerve damage, and kidney disease. 

There’s no cure for diabetes. Treatment often focuses on managing blood sugar levels. Ongoing research on the effects of Lion’s Mane and Chaga mushrooms on diabetes has shown that they can help manage diabetes symptoms. Lion’s Mane contains compounds that block the activity of alpha-glucosidase enzymes in the small intestine leading to lower blood sugar levels. 

Chaga mushrooms contain compounds that improve glucose tolerance and antioxidants that promote the repair of damaged nerves which is common in chronic diabetes. If you are already on insulin treatment, consult your doctor before taking Chaga and Lion’s Mane mushroom coffee.

Fighting cancer

Globally, cancer is responsible for 1 out of every 6 deaths as of 2020. Cancer occurs when genetic mutations in a cell’s DNA cause it to divide rapidly and uncontrollably. While there are many types of cancers, and their causes are endless, treatment success is often dependent on early detection. 

A recent study found that Lion’s Mane mushrooms contain bioactive compounds and antioxidants that can cause cancer cells to die faster and slow the spread of cancer. While clinical tests on the efficacy of mushroom extracts instead of traditional cancer medications are still ongoing, they can serve as a preventative measure. 

The high levels of triterpene antioxidants in Chaga mushrooms can kill cancer cells and reduce tumor size. The antioxidants also play a critical role in eliminating free radicals, thus protecting cells from genetic damage, which can trigger cancer growth. These anticancer effects are ongoing with the hopes that in the near future, cancer treatment shall include some of these natural remedies with less devastating side effects. 

Boosting the immune system

The immune system constantly fights off viruses, bacteria, and an endless bombardment of disease-causing pathogens. To avoid developing infectious diseases, you must take proactive steps to boost your immune system, such as increasing the amount of antioxidants you consume from various sources.

Chaga and Lion’s Mane mushrooms are rich in antioxidants that can boost your natural immunity, and they also contain compounds that bring beneficial changes in the gut microbiota. By reducing long-term inflammation, the antioxidants in Chaga mushrooms play a significant role in boosting the immune system.

Lion’s Mane mushrooms positively impact the intestinal immune system, which protects the body from pathogens that can enter the gut via the mouth or nose. Polyphenols in Lion’s Mane mushrooms eliminate free radicals that might have otherwise damaged healthy immune cells. 

Conclusion

Lion’s Mane and Chaga mushroom coffee offers a healthier alternative to traditional coffee for individuals with caffeine sensitivity. The antioxidants in the mushroom extracts play a significant role in eliminating free radicals and boosting overall health. The research on the potential health benefits of Lion’s Mane and Chaga coffee is ongoing. As with any health-focused product, you should consult your doctor before consuming it, especially if you have any preexisting health conditions.

By Susan Grey
Written June 2023