Did you have your cup o’ Joe this morning? I’m betting yes, since nearly two-thirds of Americans consume coffee daily. Caffeine is by far the most-used psychoactive substance in the world. And in America, it is no doubt used to fuel the hectic and frenzied lifestyles that accompany so many.
However, taking in a lot of caffeine can have its downsides, especially in the long-term. As a result, some people are looking for alternative forms of energy. And one very unique supplement company that is involved in this is “revolution” is Everyday Dose, with their product called The Mushroom Latte.
So, in this The Mushroom Latte review, we’ll take a closer look at this coffee alternative so you can find out if it’s really worth the purchase. Let’s get started!
About The Mushroom Latte
An odd name, no doubt, The Mushroom Latte is a very unique product and differs greatly from traditional coffee. The makers at Everyday Dose claim it is a much cleaner product than coffee because it contains less caffeine and adds in other beneficial ingredients, such as mushrooms (of course), collagen, and certain nootropics. They say that the ingredients in it activate your “DOSE,” which is an acronym for dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins (all neurotransmitters).
The Mushroom Latte Benefits
Mushroom supplements have become all the rage, especially in the area of coffee alternatives, due to all the health benefits they may provide. With choices from Four Sigmatic Chaga Elixir to Laird Superfood Mushroom Coffee, the options, and benefits, are out there. When it comes to The Mushroom Latte, there are many claimed benefits. First, it is supposed to act as a fantastic energy booster and increase mental clarity. Next, in the psychological realm, users are to expect reductions in anxiety and better sleep. And there are supposed physical benefits too, such as enhanced immune health and better-looking skin.
Energy and Mental Clarity
You’d expect a product with the word “latte” in it to boost your energy, and this product claims to do just that. However, The Mushroom Latte says it’s different because it uses just a little bit of coffee extract and combines this with other products, such as l-theanine and lion’s mane, to provide a calm, focused energy level.
Reduced Anxiety and Better Sleep
How could an energy-booster at the same time be an anxiolytic and sleep-enhancer? They say the secret is in an adaptogen called lion’s mane, along with l-theanine. These are supposed to calm the mind and improve feelings of well-being, which are tied to anxiety reduction throughout the day and better sleep at night.
Immune Boost and Better Skin
What you look like on the outside has a lot to do with what’s going on in the inside. And The Mushroom Latte says that it will restore balance to your immune system with a key mushroom called chaga. Furthermore, they include collagen, which they say will improve hair, skin, and joint health, and may also improve immunity due to its activation on the gut microbiome.
From the get-go, The Mushroom Latte seems far from your average coffee, and offers a number of benefits beyond enhanced energy. Yet, how likely are these benefits to occur in the average person who consumes it? If you’re ready to find out if The Mushroom Latte is a potent, all-in-one health promoter or just some overhyped energy booster, read on below.
The Mushroom Latte Ingredients
The Mushroom Latte has a very unique and diverse blend of ingredients, which is likely why it claims to offer so many different benefits. The primary ingredients in The Mushroom Latte are listed below:
- Collagen (Type I and Type III Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides from Bovine)
- Mushrooms and Coffee Blend, which contains
- Organic Fair-Trade Coffee
- Organic Chaga Fruiting Body Extract
- Organic Lion’s Mane Fruiting Body Extract
- L-Theanine (Suntheanine)
- Amino Acid Blend (Includes Numerous Essential and Nonessential Amino Acids)
With these in mind, let’s dive in to see what benefits these ingredients may have.
(Note: All ingredient amounts will be listed in relation to one serving, which is one tablespoon.)
Collagen
The Mushroom Latte contains 4g of collagen per serving, in the form of Type I and Type III hydrolyzed collagen peptides from bovine (cows). Collagen is a protein found in all animals and makes up various connective tissues, such as skin, tendons, organs, and bones. When collagen is hydrolyzed, it is broken down into smaller particles and is therefore easy to utilize.
The thinking is that since skin, bones, hair, and so forth all contain collagen, consuming extra amounts from supplements will lead to benefits in those areas. And as it turns out, this is correct.
Hydrolyzed collagen supplementation is known to improve skin elasticity, firmness, and hydration, and reduce wrinkles. Other benefits of collagen include reductions in osteoarthritis, particularly through reducing joint stiffness. Finally, collagen supplementation improves hair thickness and nail health.
The only area lacking in research is gut health. Collagen definitely could improve gut health due to its gut-friendly compounds, such as glutamine, but more research is needed. Overall, though, collagen appears to help bring out a healthier, more vibrant you.
Mushrooms and Coffee Blend
Arguably the main ingredient in this product comes in the Mushrooms and Coffee Blend. In total, this blend is 1.85g per serving and contains a combination of coffee extract, Chaga mushroom, and lion’s mane mushroom.
Each serving contains 39mg of caffeine from coffee extract, which is much less than a typical serving of coffee. Beyond providing energy, coffee also has certain compounds in it that can provide an antioxidant-like effect. Furthermore, caffeine increases dopamine and acetylcholine levels, helping to improve mood and focus.
Moving on, Chaga mushroom is likely to exhibit benefits too. A solid amount of research shows that Chaga mushroom can improve immune health and offer antioxidant and anti-viral benefits. Additionally, compounds in Chaga act as prebiotics (such as beta-glucans), which improve gut health.
Next, the powerfully-named lion’s mane mushroom does indeed have some powerful benefits.
First, it offers similar gut-health benefits like Chaga, due to its prebiotics. Additionally, lion’s mane acts as an adaptogen, which means it helps control stress levels. Research shows it also can be beneficial for reducing fatigue, depression, and anxiety, and for improving cognitive function.
Another thing to note is that this blend only contains the fruiting body extracts of the mushrooms. And when mushrooms are in fruiting form, they contain more nutritional value compared to when it is the mycelium alone.
So, overall, this blend looks solid, but be aware that you can’t be sure exactly how much coffee extract, Chaga, or lion’s mane are in this blend since it only states the amount for the blend as a whole. I’d like to think that they offer research-based amounts, but it is unclear.
L-Theanine
The Mushroom Latte also contains 150mg of L-theanine per serving, in suntheanine form. L-theanine is an amino acid found naturally in tea. It has some very interesting effects on the brain and mental states, primarily that it can increase alpha waves in the brain. And alpha waves are associated with a relaxed yet focused state of mind. L-theanine is also able to reduce stress and anxiety, and it is able to lower cortisol markers and increase GABA levels in the brain.
Also, since l-theanine is so good at chilling you out, it can often be paired with caffeine to balance out the high-energy effects of the latter. In fact, combining l-theanine and caffeine is known to enhance many aspects of cognitive function, including improved working memory, attention, alertness, and lower fatigue.
So, The Mushroom Latte appears to pack a one-two punch of effectiveness by combining a small amount of caffeine with l-theanine, making it a likely cut above both traditional coffee and tea. The only issue is that research typically uses 200-400mg of l-theanine for the effects.
Amino Acid Blend
The final ingredient in The Mushroom Latte is the amino acid blend. In total, it contains 19 amino acids, including 8 of the 9 essential amino acids. Amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein, are important for cognitive health for many reasons, such as that they are necessary for the production of neurotransmitters (e.g., serotonin, dopamine).
Amino acid intake also appears to lower the risk of depression, anxiety, and stress, and to improve sleep. Research also shows that amino acid supplementation can improve serotonin and norepinephrine levels, likely leading to improved mood, energy, and well-being. Now, this can likely be achieved through adequate dietary protein intake alone, but supplementation can be beneficial in some instances, especially if you’re under a lot of stress.
Does The Mushroom Latte Work?
Considering everything so far, The Mushroom Latte does indeed appear to be much more different and effective than your average coffee or energy drink. Based on the ingredients, it is likely to work. The research definitely supports the proposed mental, physical, and energy-enhancing benefits.
Yet, one concern I have is related to the mushrooms and coffee blend, since it doesn’t list the exact amounts of Chaga and lion’s mane. So, if these are at really low doses, you might not receive the proposed benefits from them.
Lastly, the dose of l-theanine is slightly lower than used in most studies. Yet, there are still studies that show positive effects of lower doses of l-theanine (even 50mg or less), so it will still likely provide benefits.
Claims vs. Reality
Anxiety reduction, mental clarity, improved sleep, enhanced immunity, better skin, and more energy are the main claimed benefits of The Mushroom Latte. Furthermore, it says it will increase dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins.
All in all, The Mushroom Latte can stand by most of its claims. Specifically, anxiety reduction will likely happen due to l-theanine and lion’s mane. Mental clarity and enhanced energy will be achieved through all aspects of the mushrooms and coffee blend, in addition to l-theanine. You’ll likely have better skin since there is plenty of collagen in it. And the inclusion of amino acids and a moderate amount of caffeine will most likely improve dopamine and serotonin.
However, there are a few areas where it might not live up to its claims. First, it might not enhance immunity or gut health simply because we don’t know how much chaga and lion’s mane mushroom are in there. While you’ll find blends in many other mushroom supplements as well, like SuperMush’s mouth sprays, it would be nice to know you’re getting the right amount. Additionally, there is not much research showing that the ingredients in The Mushroom Latte will increase oxytocin or endorphins. And this is kind of a big deal since they use the acronym DOSE in their name, yet two out of those four neurotransmitters are not likely to be affected at all.
Overall, though, most of their claims can be made, and this product provides more benefits than drawbacks.
Who is The Mushroom Latte Best For?
Alright, so perhaps you’re now considering buying The Mushroom Latte. And while this is likely a good choice for many, it is specifically beneficial for people who are on the run a lot and have their days filled with a lot to do.
If you’re someone who does the right things on a daily basis (eats well, sleeps well, exercises, etc.) but you still have energy, mood, or stress issues due to your demanding schedule and so forth, then this product is perfect for you. It is also ideal for those high-flying “type A” personalities that always want/need to be doing something.
It could also be for the person who is overall unhealthy and lacks energy, but I caution you in buying something with the idea of it being a “magic pill” without fixing some of the other issues first.
Is The Mushroom Latte Safe?
In regard to overall safety, The Mushroom Latte appears only to have a few concerns. Collagen is generally safe and well-tolerated but may lead to feelings of fullness or heartburn in some people.
Caffeine has the potential to induce feelings of anxiety, jitteriness, and may cause insomnia, but at such a small dose of 39mg, this is very unlikely to occur. Regardless, don’t take it anytime later than mid-afternoon.
In regard to the ‘shrooms, Chaga has the potential to trigger a rare allergic reaction, and it also impacts blood sugar, so individuals with diabetes or on insulin should be cautious. Lion’s mane appears to be very safe, although there are a few cases of allergic reactions, but again these are rare.
Lastly, in the amino acid department, both l-theanine and the amino acid blend should be safe. L-theanine has no documented side effects, and taking amino acids is generally safe, though they may cause nausea, headaches, or pain in a small amount of people.
Where to Buy The Mushroom Latte
If you want to see what The Mushroom Latte can do for you, you can buy it on Everyday Dose’s official website here.
A one-time purchase of The Mushroom Latte is priced at $80 per jar.
They do also offer a trial version that allows you to try The Mushroom Latte risk-free for 30-days and includes 30 servings priced at $45, saving you 45%. For this version, though, you’re automatically set up for their auto-ship program, which will send you a 30-serving refill every 30 days. You can cancel the auto-ship anytime.
FAQ: The Mushroom Latte Review
When should you take The Mushroom Latte?
It is best to take it in the morning or early afternoon.
What are fruiting bodies?
These are the spore-producing organs of fungi.
How does The Mushroom Latte compare to other energy-boosters?
For a nice comparison of The Mushroom Latte to other products, take a look at the diagram at everydaydose.com