Real mushroom coffee is popping up on store shelves and cafe menus as a supposedly healthy beverage. It is a mix of ground coffee and extracts of medicinal mushrooms such as lion’s mane, chaga, turkey tail and reishi. Fans claim it can help provide more energy, better sleep, reduced inflammation, improved memory and boosted immunity. Several of these claims have some scientific backing, but the extent to which they are boosted by mushroom coffee is still unclear.

Real Mushroom Coffee: Separating Fact from Fiction

While a mushroom coffee latte may offer some benefits, it also might have downsides depending on your medical history and caffeine tolerance. For example, some of these blends are high in oxalates, which can cause kidney stones if you consume too much. And a diet rich in these mushrooms can be hard on people with kidney or digestive issues, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Additionally, the oxalates and other ingredients in some of these products can be irritating to the stomach. And if you’re sensitive to mushrooms, you might be better off working them into your diet through other means, such as adding a serving of raw shiitakes or portobellos to your favorite salad or soup.

There’s not yet a lot of evidence that the medicinal compounds in these mushrooms are effective when added to a cup of hot water and then brewed into a latte, says Robinson. And the cost of these brews is often double what you’d pay for regular coffee, making them a less practical way to get a dose of these fungi.