If you have spent more than ten minutes browsing through your Insta feed, you must have noticed that mushrooms are having a moment - not in a fancy dish but coffee. Coffee drinkers have been touting it as a health drink because of its disease-fighting properties. Mushrooms have long been used in Chinese medicine and newer research shows they are the highest dietary source of the antioxidants ergothioneine and glutathione, which help protect the body against free-radical damage.

What Is Mushroom Coffee?

Now, when you think of mushroom coffee, you may think of these little veggies floating around in a hot cup of joe, but that's not what this is.  Mushroom coffee is simply regular coffee blended with medicinal mushroom extracts. The extract is prepared by spray-drying key components of the mushrooms to produce a concentrated extract. In the extraction process,  both the water-soluble and the fat-soluble active compounds from the mushrooms are removed. while portobello coffee isn't a thing, varieties like chaga, cordyceps, and reishi mushrooms are used most commonly in brews. So it is a finely ground blend that's packaged into little pouches you mix with hot water. It's instant coffee with some (nearly tasteless) mood-enhancing adaptogens that pack an extra punch. People Addicted to Coffee Are More Sensitive to its Odour, Says New Study.

If you cannot find coffee blended with mushroom powder, you can also brew your favourite bean and add the mushroom powder to it manually.Then, add your favourite milk or alternative and sweetener. Take extra care to mix the ingredients thoroughly to avoid clumps. You can also pop it in the blender for a more uniform, frothy consistency.

What Are The Benefits Of Mushroom Coffee?

The mushrooms in question are a new kind of 'magic' mushroom called adaptogens and they come with a host of benefits ranging from increased focus to reduced anxiety, and can even contain anti-aging benefits. The same adaptogenic mushrooms are used in Instagram-worthy beverages like coffee. Coffee and Weight Loss: How Can the Beverage Help You Burn Fat and Healthy Ways to Make the Perfect Cuppa.

Who Should Avoid It?

Talk to your doctor if you are taking any prescription drugs before drinking mushroom coffee. Some supplements can produce unexpected side effects or have potentially harmful interactions with the medications so you should avoid it. Also, speak to your health care provider if you are pregnant or nursing your baby.

Mushroom coffee has an earthier flavour than anything you will find at your local coffee shop, but the adaptogens certainly give it an edge. Mushroom coffee tastes nutty like actual mushrooms, but if you mix it well enough you won’t taste it.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 05, 2019 05:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).