“I think people are always interested in the next big thing in nutrition — that one swap in your routine that will give you an edge,” Christy Brissette, RDN, the Chicago-based founder of 80 Twenty Nutrition, says of why drinks like these end up trending. It’s obvious that press from big names like Gwyneth Paltrow, who drank mushroom tea on her Netflix series The Goop Lab, as CNBC reports, helps, too. That said, mushrooms aren’t a new health food at all — they’ve long been known for their medicinal properties in Eastern medicine, Brissette says. Discover what’s in these mushroom drinks, and whether adding a cup of one to your healthy-beverage rotation is worthwhile.
What Is Mushroom Tea?
Mushroom tea is more of a supplement than a beverage, says Brissette. Typically, you’ll buy a powdered mushroom extract blended with a type of tea, such as green tea. You can also buy a mushroom-coffee blend if tea isn’t your thing — which is how Brissette usually drinks it, along with some unsweetened vanilla almond milk. In other words, making mushroom tea isn’t as simple as buying fresh mushrooms and dropping them into hot water. “The powders are different than mushrooms you find at the supermarket because they’re concentrated extracts as opposed to a fresh food,” says Mascha Davis, RDN, MPH, the Los Angeles–based founder of Nomadista Nutrition. The variety of mushrooms that brands typically combine with tea — like Chaga, lion’s mane, and reishi — are chosen for a reason: They’re considered adaptogens, as noted by the Chicago Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Adaptogens are herbs or foods that help your body adapt to stress, so there’s a lot of buzz around adaptogens and nutrition right now,” says Brissette. One review notes that adaptogens work by calming the central nervous system and moderating its response to cortisol, a stress hormone. They are thought to be especially helpful for external, environmental, and emotional types of stress. Although Brissette says that modern research on adaptogenic mushrooms is still in its infancy, there is medicinal history to draw from. “The mushrooms often used in tea have a tradition in Chinese medicine and have been used for all kinds of health problems all over the world,” she says.
4 Potential Health Benefits of Mushroom Tea
Fresh mushrooms are high in antioxidants and fiber, and when exposed to sunlight or UV radiation, are a good source of vitamin D, says Davis. Antioxidants play a role in preventing chronic disease, past research shows. For example, a study published in 2021 in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that eating mushrooms may lower a person’s odds of developing depression. Also, their fiber helps you stay full, while their vitamin D helps keep your bones and immune system strong, among other benefits, notes the National Institutes of Health. But when it comes to the mushrooms in tea, the interest is less in their fiber content and more in their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, says Davis, backing up past research. “The potential health benefits center around the phytochemicals in mushrooms and their potential disease-fighting properties,” Brissette adds, “which is why there’s so much research looking into mushrooms right now.” Here are four possible mushroom tea health benefits, based on some preliminary studies on similar forms of mushrooms.
1. Helps Fight Cancer
Although it sounds like an amazing claim (and if you don’t like mushrooms, it might make you want to start), the research published in 2016 in Heliyon that suggests mushroom extracts may have cancer-fighting potential involved laboratory and animal studies — not research done on humans. Thus, it’s way too early to draw conclusions; human trials still need to be conducted. “Much of the research on mushrooms has been done on animals and with isolated botanical compounds, so we don’t have a lot of high-quality, strong evidence of their effects on humans — yet,” says Davis. Case in point: “One review of the anticancer properties of reishi mushrooms did not find sufficient evidence to back that claim but did find that it has immune-boosting effects,” adds Davis, referring to a paper published in 2016 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Still, a review of research, published in 2021 in Advances in Nutrition did find that eating more mushrooms was associated with a lower risk of cancer, but it was not a study about mushroom tea specifically.
2. Aids Blood Sugar Control
You may see mushrooms like reishi and Chaga promoted for their ability to help with blood sugar control and liver health, says Davis. But again, the studies that show the link were primarily done on animals and in laboratory settings. For example, a study published in 2018 in the Journal of Functional Foods found that mushrooms may improve the gut bacteria of mice and help blood sugar regulation in the liver. More rigorous studies in humans — namely, randomized controlled trials — are needed to confirm the health effects and safety of medicinal mushroom products in people with diabetes, authors of a past review note.
3. Supports Athletic Performance
Looking for a way to power through your workout? Brissette points to a very small pilot study that found that people taking mushroom extracts were able to exercise more heavily than people who did not. However, the study only looked at only 20 people, and the subjects were taking three 333 milligram (mg) capsules of mushrooms per day (a total of almost 1,000 mg) — not the 100 mg you might get from coffee or tea. “This is a very high dose — so I wouldn’t expect to go to the gym and crush it because of mushroom coffee or tea,” says Brissette. Anecdotally, Brissette has gotten word of mushroom tea’s potential energy-boosting effects. “I’ve heard people say they get more energy from drinking mushroom coffee or tea,” says Brissette. But the effect might not be due to the mushrooms at all: It could be due to the caffeine in the supplement powder.
4. Improves Your Gut Microbiome
You often hear about the health benefits of probiotic-rich foods like kimchi and sauerkraut, but prebiotic foods are just as important for maintaining a thriving gut. So what are prebiotics? Prebiotics act like “fertilizer” in your gut, according to the Mayo Clinic, feeding the good bacteria (aka probiotics), so that they can flourish. Prebiotics are primarily found in fruits and vegetables — particularly those that contain complex carbohydrates (as mushrooms do), the Mayo Clinic adds. Specifically, mushrooms have chitin, hemicellulose, alpha- and beta-glucans, mannans, xylans, and galactans, which are all carbohydrates that act as prebiotics, according to a review published in 2017 in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Thus, consuming mushrooms as food supplements or teas may be very helpful to your gut microbiome as a means of enhancing the probiotics there. Another review published in 2020 in the International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms shows that the prebiotics in mushrooms can actually change the composition of your gut microbiome.
Health Risks of Mushroom Tea
It’s unclear whether drinking mushroom tea comes with any negative repercussions. “The side effects of mushrooms are just as uncertain as their benefits,” says Davis. That’s why, she says, it’s important to ask your doctor about any supplement you’re thinking about taking, especially if you are on medication. And there’s a good reason for that. “Chaga is high in oxalates, which, when taken in high doses, can reduce nutrient absorption,” says Davis. “Some mushrooms also have blood-thinning effects, so there could be interactions with medications,” she adds. According to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, certain mushrooms, like reishi, may also interfere with immunosuppressants or chemotherapy drugs. It is also important to note that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate supplements the same way it regulates conventional meds, making the conversation with your doctor all the more critical.
So, Is Mushroom Tea a Worthwhile Wellness Trend?
Before you cast aside mushroom tea, know this: “While many of these benefits are questionable and not fully backed by science, mushrooms are certainly a healthy addition to most diets,” says Davis. Brissette agrees. “If you’ve checked it out with your healthcare team and the drink helps you feel better, then it’s worth a try.” Because mushroom tea can be more expensive than conventional teas, Brissette says that the drink wouldn’t be her first recommendation. “If people are wondering whether to invest in mushroom tea or take another supplement, I would suggest a DHA and EPA supplement if you don’t eat fatty fish, and a probiotic if you don’t eat fermented foods,” she says. “Start with the basics before adding mushroom tea.” Bottom line: Discuss mushroom tea with your doctor, and if you get the sign-off, feel free to enjoy it. “I think for the majority of people there is no harm to it if you don’t drink excessive amounts,” says Davis. “So, if it makes you feel good, that’s great — just don’t expect it to be a quick fix to your health problems,” she says.
