We’ve been percolating on writing this article for some time (see what I did there) and the door opened for me to walk right through. I’m going through a hormone overhaul and with that came the exodus of coffee. Coffee equals increased cortisol, which for my body was not helpful in my fertility journey. With a whole lot of kicking and screaming, I nixed caffeine and replaced it with an earthy alternative: mushroom coffee. Let’s dive into why fungus has made a comeback.
Although native Finnish chaga mushrooms were utilized as a substitute for coffee, a popular drink throughout the conflict, the history of mushroom coffee dates back to World conflict II. Four Sigmatic, one of the best-known mushroom coffee producers with Finnish founders, placed it back on the map in 2012, and ever then, Instagram has been flooded with photos of overflowing cups of fungus. Fortunately for us, it offers a wide range of psychological and physiological advantages (although, regrettably, hallucination is not one of them).
Wartime chaga and blends created by companies like Four Sigmatic and MudWtr that combine various mushroom extracts for a warm cup are clearly different. Here is an explanation of the medicinal mushrooms most often used in the alternative coffee.
Lion’s Mane for mental performance and neuro generation
Chaga for overall wellness, immunity, and modulating inflammation
Reishi for immune function, restful sleep, and overall relaxation
Cordyceps for athletic performance and an energy boost
Mushroom coffee can be made with or without coffee, and even without its caffeine counterpart, it can be used to support athletic performance, energy, and stamina. Many types of mushrooms support a rise in energy, but the star of this fungus show is Cordyceps, or the “Olympic mushroom.”
A famous story broke in 1993 as members of the Chinese women’s Olympic running team surpassed numerous world records at the Beijing national games. The women were accused of doping, and the team was tested for banned substances, and surprisingly, none were found. The athletes credited a cordyceps elixir for their above-average performance and incredible success! Cordyceps have been shown to boost ATP, adenosine triphosphate, the source of energy that keeps everything going in the body, and helps deliver oxygen to all areas of the body, reducing muscle fatigue, and supporting stamina.
