The Benefits of Mushroom Tea and How to Make Your Own
Mushrooms like chaga, reishi, and cordyceps have been used for centuries in Eastern medicine to support health and longevity. Steeping the dried mushroom fruiting bodies in hot water makes a flavorful tea loaded with bioactive compounds. More recently, this traditional drink has skyrocketed in popularity in the West as the science backing functional mushrooms continues growing.
What is Mushroom Tea?
Mushroom tea simply refers to any tea made by infusing dried medicinal mushrooms like turkey tail, lions mane, shiitake, maitake and others in hot water. The final drink contains water-soluble polysaccharides, antioxidants, and other beneficial components from the mushrooms that provide health-enhancing effects.
Different Types of Nutrient-Dense Mushroom Tea
Many vitamin and mineral-packed edible mushroom varieties can be simmered with hot water to produce a tasty, comforting, and healthy beverage. Some top options include:
Chaga Tea
Prized for its immune-boosting powers, chaga grows on birch trees in northern climates. It needs to be dried or extracted to be safely consumed.
Reishi Tea
Also called lingzhi, reishi mushrooms support healthy inflammation levels on top of offering calming effects. They have an earthy, slightly bitter taste.
Cordyceps Tea
This rare mushroom variety helps combat fatigue while enhancing exercise performance. Many athletes and biohackers drink cordyceps tea routinely.
Lion's Mane Tea
Research shows lions mane mushrooms contain neuroprotective compounds that stimulate nerve growth factor production and support cognitive health.
Turkey Tail Tea
Packed with antioxidant power in addition to polysaccharides that boost immunity, turkey tail makes a delicious earthy mushroom brew.
Shiitake Mushroom Tea
In addition to lending umami flavor to dishes, shiitake mushroom tea delivers anti-inflammatory benefits. It also protects liver health.
The Science-Backed Benefits
Research continues uncovering ways medicinal mushrooms support whole body wellness. Here are some of the top researched ways drinking mushroom tea boosts health:
1. Boosts Immunity
Compounds like polysaccharides, terpenoids, lectins and phenolic compounds make mushrooms natural immune enhancers. Mushroom tea builds resilience against infectious illness.
2. Eases Inflammation
The anti-inflammatory powers found in medicinal mushroom varieties help overcome chronic unhealthy inflammation levels underlying many diseases.
3. Supports Gut Health
By protecting gut barrier integrity and modulating gut microbiome composition, many mushrooms in tea form optimize digestive system function.
4. Promotes Heart Health
Antioxidant capabilities along with blood pressure and cholesterol optimizing effects make medicinal mushroom tea a heart helper.
5. Fights Fatigue
Adaptogenic mushrooms like cordyceps contain compounds that help beat exhaustion, enhance energy levels and boost exercise performance.
6. Sharpens Mental Focus
The nootropic effects found in lions mane tea especially heightens concentration, memory, clarity and brain health.
7. Wards Off Neurodegeneration
Parkinsons fighting substances present in mushrooms support brain structure preservation and healthy neuronal communication.
8. Combats Tumor Formation
Specific medicinal mushrooms exhibit anti-cancer effects that disrupt tumor genesis pathways and prohibited malignant cell replication.
9. Promotes Longevity
The combinations of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and anti-aging compounds make functional mushrooms consumed as tea lifespan expanding.
How to Make Mushroom Tea
Simple Mushroom Tea Recipe
Whipping up a cup of mushroom tea is very simple:
1. Bring water (2 cups per 1 oz dried mushrooms) to a boil
2. Remove from heat and add dried medicinal mushrooms
3. Allow to steep 15+ minutes for full extraction of beneficial compounds
4. Strain tea into cups
Tips for Making the Best Mushroom Tea
To draw out the most anti-inflammatory, immunity enhancing and neuroprotective components from functional mushrooms into your tea, follow these preparation tips:
Always Use Dried Mushrooms
Dried mushrooms rather than fresh contain more concentrated bioactive ingredients per ounce. Rehydrating via hot water brings back out their beneficial properties.
Chop Or Powder Mushrooms First
By chopping dried mushrooms into smaller pieces or grinding into powder, you expand the surface area the hot water contacts and extracts more health-enhancing substances.
Give it Time
Allow plenty of steeping time - at least 15 minutes or longer. More good stuff gets released the longer medicinal mushrooms soak.
Dont Boil the Tea
Letting mushroom tea come to a rolling boil can destroy some of the delicate compounds responsible for positive health effects. Keep heat under 200F.
Add Lemon
Squirting some fresh lemon juice into mushroom tea helps extract even more beneficial elements thanks to the citric acid.
Sweeten Judiciously
A touch of raw honey, maple syrup or stevia can make bitter mushroom tea more palatable. But skip the refined sugar!
Consume it Quickly
For maximum potency and health benefits, drink your mushroom tea promptly after steeping and straining. The nutrients start degrading upon prolonged storage.
Creamy Mushroom Tea Latte
For a more smooth, creamy, latte-style medicinal mushroom tea, blend together:
- 1 cup hot mushroom tea
- 1 tsp ghee or MCT oil
- 1 tbsp collagen peptides
- Pinch cinnamon
- Frothy milk of choice to taste (dairy, nut, oat, etc)
Research Confirms Benefits
Thousands of scientific studies confirm historical medicinal mushroom benefits, including when consumed as a tea. Compounds they contain fight disease, infection, tumors, dementia, fatigue and much more.
Sipping cups of mushroom tea lets you take advantage of their protective, preventative wellness powers. Blend up batches using your favorite mushroom types and drink daily. The earthy flavor might take some adjusting, but your body will thank you!
FAQs
What are the health benefits of drinking mushroom tea?
Research shows drinking mushroom tea can boost immunity, reduce inflammation, support gut and heart health, increase energy, sharpen mental focus, prevent neurodegeneration, and promote longevity thanks to the unique antioxidants, vitamins and polysaccharides mushrooms contain.
What types of mushrooms make good tea?
Some of the top mushrooms to use for beneficial teas are chaga, reishi, cordyceps, lion's mane, turkey tail, shiitake, maitake and oyster mushrooms. Each provides slightly different health advantages.
Is mushroom tea safe?
Yes, mushroom tea made from edible medicinal mushrooms like chaga, reishi and lion’s mane is safe to consume and offers health advantages not found in other teas. Just be sure to get high quality dried mushrooms from a reputable source.
How often can I drink mushroom tea?
Most functional medicine practitioners recommend drinking a cup or two of mushroom tea daily to get the most anti-aging, disease prevention and immunity enhancing benefits. Drinking mushroom tea several times a week can also boost wellness.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
Add Comment