By our reporter Deborah Brock
Mushroom drinks, powders and coffee are everywhere right now, you can’t turn on social media without seeing an advert about their miracle properties. So how good are they in reality? The drinks typically boast a blend of medicinal mushroom extracts and they’re said to have a wealth of health benefits to boot.
But, what’s behind the mushroom hype? And, with all the emerging research on mushrooms, can we really confirm any of the claims made about these trendy mushroom blends and their potential benefits?
Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners have been using medicinal mushrooms for their adaptogenic properties to combat stress and other health conditions for centuries. Mushroom coffee generally incorporates these medicinal mushrooms in crushed powder extract form, at a low-level dosage.
Healthline has a handy summary of the common varieties you might find on the label, including:
Mushroom coffee is also generally low in caffeine, with many blends containing less than half the amount found in a cup of regular coffee.
Mushroom coffee benefits
Now for the potential benefits. Mushroom powders are said to support our health and wellbeing in a variety of ways, and could:
- improve energy
- boost mood
- help withcognitive performance, memory and give an immunity boost
- help support food allergies
If we look at the science on mushroom powder blends specifically, the jury is still out. We need more studies to verify these health effects, and it’s worth speaking to your medical team if you’re interested in trying a mushroom blend, and are currently pregnant, breastfeeding or taking any prescribed meds.
One of the leaders is The Shruum Mushroom Powder
It’s a mushroom powder drink blend with coffee extract created by jrny.
There’s a lot of hype around replacing coffee with mushrooms but this seems to have something. Jrny founder Jamal was diagnosed with ADHD in 2023 and developed The Shruum blend after hearing about the latest research on functional mushrooms in supporting focus, calm and harnessing many of the positive natural abilities that individuals with ADHD have. The Shruum blend is said to be great for anyone wanting to improve their brain health and productivity – it should work if you’re undiagnosed or neurotypical, too.
What’s inside: Its vegan formula contains four dual-extract mushrooms, two ancient herbal medicines as well as coffee and extract in a cocoa powder base – and comes out at about £1.33 per serving. There’s a really transparent ingredients list on their website which is great to see.
You can drink it with water or milk (hot or cold) or add a serving to your usual coffee, smoothie or protein shake. It will give you a motivating buzz, without the coffee crash and doesn’t make you feel lethargic like your usual afternoon coffee does.
The Shruum can also sit better in your tummy and has a delicious, not-too-sweet coffee taste. And there’s a handy steel scoop spoon for measuring out the exact recommended servings
Have a look at jrny’s The Shruum bundles here – they’ve got a handy range of value subscription options that’ll get you free delivery, too.
So what are some of the other best fresh and powdered health drinks?
Cherry Juice
There’s the cherry juice for sleep trend with the ‘Sleepy Girl Mocktail’ which has taken the wellness side of TikTok by storm, promising a better night’s sleep through a concoction of carefully chosen ingredients.
The trending beverage boasts a surprisingly simple blend, including magnesium and soda water, with tart cherry juice as its base. The hype lies in its potential to enhance sleep quality. So what’s the science behind it?
Tart cherry juice key nutrients
Tart cherry juice is made from sour, Montmorency cherries, and is a good source of beneficial micronutrients including:
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Phosphorus
- Iron
- Zinc
- Vitamin A
Tart cherries contain anti-inflammatory, antioxidant compounds known as anthocyanins, which have helped link cherry juice to improved exercise recovery and performance, as well as to help treat gout!
It is worth noting that certain types of tart cherry juice contain substantial amounts of added sugars – so opting for unsweetened varieties is best to ensure you’re getting the best out of it, nutrition-wise.
Rosemary Oil for Hair Loss
The benefits of rosemary oil start with scalp health and can include:
- increased blood circulation
- hair follicle support
- supporting damaged hair and re-growth
- all of the ‘antis’ (inflammatory, fungal, bacterial and oxidant), helping with dandruff and comfort
- scalp hydration and relief from itchiness
- encouraging nerve growth
- a ‘blocker’ effect on the effects of DHT (a hormone which contributes to male pattern baldness)
With rosemary oil, we’re talking about the root of the problem, and scalp health. Things like healthy blood flow, fending off even slight infection and inflammation status are crucial for a healthy scalp, and hair growth.
Magnesium powder which many athletes swear by
What is it good for?
1. Stress, anxiety and/or depression
Magnesium is proven to have dynamic mood-improving effects, and may even enhance the effects of conventional antidepressant treatment. Take a look at ‘MegaMag Calmeze’ which features highly absorbable magnesium glycinate with amino acids theanine, taurine and glycine, all in a delicious fruit or chamomile-flavoured powder format.
2. Physical/muscular tension
Magnesium is crucial for proper muscle function – you’ll be used to seeing all sorts of products on the market designed to relieve tight or sore muscles post workout, often as a topical spray. But taken orally, magnesium can pack a dynamic punch.
We like the targeted combination of an impressive 240mg (per serving) magnesium glycinate and magnesium malate. These forms have high bioavailability and are well tolerated at higher doses. And when combined with superstar ingredients like malic acid and targeted B vitamins, it can support energy production too.
3. PMS & hormonal imbalance
PMS (premenstrual syndrome) hits as an array of symptoms for so many women. One of the most common is period pain – either as acute cramping or dull radiating aches (or combination of both). Magnesium gets to work on the smooth muscle of the uterus to reduce discomfort, as well as having an effect on the prostaglandins in the body, which cause pain.
