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Last Updated: December 15, 2022

We’ve updated this article to include new testing for Laird Superfoods, MUD\WTR, Clevr, and Om. None of them unseated Four Sigmatic as the best mushroom coffee—but Laird came pretty close.

Caffeinated fungus is having a moment. Medicinal mushrooms like lion’s mane and chaga have a long history of health-related use, but more recently, they’ve taken up residence in western culture—in tablets, in powders, and in many, many podcast ads.

You can consume mushrooms in almost any form, but one of the most popular options is mushroom coffee. This is an alternative to traditional coffee that’s usually (but not always) made with 50% traditional coffee beans and 50% dried mushrooms. Devotees claim the mixture provides sustainable, non-jumpy energy—but is mushroom coffee actually healthy? What does mushroom coffee taste like? And which kind of mushroom coffee is the best? To find out, we brewed up a tried a bunch of caffeinated fungus ourselves, from mushroom coffee brands including Four Sigmatic, Ryze, MUD\WTR, Sun Alchemy, La Republica, and Laird. We also talked with dietitians and had them review our findings to make sure they’re legit.

Here’s the TL;DR on the best mushroom coffee:

  1. Four Sigmatic Instant Coffee with Lion’s Mane (Best Instant Mix)
  2. Laird Superfoods Organic Peruvian Mushroom Coffee (Best True Coffee Replacement)
  3. MUD\WTR
  4. La Republica Organic Mushroom Coffee
  5. Sun Alchemy Mushroom Coffee
  6. Clevr Coffee Superlatte
  7. Om Mushroom Coffee Latte Blend
  8. Ryze Mushroom Coffee
  9. Organic Rasa Herbal Coffee Alternative

The Best Mushroom Coffee

Best Instant Coffee

Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee: Instant Coffee with Lion’s Mane

  • Conains lion’s mane, chaga, and rhodiola
  • Half the caffeine as a regular cup of coffee
  • Comes with 10 single-serve packets
$43 or $35.99 per month for 3 packs at Four Sigmatic Check price on Amazon

The Evidence Test Score: Healthy

Ness believes this service and/or product has a health benefit.

Read more about we use The Evidence Test.

Product Image 2023
Pros
  • Delicious taste
  • Easy to brew
  • Variety of options available
Cons
  • Doesn’t contain as many mushrooms as some

After several rounds of taste testing, Four Sigmatic’s Instant Mushroom Coffee with Lion’s Mane was the tastiest and the easiest to brew in the bunch. You can order Four Sigmatic’s mushroom coffee in a variety of options, picking from various medicinal mushrooms and brew styles, but this instant variation is its most popular offering.

It’s real coffee with mushroom extracts that, according to the brand, maintain the benefits of functional mushrooms (i.e. all the medicinal mushrooms we mention, like lion’s mane and chaga)! It includes 250 milligrams of lion’s mane, 250 milligrams of chaga, and an unspecified amount of rhodiola icon-trusted-source NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health “Rhodiola” View Source (a flowering plant that grows at high altitudes in Europe and Asia and is used as a supplement that may reduce stress and fatigue. Side effects are rare but may include dizziness or a dry mouth, and more study is needed to confirm its efficacy. Though this blend features fewer mushrooms overall than some other coffees, it’s one of the only ones we tried that discloses exactly how much of each mushroom you get in each serving.

Four Sigmatic’s instant mushroom coffee includes 10 single-serve packets, which can be stirred into a cup of hot water. The grounds dissolve instantly and can be drunk alone or paired with milk and sugar. The Lion’s Mane instant coffee that we tested had the best taste of all the javas we tried, with a fruity, nutty profile. Seasoned coffee drinkers can expect it to be slightly less full-bodied than a cup of French press coffee, but it’s nonetheless appealing for something that comes from a sachet.

Each packet contains 50 milligrams of caffeine, or about half the amount of a regular cup of coffee. All testers usually drink one to three cups of coffee per day, so no one felt much of a boost from the mushroom coffee. That said, no one felt too sleepy or any effects of caffeine withdrawal. It also didn’t make anyone feel jittery, nor did it make anyone feel particularly calm—instead, it mainly functioned as a way to maintain stasis.

During a tasting panel, multiple testers chose Four Sigmatic’s coffee as their favorite in the bunch, and online reviewers had the same opinion. As one reviewer put it: “It’s W A Y better than whatever that instant Starbucks stuff is. Buy it because it tastes good… but don’t buy it because it’s going to take you from failed startup to unicorn.”

Note: Other Four Sigmatic coffee products, including its ground and whole beans, carry the Fair Trade seal icon-trusted-source Fair Trade Certified “What does fair trade certification mean?” View Source . Its instant coffee, however, does not. If that label is important to you, it’s best to skip the instant brew.

Four Sigmatic used to have a Proposition 65 warning label on all its products in accordance with California law. The label stated, “Consuming this product could expose you to chemicals including lead which is known to the state of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.” However, Four Sigmatic products are no longer required to apply the Proposition 65 label due to the brand’s testing methods.

Psst:

Ness Cardmembers can get Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee with reward points.1

Best True Coffee Replacement

Laird Superfoods Organic Peruvian Mushroom Coffee: Medium Roast

  • Contains chaga, lion’s mane, and cordyceps
  • Similar amount of caffeine as a regular cup of coffee
  • Ground coffee mixed with medicinal mushrooms
Check price on Amazon $17.95 at Laird Superfood

The Evidence Test Score: Unknown

Ness believes it is unclear if this service and/or product has a health benefit.

Read more about we use The Evidence Test.

laird superfoods organic mushroom coffee
Pros
  • Tastes incredible
  • Feels most like a “real” cup of coffee
Cons
  • Unclear ingredient amounts

This ground mushroom coffee option tastes exactly like a “normal” cup of coffee, making it our favorite option, taste-wise. It’s chocolate-y, rich, and not too bitter. We brewed the grounds in a French press, although you can use a drip coffee machine as well. Laird Superfoods recommends a ratio of 1 T of coffee to 8 ounces of water, no matter your brew method. The brand doesn’t share the caffeine content of its coffee, but says that the mixture includes chaga, lion’s mane, and cordyceps mushrooms in addition to organic Peruvian coffee beans.

The only downside to this option is that, like some other brands, it doesn’t specify exactly how much of each mushroom you get. It also feels like it has a lot of caffeine, even if the exact amount isn’t specified—we felt a coffee-like buzz after one cup. We’d guess that this option has as much (or more) caffeine in it as a typical cup of coffee. So if you’re looking to lower caffeine intake and avoid jitters, Laird Superfoods won’t work well for you. If you just want to add some mushrooms to a regular brew, it’s a good option.

Because we can’t nail down the mushroom or caffeine content of this coffee blend, we have to give it an “unknown” health score. All the same, we think this review puts it well: “Very happy with the taste of this coffee. Easy on the stomach and smooth… Not sure if the mushrooms do anything but they can’t hurt I guess.”

Other Great Mushroom Coffee

MUD\WTR

  • Contains lion’s mane, chaga, reishi, and cordyceps
  • Much less caffeine than a regular cup of coffee
  • Comes in a jar with about 30 servings
$50 or $40 per month at MUD\WTR

The Evidence Test Score: Healthy

Ness believes this service and/or product has a health benefit.

Read more about we use The Evidence Test.

mud\wtr
Pros
  • Good taste (with added cream and sugar)
  • Low caffeine
  • Easy to make
Cons
  • Bitter taste without additions

If you spend any time on social media, you’ve probably seen ads for MUD\WTR. It’s a coffee alternative that contains masala chai, cacao and a variety of mushrooms, including lion’s mane, chaga, reishi, and cordyceps (all .56g per serving). We tried the “morning ritual starter kit,” which comes with the mushroom coffee, plant-based creamer and sugar, and a rechargeable frother. The taste is heavy on the chai and cinnamon, and we got a hint of the cacao as well. Overall, it’s a fairly earthy mushroom coffee—and it’s quite bitter without cream and sugar. Even for black coffee drinkers, the bitter taste is overpowering. But when we mixed the included coconut sugar into MUD\WTR, we found that we enjoyed the taste much more. Still, we liked Four Sigmatic’s options better when it comes to taste.

One serving of MUD\WTR (1 tablespoon of powder stirred into 12 ounces of water) contains “1/7th” the caffeine content of a normal cup of coffee, according to the brand. (That’s about 30 grams total.) We didn’t feel any extra element of energy or focus, but the warm liquid serves as a nice replacement for the morning ritual of traditional coffee if you’re trying to avoid jitters.

La Republica Organic Mushroom Coffee

  • Contains chaga, lion’s mane, cordyceps, shiitake, maitake, reishi, and turkey tail
  • Almost as much caffeine as a regular cup of coffee
  • Comes in jar with about 30 servings
$19.99 or $17.59 per month at La Republica Check price on Amazon

The Evidence Test Score: Healthy

Ness believes this service and/or product has a health benefit.

Read more about we use The Evidence Test.

Product Image
Pros
  • Higher quantities of mushrooms
  • Caffeine content produces more of a buzz than other brands
Cons
  • Watery flavor

Compared to our top pick, La Republica’s instant mushroom coffee’s taste is slightly inferior. One tester described its flavor profile as “100% camping coffee.” The coffee comes in a plastic screw-top container that contains about 30 one-teaspoon servings, which dissolve into a cup of hot water. 

The coffee is a 50-50 mix of traditional ground coffee beans and its mushroom blend, which consists of chaga, lion’s mane, cordyceps, shiitake icon-trusted-source Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center “Shiitake Mushroom” View Source (which may support immune health), maitake icon-trusted-source Journal of Medicinal Food “Genes Related to Suppression of Malignant Phenotype Induced by Maitake D-Fraction in Breast Cancer Cells ” View Source (which may prevent the growth of breast cancer cells), reishi, and turkey tail. Each serving contains “approximately” 80 milligrams of each mushroom, according to La Republica, and 70 to 90 milligrams of caffeine (the exact amount depends on when the beans are harvested, according to the brand).

Despite La Republica’s higher caffeine content, it has a watered-down taste and doesn’t provide the same satisfying, fresh-brewed flavor and aroma of a standard cup of coffee. That said, it’s potent enough to provide more of a buzz than other brands. We also liked that the brand’s products are certified Fair Trade.

Sun Alchemy Mushroom Coffee

  • Contains lion’s mane, cordyceps, chaga, and reishi
  • About the equivalent amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee
  • Contains 12 single-serve packets
$12.99 or $10.39 per month at Terrasoul Check price on Amazon

The Evidence Test Score: Healthy-ish

Ness believes this service and/or product can provide a health benefit for certain individuals based on their individual circumstances.

Read more about we use The Evidence Test.

Product Image
Pros
  • Powdered coconut milk provides creamy taste
Cons
  • Becomes sludge-like when cooled
  • Doesn’t provide much energy, despite high caffeine content

Those who crave a rich, flavorful cup will want to try the Sun Alchemy instant mushroom coffee option, which has the largest grounds-to-water ratio of one .19 ounce packet of grounds to a cup of water. It contains a blend of lion’s mane, cordyceps, chaga, and reishi mushrooms that adds up to 1000 milligrams total of all mushrooms; however, the brand does not specify how much of each mushroom you get. It also has 110 milligrams of caffeine—about the equivalent of a regular cup of coffee. The blend also tastes rich, chocolate-y, and creamy due to the addition of powdered coconut milk. Basically, if you want coffee with cream (but without having to put in the cream yourself), this is the coffee for you.

That said, we didn’t notice the effects of caffeine—despite its higher quantity compared to other brands—and the coffee became sludge-like when it cooled down a bit. The box also contains a proposition 65 warning label. (See below for more information on that warning.)

Is Mushroom Coffee Actually Healthy?

On the kitchen counter: all the reviewed mushroom coffee products (Ryze, Rasa, Four Sigmatic, La Republica, Sun Alchemy) and colored mugs (yellow, pistachio, red, teal, pink) full of coffee.
Brock DuPont for Ness

Is Mushroom Coffee Good For You?

Based on our research and review, we’ve reached the conclusion that mushroom coffee can be considered healthy for most people, especially people who already drink coffee. This is based on the potential benefits, including possible increased immune health, present in most mushroom coffee varieties. We looked at a lot of studies on mushrooms and mushroom coffee for this article, and many show promising evidence of potential benefits. However, because most of the studies were done on mice, not humans, we can’t say for sure what you can expect to see if you start drinking it.

That said, anyone interested in mushroom coffee should consider a few things. As with all supplements, the mushroom coffee brand must be transparent about the ingredients it uses, and exactly how much it contains. If it says it contains, say, chaga—a mushroom with many benefits that we’ll get into in the next section—we can’t be sure what it does if it doesn’t contain enough chaga to do much, or doesn’t say how much it contains.

Does Mushroom Coffee Have Caffeine?

Swapping regular coffee for mushroom coffee is not an automatic way to eliminate caffeine from your diet. Almost all brands contain some caffeine (usually about half the amount of a standard cup) in addition to the mushroom additives, which means it’s not always the best option for people who want or need to avoid caffeine. It is, however, a good way for regular coffee drinkers to get some of the potential benefits of mushrooms to their morning cup, or to taper down caffeine consumption if they’re looking to reduce by going for a lower-caf option.

We weren’t able to find any evidence that it provides a more sustainable buzz than a regular cup of java, as many brands claim. One review cites potential antifatigue function icon-trusted-source BioMed Research International “Antifatigue Functions and Mechanisms of Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms ” View Source in medicinal mushrooms, but more study on mushroom coffee is needed for conclusive evidence. (Anecdotally, our testers also didn’t think the brew did much, energy-wise, that a cold brew can’t.) 

Science is divided on where to put caffeine on the health spectrum, but some evidence shows that, when consumed in reasonable amounts (that is, no more than 400 milligrams a day icon-trusted-source USDA ““Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025”” View Source , or about four cups of coffee) it can help lower the risk of heart failure icon-trusted-source American Heart Association Journals “Association Between Coffee Intake and Incident Heart Failure Risk” View Source and colorectal cancer icon-trusted-source Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention “Coffee Consumption and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer” View Source . Caffeine also has negative side effects icon-trusted-source Food and Drug Administration “How Much Caffeine is Too Much?” View Source , especially when consumed in excess, including restlessness, insomnia, headaches, dehydration, gastrointestinal distress, and anxiety. In all cases, caffeine’s health benefits (or lack thereof) depend in large part upon one’s own tolerance. Some people respond well to caffeine, which means it can be healthy in moderation, and some people do not respond well, which means it should not be considered healthy.

Mushroom coffee is not a magical elixir. But it is a healthful beverage that may provide benefits to people who drink it consistently over a prolonged period. As a bonus? With the right brand, it’s usually quite tasty. 

What is Mushroom Coffee?

On the kitchen counter: a bird's eye view of the colored coffee mugs full of coffee arranged in a circle. A hand reaches the red mug from the left.
Brock DuPont for Ness

Mushroom coffee is often marketed as an alternative to traditional coffee; a way to get energy without as much caffeine (or jitters). It’s also positioned as a vehicle for the purported mental and physical benefits of mushrooms. 

Every mushroom coffee brand is made differently, but all the ones we tested use a mix of mushrooms with a history of medicinal use and some studies to back up their benefits. These coffees often include chaga icon-trusted-source Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center “Chaga Mushroom” View Source (which has potential anti-inflammatory benefits), turkey tail icon-trusted-source Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center “Coriolus Versicolor” View Source which contains antioxidants icon-trusted-source BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies “The mycelium of the Trametes versicolor (Turkey tail) mushroom and its fermented substrate each show potent and complementary immune activating properties in vitro ” View Source and prebiotics icon-trusted-source Gut Microbes “Effects of polysaccharopeptide from Trametes versicolor and amoxicillin on the gut microbiome of healthy volunteers: a randomized clinical trial ” View Source ; prebiotics may be associated with improved gut function, lion’s mane icon-trusted-source Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine “Neuronal Health—Can Culinary and Medicinal Mushrooms Help?” View Source (which may help regenerate damaged nerves), reishi icon-trusted-source Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center “Reishi Mushroom” View Source (which may have anticancer properties icon-trusted-source JBUON “Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi Mushroom) and cancer” View Source ), and cordyceps icon-trusted-source Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center “Cordyceps” View Source (which may improve kidney function). 

Traditionally, medicinal mushrooms were used in Chinese medicine icon-trusted-source Integrative Medicine “Medicinal Mushrooms: Ancient Remedies Meet Modern Science ” View Source , as well as in Japan, to heal ailments that were related to inflammation and even for cauterizing wounds. There is evidence of them being used in ancient Greek culture, as well as by the first peoples of North America and in ancient Aztec traditions. Nearly every ancient culture relied on plant medicine for healing.

Most mushroom coffee brands produce their brew with the mushroom’s fruiting bodies. This is the uppermost visible part that produces and releases spores, rather than the mycelium, the branching, root-like part of the fungus. These are dehydrated, then powdered and mixed into traditional ground coffee.

The fruiting body is thought to contain more nutrients than the mycelium, as most studies of medicinal mushrooms focus on the fruiting bodies. However, one study icon-trusted-source Nature “Medicinal potential of mycelium and fruiting bodies of an arboreal mushroom Fomitopsis officinalis in therapy of lifestyle diseases” View Source that evaluated both the fruiting body and mycelium of a type of medicinal mushroom found that the mycelium sometimes contained more nutrients than the fruiting body. The turkey tail study cited previously also studied the mushroom’s mycelium.

You can buy mushroom coffee in pod form, as grounds, whole beans, or in packets for an instant brew.

What Should You Expect When Drinking Mushroom Coffee?

A man in a color-blocked button down prepares Four Sigmatic mushroom coffee at the kitchen counter. On the kitchen counter: a black kettle, an open box of Four Sigmatic Instant Coffee Mix, a yellow mug, and a clear glass pitcher with some brown powder in it.
Brock DuPont for Ness

Mushroom coffee made with medicinal mushrooms “may be a novel functional coffee,” according to a study that treated green coffee beans with mushroom extracts icon-trusted-source Preventative Nutrition and Food Science “Functional Cordyceps Coffee Containing Cordycepin and β-Glucan” View Source . The study found that the coffee maintained its flavor while providing the immune benefits of the mushrooms. However, not all mushroom coffee brands use green coffee beans, so this could be a factor in the final nutrient profile of the drinks.

Some undesired side effects may accompany medicinal mushroom consumption, from nausea to dry mouth to headaches. Make sure to consult your doctor before going all in on ‘shrooms and not to go overboard if you decide to start drinking it, especially if you’re taking a medication and you don’t want anything to interfere with it. There’s no recommended daily limit of medicinal mushrooms, but most mushroom-related products will contain suggested serving sizes on their labels, depending on how the mushrooms were processed (ie. extract, powder, or pure mushroom form). You cannot overdose on most medicinal mushrooms, but consuming them in large amounts very quickly can lead to vomiting.

If you’re pregnant, consult with your doctor before implementing mushroom coffee into your diet. You may consume up to 200 milligrams of caffeine a day while pregnant icon-trusted-source American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology “How much coffee can I drink while I'm pregnant?” View Source , according to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, but more study is needed to determine the effects of mushroom coffee on pregnant people.

How We Found the Best Mushroom Coffee

On the kitchen counter: Rasa Organic Herbal Coffee Alternative, a teal mug, a clear glass pitcher with coffee in it. In the background: cacti.
Brock DuPont for Ness

Meet Your Guinea Pig

I’m Jenni Gritters, a journalist with 10 years of experience covering science, health, and psychology. I’ve written product reviews for publications like Reviewed, Wirecutter, and Slate, and you can find my writing in the New York Times and the Guardian. I was previously an editor at Wirecutter where I covered parenting gear, outdoor gear, and travel apparel as a writer and editor. I drink a cup of coffee every morning but am generally sensitive to caffeine consumption. 

Nutrition consultants Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN and author of Read It Before You Eat It—Taking You From Label to Table, and Krista Linares, RDN, also weighed into this guide by providing guidance on the purported nutritional benefits of mushroom coffee. 

Our Testing Process

We spent 10 hours researching mushroom coffee by reading dozens of reviews, digging through 10+ journal articles and investigating any news surrounding the product category. Then we sat down with Bonnie Taub-Dix, a registered dietitian, to learn about the actual health merits of consuming mushroom coffee. Once we’d done this, we built a list of 20 popular mushroom coffees and picked the top contenders for testing. Once the products arrived, we spent several hours brewing and sipping on coffee, then another hour conducting a blind taste-test.

After the taste test, we also looked into the nutritional content and sustainability practices of each brand, and researched potential health warnings. Our testing panel included three adults, one of which was the author. The author drinks a cup of coffee daily, while the other testers drink two to three.

If you’re interested in seeing exactly how we tested and found the best mushroom coffee, you can review our testing notes here.

On the kitchen counter: all the reviewed mushroom coffee products (Four Sigmatic, Ryze, La Republica, Rasa, Sun Alchemy) and colored mugs (yellow, pistachio, red, teal, pink) full of coffee. Same arrangement as the first image, but  a slightly higher angle, so that the coffee in the cups are more visible.
Brock DuPont for Ness

Who Should Buy Mushroom Coffee?

Anyone interested in the benefits of medicinal mushrooms, as well as those who cannot consume fully-caffeinated coffee could benefit from trying mushroom coffee. That said, the cup may not deliver the smooth-caffeine high the brand promises.

“Your mug may be lower in caffeine than pure coffee, but if you are a child or you’re pregnant or sensitive to caffeine, mushroom coffee can have a negative impact on your health,” Taub-Dix says, “just as regular caffeinated coffee would. For some people, caffeine causes jitters or stomach upset—so you have to adjust the amount you drink accordingly. Just like coffee, mushroom coffee is not for everyone.”

Which Features Matter Most When Buying Mushroom Coffee?

When you’re buying mushroom coffee, you should consider:

  • Caffeine percentage: Most of the top mushroom coffee brands are 50-50 mushrooms and coffee, but the caffeine content differs between brands. Our top pick, Four Sigmatic, contains 50 milligrams (or half the amount of a standard cup), but other brands like Sun Alchemy contain up to 110 milligrams of caffeine. You can choose options with no caffeine as well, based on your personal needs and preferences.
  • Mushroom combo: Check the mushroom types to get a sense for benefits. Research is limited, but some, like cordyceps may have anti-fatigue, others, like turkey tail, may benefit gut function and digestion. Know what you plan to do that day and choose your blend accordingly. If you can, choose a brand that specifies the amount of each mushroom you’ll get per serving.
  • Brew style: We tested instant coffee for this review. But you can also try French press grounds, traditional coffee maker grounds, and pods.
  • Taste: Some mushroom coffees taste earthy or bitter, while others taste more like traditional coffee. You can often choose between light and dark roasts.
  • Nutritional value: Some research suggests that there are healing properties to mushrooms. Depending on the mushroom type, you may see added nutritional benefits
  • Sustainability: Did the company come by its beans and mushrooms in an ethical way? Are the beans and mushrooms being processed sustainably? This is where checking for a Fair Trade label could be helpful.

Health notes: Several of the mushroom coffee brands that we reviewed here contain proposition 65 icon-trusted-source Proposition 65 “Lead and Lead Compounds” View Source warnings for potential lead exposure that could lead to cancer. However, the proposition 65 threshold for lead is extremely low—even low risks must be reported, per California law. For most of the products reviewed in this guide, the risk of lead exposure is 1/100,000. Still, certain populations, like pregnant people, should be aware of these kinds of risks when consuming mushroom coffee. Likely the brands in question source their mushrooms from locations where there may be industrial pollution, leading to the possibility of lead in the groundwater where mushrooms are grown.

Sources

  1. Caffeine consumption may lower the risk of heart failure: Association Between Coffee Intake and Incident Heart Failure Risk, American Heart Association Journals (February 2021)
  2. Caffeine consumption may lower the risk of colorectal cancer: Coffee Consumption and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer, Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention (April 2016)
  3. Limit caffeine consumption to 400 milligrams a day: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, United States Department of Agriculture (December 2020)
  4. Negative side effects of caffeine: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much, Food and Drug Administration (December 2018)
  5. Mushrooms’ antifatigue function: Antifatigue Functions and Mechanisms of Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms, BioMed Research International (August 2017)
  6. Benefits of chaga: Chaga Mushroom, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  7. Benefits of turkey tail: Coriolus Versicolor, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  8. Immune properties of turkey tail mushrooms: The mycelium of the Trametes versicolor (Turkey tail) mushroom and its fermented substrate each show potent and complementary immune activating properties in vitro, BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies (December 2019)
  9. Gut benefits of turkey tail mushrooms: Effects of polysaccharopeptide from Trametes versicolor and amoxicillin on the gut microbiome of healthy volunteers: a randomized clinical trial, Gut Microbes (July 2014)
  10. Lion’s mane and cognitive function: Neuronal Health—Can Culinary and Medicinal Mushrooms Help?, Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine (January-March 2013)
  11. Benefits of reishi: Reishi Mushroom, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  12. Anti-cancer benefits of reishi: Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi Mushroom) and cancer, Journal of the Balkan Union of Oncology (April 2016)
  13. Benefits of cordyceps: Cordyceps, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  14. History of medicinal mushroom use: Medicinal Mushrooms: Ancient Remedies Meet Modern Science, Integrative Medicine (February 2014)
  15. Nutritional properties of mushrooms’ mycelium vs. fruiting bodies: Medicinal potential of mycelium and fruiting bodies of an arboreal mushroom Fomitopsis officinalis in therapy of lifestyle diseases, Nature (November 2020)
  16. Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RDN, CDN, interview November 2021
  17. Benefits of Rhodiola: Rhodiola, NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
  18. Benefits of Shiitake: Shiitake Mushroom, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  19. Maitake may stimulate the immune system and help attack cancer cells: Genes Related to Suppression of Malignant Phenotype Induced by Maitake D-Fraction in Breast Cancer Cells, Journal of Medicinal Food (July 2013)
  20. Benefits and drawbacks of coconut oil: Is Coconut Oil Healthy for your Heart (Or not)? Cleveland Clinic (January 2018)
  21. MCT oil may assist with weight loss: Weight-loss diet that includes consumption of medium-chain triacylglycerol oil leads to a greater rate of weight and fat mass loss than does olive oil, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (March 2008)
  22. Benefits and drawbacks of mushroom coffee: Should you be drinking mushroom coffee? Cleveland Clinic (May 2020)
  23. Popularity of medicinal mushrooms: U.S. Consumers Desire to Use Food as Medicine, NPD (August 2019)
  24. Coffee treated with cordyceps may improve its function: Functional Cordyceps Coffee Containing Cordycepin and B-Glucan Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences (June 2020)
  25. Pregnant people should limit caffeine consumption to 200 milligrams a day: How Much Coffee Can I Drink While I’m Pregnant?, ACOG (October 2020)
  26. Mushroom extracts may promote anti-breast cancer activity: Mushroom extracts and compounds with suppressive action on breast cancer Journal of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology (June 2020)
  27. What to know about lead exposure and Proposition 65 warnings: Lead and Lead Compounds. Proposition 65 warnings (February 2018)

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Amrit's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“I made a promise to myself to find my joy again in 2023. For the past few years, I haven’t been taking care of myself mentally and physically because I’ve just been on the go and focusing on the future instead of being present. I realized that part of the reason I wasn’t happy was because I wasn’t taking care of myself. So, now with the Ness Card—which literally rewards you for staying on top of your wellness journey—I’ve easily been able to focus on my mental and physical journey. Using the card is now a part of my weekly routine, whether I’m buying groceries, going to therapy, spending a day at the spa, or treating myself to a delicious yummy meal.”

Candace's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“I love life with the Ness Card! The team behind the scenes work really hard to make it valuable and to create a sense of community, which you feel in every newsletter and hand-crafted partnership. The card itself encourages me to be even more curious about where I’m spending my money. It definitely incentivizes me to spend ‘healthier’, which is really unique. On top of that, getting points for taking more steps? There is seriously nothing like it.

David's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“My favorite thing about the Ness Card is that it rewards you for your healthy habits, and not all of them require spending. Yes, you can earn 5x points when you spend at any of their approved health and wellness merchants (think Erewhon and many of your other favorites) but you also earn points for being active daily! So now your sanity walks are literally paying off :) As someone who not only works in wellness but lives and breathes it, essentially most of my expenses live in that realm and with the Ness Card I can now be rewarded nicely for those purchases.”

Kirsty's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“I love that I have rewards to look forward to when I focus on my health and wellness. As a mom of two and full time photographer/creator, it’s hard to find time to prioritize my health and—as my body ages—I want to make sure that I’m treating it to all the TLC it needs (and deserves)! The Ness Card reminds me to take care of my mental, physical, and emotional health on the daily.”

Valerie's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“It’s refreshing to have a card app that is so easy to use. I can track my spending and rewards at the click of a button. I love getting a notification when I get extra points for getting a full night sleep or getting my steps in, though of course those are optional. I work a lot, and I feel like I get extra rewarded for taking the time to take care of myself – whether it’s therapy or simply cooking at home instead of dining out. The points accumulate really quickly, and I’ve already gotten a $1,000 credit at Erewhon in my first four months. I also go visit family in Europe a lot, and no one takes my card there, so it’s so convenient to be able to use my Ness Card without ever paying a fee.”

Mélanie's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“As someone who spends the majority of her money on wellness, the Ness Card is perfect for me! I love earning 5x points on purchases at healthy businesses that I was already making, anyways. The Ness Card also motivates me to get enough sleep, practice mindfulness and other healthy habits. The app is really user-friendly and I love watching my points add up. I am excited to redeem them for wellness-related items!”

Lauren's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“The Ness Card motivates me to keep up my healthy habits, and has helped me discover new brands and products that are in alignment with my goals. I’m not spending any more with my Ness Card, but the money I am spending on health and wellness is actually earning me rewards, benefits, and even cash back. And because Ness’s definition of a ‘healthy merchant’ is so generous, I’m able to recognize all of the small ways I practice self-care throughout the week. From buying fresh veggies to going to therapy to taking my supplements, the Ness Card is there to cheer me on: ‘Keep being healthy, girl. You deserve 5x points for that.'”

Melissa's Favorite Healthy Merchants

“The Ness Card rewards me when I spend money on health and wellness. Especially because so much of my wellness routine is spent being active, gardening, making food with my husband, getting a massage, or having some me time, it is nice to be rewarded for that with points that are with brands I shop at all the time anyway. It allows my wellness choices to work harder which I love.”

Research Based

This article was rigorously researched and fact checked. We use peer-reviewed journals and reputable medical sources (think: CDC, WHO, NIH, and the like) to back up every claim we make, and also reach out to experts in the field to ensure we’re covering things the right way. We apply these principles to everything we cover—including brands we partner with—and we’ll always disclose sponsorships, ads, and any kind of financial relationship with anything featured on The Nessie. You deserve the best, most straightforward information on health and wellness, and we think this is the right way to do it. You can read more about our testing and review process here.

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