I Traded My Daily Coffee for a Fruity Mushroom Energy Drink—Here’s What Happened to My Focus and Energy Levels

With components like complete espresso fruit extract, lion’s mane, reishi, and cordyceps, mushroom drinks are touted as a option to increase vitality and focus with much less caffeine. There are various totally different manufacturers available on the market, with some merchandise that are available in premixed cans and others that are available in powder kind, to combine into water or one other favourite drink. I personally tried the model Roots Focus after they reached out with samples. I knew it was time to experiment with skipping my morning espresso, so determined to attempt a Roots Focus assessment.

Alongside my very own analysis on mushrooms, I spoke with Carla Fabian, RD, a registered dietitian in Wisconsin, and Zarya Rubin, MD, a useful drugs doctor, TEDx speaker, and burnout skilled, about the advantages of among the components in Roots Focus. Learn on to study what occurred after I ditched espresso for every week and what mushroom vitality drinks did for me (as somebody who loves espresso).

Why I made a decision to make the change

As talked about, I battle rather a lot with anxiousness, particularly within the morning. However I additionally battle to get up with out espresso. I used to be feeling on what to do, so my therapist prompt I attempt decreasing my caffeine consumption to see if it helped. Roots Focus vitality drink helped me reduce as a result of it solely has 60 milligrams of caffeine—a couple of third of the quantity in my typical tall Americano.

Mushroom vitality drinks additionally me as a result of, as a dietitian, I am at all times fascinated to find out how totally different meals can have an effect on our our bodies. Moreover caffeine from coffeeberry complete fruit extract, Roots Focus additionally has components like Alpha GPC (a type of the important nutrient choline) and mushrooms—like lion’s mane, reishi, and cordyceps—that are thought to assist with temper, vitality, and focus.

Right here’s a breakdown of the advantages of those useful components.

Alphasize alpha GPC

Alpha-glyceryl phosphorylcholine (alpha GPC) is a complicated choline compound that will increase the discharge of acetylcholine—an essential neurotransmitter that performs a task in reminiscence, muscular contraction, and psychological acuity, per a September 2015 research within the Journal of the Worldwide Society of Sports activities Diet.

Coffeeberry complete espresso fruit extract

Complete espresso fruit extract might help enhance the secretion of brain-derived neurotrophic issue (BDNF)—a compound concerned within the central nervous system’s improvement, upkeep, and performance—by 143 p.c, indicating it could enhance reminiscence and studying, in accordance with a June 2023 pilot research in Vitamins.

Complete espresso fruit extract may present a bit increase in vitality with out going overboard. As talked about, Roots Focus has a couple of third of the caffeine as a tall Americano, so much less likelihood of the jitters. Plus, in accordance with Fabian, coffeeberry can lend to vitality lifts with out the highs and lows seen with different supplemental sources of caffeine.

Lion’s mane

In line with Fabian, the energetic elements of lion’s mane embody erinacines, hericenones, and polysaccharides. Whereas there have not been many human research performed on these components’ impact on the mind, some preliminary animal and in vitro research have discovered erinacines and hericenones could enhance manufacturing of the mind’s nerve development issue (NGF), which can assist with reminiscence, studying, and anxiousness, per a small September 2023 research in Tropical Life Sciences Analysis.

Fabian says lion’s mane can also be excessive in beta-glucans—a sort of sugar present in meals like barley, rye, and mushrooms. Beta-glucans could have neuroprotective properties, and should assist with different well being elements together with insulin resistance, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome, per a 2012 research within the Journal of Diet and Metabolism, all of which might have an effect on the well being of your mind. “That is particularly essential on condition that as we age, our potential to generate new neurons declines,” Fabian provides.

Cordyceps

Cordyceps is a sort of fungi utilized in conventional Japanese drugs for his or her potential medicinal properties, per the Cleveland Clinic. Extra research are wanted to substantiate their purported advantages, however preliminary analysis does present it comprises anti-inflammatory brokers, per an October 2020 assessment in Phytotherapy Analysis. A sure sort of cordyceps, referred to as C. militaris, has additionally been related to a rise in ATP manufacturing, which helps present vitality to your muscle mass, per a November 2020 research in Mycobiology. However once more, extra proof is required to substantiate these claims.

Reishi

Reishi—one other sort of mushroom—can also be excessive in beta-glucans, which might help help immune well being and general wellness by facilitating well being cell development and turnover, in accordance with Fabian and a June 2017 article in Neural Regeneration Analysis. Reishi is utilized in many different adaptogenic merchandise that declare to help mind and psychological well being.

Maca root

Maca root—a plant associated to the cabbage household—is used as meals and drugs in locations like Peru, per the Memorial Sloan Kettering Most cancers Heart. “Maca is within the Brassicaceae household and reveals the identical dietary advantages as different members like broccoli, kale, radishes, cabbage, and turnips,” explains Fabian. It comprises excessive quantities of amino acids, iron, iodine, and different minerals, and should assist enhance temper by serving to the physique handle stress, in accordance with Fabian and a September 2016 double-blind research in Prescription drugs.

Rhodiola

Rhodiola rosea is an herb that grows within the chilly mountainous areas of Europe and Asia. It is thought to extend vitality and psychological capability, resist the consequences of stress, and assist handle anxiousness and melancholy, per the Nationwide Heart for Complementary and Integrative Well being (NCCIH).  The adaptogenic herb has over 140 energetic components—with the 2 most notable being rosavin and salidroside, per Fabian.

Rhodiola is included in a number of dietary supplements marketed for relieving stress and bettering temper. Some animal research have documented the neuroprotective advantages of rhodiola, and salidroside particularly, in accordance with an April 2016 research in Drug Design, Growth, and Remedy⁹. Nevertheless, extra analysis is required to substantiate these results in people.

Negative effects of useful mushrooms

As a lot as I used to be excited to attempt useful mushrooms for myself, I additionally wished to know whether or not there have been any dangers to doing so. In line with Dr. Rubin, mushrooms could trigger an allergic response, some GI upset, a rash, and dry mouth (fortunately, I didn’t have any of those unintended effects). They might additionally have an effect on blood strain, blood sugar ranges, and bleeding and clotting in some folks. “People with low blood strain, these taking diabetes medicines, folks on blood thinners, or these with bleeding and clotting problems ought to use warning or keep away from taking reishi mushrooms,” she explains.

Mushrooms must also be used with warning in case you have an autoimmune situation. “Mushrooms may affect the immune system, which can pose an issue for these with autoimmune situations or taking drugs for autoimmune problems,” Dr. Rubin provides.

Plus, lion’s mane is usually taken for its stimulating impact, so it must be taken earlier within the day to keep away from interfering with sleep. Lastly, mushrooms haven’t been studied in kids or those that are pregnant and/or breastfeeding or chestfeeding, so it’s finest to keep away from them in these conditions, Dr. Rubin notes.

My assessment of Roots Focus

I obtained all 4 flavors of Roots Focus mushroom vitality drink powder—Fruit Punch, Blackberry Lavender Lemonade, Spicy Pineapple, and Strawberry Watermelon—and was able to attempt every. All of them have been fairly candy, which I did not thoughts, however my favorites have been the Spicy Pineapple (you may truly style the spice!) and Strawberry Watermelon, which was tremendous refreshing on a sizzling summer time morning.

The ingesting expertise was fairly totally different from my regular cup of joe. I normally drink my espresso sizzling and black, so having an iced fruity drink took some getting used to. That stated, in the event you’re an iced espresso or beverage individual, it is a nice choice—it virtually tastes like a Starbucks Refresher.

My morning beverage routine, nonetheless, stayed principally constant. I might begin the day with my standard smoothie, after which onto the vitality drink. I might combine one scoop of the mushroom powder into 12 ounces of water and shake it up in a water bottle. (I additionally tried mixing it with a milk frother, however this took additional time, and I did not really feel prefer it made a lot of a distinction.)

On the primary morning of my swap, I might really feel myself waking up inside half-hour of ingesting the mushroom combine, with out that typical jittery feeling I get (although I nonetheless had a little bit of underlying anxiousness). By 3 p.m., I felt a headache creep up on me, which I assume was as a consequence of not ingesting as a lot caffeine as I usually would (I normally drink a cup of black tea within the afternoon to assist me get out of an vitality droop).

By days two and three, I seen quantity of vitality within the morning, and did not get a headache like I did the primary time round. However I nonetheless felt that afternoon vitality droop, so on this regard, Roots Focus wasn’t a lot totally different than my regular espresso for vitality and focus.

After every week of ingesting Roots Focus, my physique had adjusted to the discount in caffeine, and general, I felt noticeably much less anxious and jittery. My vitality ranges lasted till about 3 p.m., at which level I wanted to take a break from work to refocus, which was completely high quality by me.

The underside line

General, I used to be pleasantly shocked the by the impact Roots Focus had on my anxiousness and vitality ranges; I might by no means thought to make use of a mushroom vitality drink to assist with this. That stated, I discovered myself actually lacking the ritual of ingesting espresso within the morning (there’s simply one thing particular in regards to the scent of freshly floor beans if you want a lift). Whereas I appreciated the discount in jitteriness and anxiousness, I can see myself nonetheless having espresso within the morning at the very least just a few days per week, just because I really like the ritual of grinding recent beans and brewing a mug.

Given the increase in vitality that Roots Focus gave me, I can see myself ingesting the mushroom vitality drink at lunchtime to assist with my afternoon vitality ranges. I at all times lose steam by round 2 or 3 p.m., so this drink may very well be the afternoon pick-me-up I must energy via till the tip of the day—with out overloading on caffeine late within the day and probably disrupting my sleep.

For those who’re seeking to cut back your caffeine consumption with out sacrificing your vitality and focus ranges, I might say give a mushroom vitality drink like Roots Focus a attempt (together with your physician’s “okay,” after all, particularly in case you have an underlying well being situation). It is a useful, refreshing drink that gives sustained vitality with out the caffeine overload, which could be significantly useful for people who typically discover themselves in that afternoon droop, however do not wish to disrupt their sleep afterward.