If you are one of those people who love the aroma of strong, black coffee in the morning or seek its support for your mental productivity during the day, it is very likely that you will be interested in an adaptogenic version of coffee from Apollo's Hegemony, which has been enriched with 2 natural, highly effective ingredients that increase the nootropic potential of your favorite drink. And we are not just talking about improving the nootropic properties of coffee, but also those health-promoting ones, which only add to the completeness of this composition.
Coffee with vital mushrooms and its benefits
Mushroom coffee is grounded coffee enriched with extracts from 2 mushrooms, known for their vitalizing properties. These are the Lion's Mane mushroom (Hericium Erinaceus) and Chaga (Inonotus obliquus), whose highly concentrated extracts can be found in this mushroom coffee. With such a blend, you can expect not only a variety in the aroma of the black beverage - which can take some time to get used to - but also the opening of a path to entirely new sensations from the cup.
Energizing composition - Lions Mane, Chaga, and coffee
The first ingredient in an energizing mushroom coffee is... coffee. It is widely known for its energy-boosting properties, mainly due to high caffeine content, which by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain [1] alleviates fatigue and intensifies dopamine synthesis pathways, thus improving mood, motivation, and concentration.
However, the stimulating effect of coffee is also caused by other substances contained in it, such as polyphenols, which amplifies the effect of caffeine on the brain [2]. These polyphenols improve cerebral blood circulation, which allows more efficient removal of toxic by-products of cell metabolism - which burden the brain and reduce its productivity [3]. They also intensify the flow of glucose, oxygen, and nutrients to brain cells, which enhances the previously mentioned vitalizing effect of caffeine.
Lion's mane - this mushroom is particularly known for its properties supporting cognitive functions of the brain, which perfectly matches it with the effects of coffee. Coffee, with its dopaminergic effects, stimulates and motivates action, while the Lion's Mane supplements this effect with the improvement of the brain’s memory management. This effect is dictated by increasing the activity of NGF protein in the brain, which stimulates the growth and maintenance of neurons [4]. Moreover, neurotrophic factors, which include NGF protein, are also associated with the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases, so the benefits of Lion's Mane are not only immediate, but they also show up in the long term. The antioxidant properties of the mushroom may also promote optimal brain performance [5], through a neuroprotective mechanism - which is shared with the properties of the coffee in this blend and shows how thoughtful the formulation is.
Chaga is not directly listed as a nootropic supplement, however, its consumption is followed by a noticeable increase of energy, similar according to user reports to that of a cup of coffee, but without the adverse effects such as brain fog. This is probably due to the high antioxidant load, as measured by the ORAC scale [6], that Chaga extract offers, as well as its ability to increase the concentration of the neurotransmitter - acetylcholine - by inhibiting the activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase [7], which breaks down this neurotransmitter closely associated with the formation of memory and logical thinking. From the cited research paper, we know that mice that took the Chaga mushroom extract for 7 days had an improved ability to learn and remember in relation to rodents in the control group. Increased levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione - powerful antioxidants - were also noted in the blood of test group rodents, which in addition to the positive effects on cognitive processes also leads us to other properties of the discussed Mushroom Coffee ingredients.
Health benefits of Mushroom Coffeee
Coffee, although widely known for its stimulating properties, also has a number of health benefits, such as preventing the build-up of beta-amyloid in the brain [1], which is closely linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease. According to scientific papers, the risk of the mentioned disease can be reduced by more than 60% in the case of frequent coffee drinkers [8, 9]. The risk of another brain disease, Parkinson's, is also reduced by 30-60% [10, 11] and, interestingly, decaffeinated coffee does not show these benefits. In addition, coffee significantly reduces the risk of developing diabetes and, according to a meta-analysis [12], a cup of coffee a day correlates with a 7% lower risk of this disease. Moreover, regular coffee consumption reduces the risk of heart attack by up to 20% [13, 14].
Lion's Mane extends the health-promoting features of coffee with vital mushrooms to several aspects. Among others, it prevents the decline of mental function in Alzheimer's patients, but only for the duration of supplementation [15]. In the context of the nervous system, it is also worth mentioning that Lion’s Mane can be helpful in cases of depression, as shown in animal models of scientific papers [16, 17], which synergizes with the analogous effects of caffeine contained in coffee with mushrooms. In the case of neuronal damage that occurs as a result of stroke - the Lion's Mane has also shown benefits in speeding up recovery [18]. If the aforementioned properties are hardly surprising, it is worth mentioning that Lion's Mane also protects against the formation of gastric ulcers due to alcohol consumption [19] and this without any side effects (no interactions), which broadens the spectrum of mushroom coffee applications in a very interesting way. In terms of the digestive system, the mushroom also helps people with ulcerative colitis [20] (but not Crohn's disease [21]), and in a human study, its use on this type of patient significantly relieved the symptoms of the disease. The cardiovascular system also gets help from Lion’s Mane, as one of its active ingredients inhibits platelet aggregation, which reduces the risk of heart attack [22]. It also strengthens the immune system by building sIgA immune cells in the gut, which prevents pathogens from entering through this pathway [23].
Chaga fits very well into the range of biological activity of the mentioned substances, because, similarly to Lion’s Mane, it supports immunity by stimulating the production of white blood cells [24,25], resulting in better resistance to infections and shortening the course of ongoing diseases. The effects of Chaga on the immune system do not end here, as it shows the ability to reduce inflammation in case of excessive production of pro-inflammatory cytokines [26]. Chaga is primarily known for its antioxidant properties [27] and in this regard, it has exceptional efficacy, as cellular studies have shown that many types of cancers are affected by Chaga [27]. It also effectively supports metabolic health and helps normalize cholesterol levels (it raises the HDL fraction of cholesterol when it's significantly reduced) [28, 29].
Contraindications for Mushroom Coffeee use
- Allergics and people with disorders of histamine metabolism (association of mast cells and NGF [30])
- SIBO
- arrhythmia [31]
- gastroesophageal reflux disease (coffee can increase the gastrointestinal discomfort)
- interaction with blood-thinning drugs
- Preparing for surgery
Who should use Mushroom Coffeee
Reading how wide a spectrum of practical uses mushroom coffee has, it may be hard to give enough credits to what power lies in a composition of just 3 ingredients. From the improvement of mental productivity, anti-depressant and health-promoting properties that go beyond immunity and even protecting against the effects of excessive alcohol consumption. So does coffee with vital mushroom extracts offer complete support for the body? As you can see, it can. And perhaps that provides the answer to the significant interest for such a specific combination for this classic beverage.
