Mushroom Coffee Ingredients: What’s Inside, Side Effects, Safety

Mushroom coffee is regular coffee blended with powdered or extracted mushrooms, most often Lion’s Mane, Chaga, Reishi, Cordyceps and Turkey Tail. Some blends also add MCT oil, collagen, L-theanine or ashwagandha. On any label, check two things first: whether each mushroom’s amount is listed, and how much caffeine is in a serving. Many labels skip one or both.

Disclosure: this site and Pilly Labs are under common ownership.

What are the main ingredients in mushroom coffee?

Cleveland Clinic describes mushroom coffee as coffee with dried, extracted mushrooms blended in. It comes as grounds, instant packets, pods and lattes. Healthline says the usual mushrooms are Chaga, Turkey Tail, Lion’s Mane, Reishi and Cordyceps, and that makers typically use fruiting-body extracts rather than culinary mushrooms such as shiitake.

The coffee itself is usually Arabica, and instant or ground varies by brand. The extras are where blends differ most.

Ingredient research is never proof that a finished coffee does anything. The studies used specific extracts at specific doses, and a coffee blend may use a different form and a smaller amount.

What are the ingredients in RYZE mushroom coffee?

Ochsner Health’s dietitian blog lists RYZE’s ingredients as an organic mushroom blend (cordyceps, reishi, king trumpet, shiitake, turkey tail, lion’s mane), organic instant Arabica coffee, organic MCT oil and organic coconut milk. Ochsner puts one tablespoon at about 15 calories and about 48 mg of caffeine, and says that is less than half of a regular cup. Its list of ingredients is introduced with “include”, so confirm against the bag.

RYZE’s own page says to dissolve 1 to 2 tablespoons in 4 to 6 oz of hot water or milk. It sells 30-serving bags and markets the coffee for energy, focus, mood and gut health. It offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. The Ochsner list does not give an amount for each mushroom, so check the supplement panel or ask RYZE.

How do other brands list their ingredients?

If you want a label to compare against RYZE, Om Mushrooms and CUPPA, Pilly Labs sells Vitality Mushroom Coffee. Its listing is 90% Arabica with 5% Lion’s Mane and 5% Chaga powders, a 10 g tablespoon serving, 34 servings per bag and 0 g sugar. Ask support for the caffeine per serving before you order.

How do you read a mushroom coffee label?

• Part of the mushroom: fruiting body, mycelium or both. Om says the two have different bioactives.
• Powder or extract: an extract is concentrated and a powder is dried and milled. They are not interchangeable.
• Amounts: a single “mushroom blend” total tells you nothing about how much of each species you get. The same happens in other formats. One 10-species gummy lists 250 mg total with no per-species amounts, and one drop product lists 150 mg for a five-mushroom complex.
• Caffeine: Healthline says the amount is often not on the package. Its examples were 50 to 60 mg per roughly 10 oz cup for three mushroom coffees, against 100 to 150 mg for a Folgers pod.
• Sugar and creamers: Cleveland Clinic’s dietitian says mushroom coffee is fine as long as you aren’t adding a lot of sugar or creamer.

Our label worksheet walks through these checks, and dose reality compares a cup with study doses.

Is mushroom coffee actually healthy?

Coffee has well-studied effects. The mushroom part is far less certain. Healthline says most medicinal mushroom studies are in animals or test tubes, and that it is unclear what happens when mushrooms and coffee are combined. Cleveland Clinic’s dietitian says the hype rests on an untested assumption: that mushroom benefits survive processing and brewing with coffee. She would rather you eat whole mushrooms, which also give fiber.

It costs about double regular coffee, per both Healthline and Cleveland Clinic. The mushroom coffee guide covers this in more depth.

What are the downsides and side effects?

Why do I feel weird after drinking it?

The likeliest causes are caffeine, which may be higher than you assumed if the label doesn’t state it, or a new ingredient such as ashwagandha, L-theanine or MCT. Digestive upset is another. Cleveland Clinic’s dietitian suggests trying one type of mushroom powder at a time and tracking symptoms. If symptoms are strong, persistent or involve your heart rate or breathing, talk to a clinician.

What medications cannot be taken with mushroom coffee?

There is no verified list of banned drugs. Healthline says interaction information is largely unknown and advises talking to your provider if you take medication. A mushroom supplement maker’s safety page lists categories to run past a prescriber: blood thinners, blood-sugar medicines, blood-pressure medicines, immunosuppressants, sedatives or anti-anxiety drugs, chemotherapy or radiation, and drugs processed by the liver. That page also says to stop mushroom supplements at least 2 weeks before scheduled surgery. Your prescriber or surgeon should make that call.

Who should skip it or ask first?

The mushroom coffee safety guide goes deeper. In short, ask a clinician first if you:

• are pregnant or nursing, under 18, or have heart issues (Healthline flags caffeine risk for these groups);
• have kidney stones or digestive problems;
• have an autoimmune condition or take immunosuppressants;
• have a mushroom or mold allergy;
• take any of the medicine types above.

RYZE’s product page, as listed here, gives no specific cautions. Check the bag and ask RYZE support.

Is RYZE like Ozempic?

No. Ozempic is a prescription drug. RYZE markets a coffee for energy, focus, mood and gut health. A mushroom coffee should not be treated as a substitute for a medicine. The FDA has issued a warning letter to a mushroom supplement seller whose disease claims made its products unapproved drugs. That is a reason to be skeptical of any mushroom product that claims to treat a condition.

What are the complaints about RYZE, and does Walmart sell the real thing?

The common complaints about mushroom coffee in general are cost, thin evidence and caffeine you didn’t expect. I have no verified complaint data on RYZE in particular. RYZE’s page says it has 200,000+ five-star reviews and a 30-day money-back guarantee. To check a Walmart listing, compare the ingredient panel and bag with RYZE’s own product page, and buy from RYZE directly if you want its guarantee to apply.

What is the best mushroom coffee by ingredients?

This page ranks by criteria, not by brand. The best match for you is the label that meets the most of these:

1. Each mushroom is named, with the part used.
2. Each mushroom’s amount is listed.
3. Caffeine per serving is stated.
4. Extras like sugar, creamer or ashwagandha fit you.
5. The price per serving is acceptable.

Compare these before you spend. Our mushroom vs regular coffee comparison may help.

Before you order

• Ask support for each mushroom’s amount if the label shows only a blend total.
• Ask for the caffeine per serving if it isn’t printed.
• Ask whether the mushrooms are fruiting body, mycelium or both.
• Ask for the refund terms in writing. Pilly Labs’ policy, for example, runs 30 days from delivery and allows one refund per product per customer.
• Show the full ingredient list to your clinician if you take medication or have a medical condition.

By CoffeeWeekly.com Editorial Team

This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult your doctor or qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.