Eleven-year-old me is absolutely cringing at the thought of whatever concoction includes mushrooms and coffee, but worry not — I have matured. Mushroom coffee is, apparently, not as odd (or gross) as it sounds. Luckily, I will thus continue my commitment to researching and investigating this TikTok wellness trend of the week.

What is mushroom coffee?

Similar looking to a standard cup of joe, mushroom coffee is simply a mix of coffee beans and dehydrated ground mushrooms. It’s available as instant, grounds and even as pods. The types of mushrooms used are those with purported medicinal benefits, including reishi, lion’s mane, chaga, cordyceps and turkey tail. That’s why the mushroom coffee marketing pitches put a superfood spin on the popular morning beverage: Drink this coffee to improve focus, boost immunity and positively impact memory and mood!

Does mushroom coffee have health benefits?

Medicinal mushrooms have a long history in traditional medicine. Mushrooms and mushroom extract contain potent antioxidants like phenolic compounds, vitamin C, vitamin E and carotenoids. It is unknown, though, whether these mushrooms truly have positive effects on health conditions including stress, influenza, chronic kidney disease or asthma. The Natural Medicines database shows insufficient reliable evidence available to rate most claims of effectiveness. Furthermore, research is most often carried out on mushrooms themselves, not the aforementioned coffee pod.

Mushroom coffee may contain slightly lower caffeine content compared with that in a standard cup of brew, but this doesn’t always appear to be true when comparing some products head-to-head. It’s also worth mentioning the cost difference. A single-serving pod of mushroom coffee tends to be at least double the price of coffee sans “shrooms.”

Is the nutrition the same as eating whole mushrooms?

No. Too often consumers rely on pricey supplements and extracts for nutrition as opposed to eating whole foods. If you love mushroom coffee and how it makes you feel, great! Don’t consider it a substitute for whole foods, though. Nutrients eaten together interact to create additive effects, a concept called food or nutrition synergy. Aim for a colorful plant-based diet including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, plant proteins and fats. And don’t fall for the “white foods are bad” narrative, as more than 15 white vegetables exist, obviously including mushrooms.

Dedicated as I am to my job, I gave a cup of mushroom coffee a try (11-year-old me would be shook). The taste? Like coffee, but milder. Which, in theory, should not have surprised me given that it’s simply a blend of coffee beans and mushroom extract … it’s the name I’m still having trouble with.