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

With components like entire espresso fruit extract, lion’s mane, reishi, and cordyceps, mushroom drinks are touted as a strategy to enhance power and focus with much less caffeine. There are a lot of completely different manufacturers in the marketplace, with some merchandise that are available in premixed cans and others that are available in powder type, 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 purposeful medication doctor, TEDx speaker, and burnout skilled, about the advantages of a few of the components in Roots Focus. Learn on to be taught what occurred once I ditched espresso for per week and what mushroom power 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 urged I attempt decreasing my caffeine consumption to see if it helped. Roots Focus power drink helped me in the reduction of as a result of it solely has 60 milligrams of caffeine—a couple of third of the quantity in my typical tall Americano.

Mushroom power drinks additionally me as a result of, as a dietitian, I am at all times fascinated to find out how completely different meals can have an effect on our our bodies. In addition to caffeine from coffeeberry entire 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, power, and focus.

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

Alphasize alpha GPC

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

Coffeeberry entire espresso fruit extract

Complete espresso fruit extract will help improve the secretion of brain-derived neurotrophic issue (BDNF)—a compound concerned within the central nervous system’s growth, upkeep, and performance—indicating it could enhance reminiscence and studying, in line with analysis in a June 2023 pilot research in Vitamins.

Complete espresso fruit extract can also present just a little enhance in power with out going overboard. As talked about, Roots Focus has a couple of third of the caffeine as a tall Americano, so much less probability of the jitters. Plus, in line with Fabian, coffeeberry can lend to power lifts with out the highs and lows seen with different supplemental sources of caffeine.

Lion’s mane

In response to Fabian, the lively elements of lion’s mane embody erinacines, hericenones, and polysaccharides. Whereas there have not been many human research finished on these components’ impact on the mind, some preliminary animal and in vitro research have discovered erinacines and hericenones could improve manufacturing of the mind’s nerve progress 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 be excessive in beta-glucans—a sort of sugar present in meals like barley, rye, and mushrooms. Beta-glucans could have neuroprotective properties, and will assist with different well being components together with insulin resistance, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome, per a 2012 research within the Journal of Vitamin and Metabolism, all of which might have an effect on the well being of your mind. “That is particularly necessary on condition that as we age, our capacity to generate new neurons declines,” Fabian provides.

Cordyceps

Cordyceps is a sort of fungi utilized in conventional Jap medication 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 power to your muscle mass, per a small November 2020 animal research in Mycobiology. However once more, extra proof is required to substantiate these claims.

Reishi

Reishi—one other sort of mushroom—can be excessive in beta-glucans, which will help help immune well being and general wellness by facilitating well being cell progress and turnover, in line 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 medication 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 will assist enhance temper by serving to the physique handle stress, in line with Fabian and a September 2016 double-blind research in Prescribed drugs.

Rhodiola

Rhodiola rosea is an herb that grows within the chilly mountainous areas of Europe and Asia. It is thought to extend power and psychological capability, resist the results of stress, and assist handle anxiousness and despair, per the Nationwide Heart for Complementary and Integrative Well being (NCCIH).  The adaptogenic herb has over 140 lively 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 enhancing temper. Some animal research have documented the neuroprotective advantages of rhodiola, and salidroside specifically, in line with an April 2016 research in Drug Design, Improvement, and Remedy⁹. Nonetheless, extra analysis is required to substantiate these results in people.

Unwanted effects of purposeful mushrooms

As a lot as I used to be excited to attempt purposeful mushrooms for myself, I additionally needed to know whether or not there have been any dangers to doing so. In response to Dr. Rubin, mushrooms could trigger an allergic response, some GI upset, a rash, and dry mouth (fortunately, I didn’t have any of those unwanted side 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 when you have an autoimmune situation. “Mushrooms may also impression the immune system, which can pose an issue for these with autoimmune situations or taking medication for autoimmune problems,” Dr. Rubin provides.

Plus, lion’s mane is commonly taken for its stimulating impact, so it needs to be taken earlier within the day to keep away from interfering with sleep. Lastly, mushrooms haven’t been studied in youngsters 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.

Backside line: Verify in along with your well being care supplier earlier than including mushroom power drinks to your beverage rotation.

My assessment of Roots Focus

I acquired all 4 flavors of Roots Focus mushroom power 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 possibly can truly style the spice!) and Strawberry Watermelon, which was tremendous refreshing on a scorching summer time morning.

The consuming expertise was fairly completely different from my regular cup of joe. I normally drink my espresso scorching and black, so having an iced fruity drink took some getting used to. That mentioned, should you’re an iced espresso or beverage individual, this can be a nice possibility—it virtually tastes like a Starbucks Refresher.

My morning beverage routine, nevertheless, stayed principally constant. I might begin the day with my standard smoothie, after which onto the power 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 may really feel myself waking up inside half-hour of consuming 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 consuming 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 power stoop).

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

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

The underside line

General, I used to be pleasantly shocked by the impact Roots Focus had on my anxiousness and power ranges; I might by no means thought to make use of a mushroom power drink to assist with this. That mentioned, I discovered myself actually lacking the ritual of consuming espresso within the morning (there’s simply one thing particular concerning the scent of freshly floor beans once 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 like the ritual of grinding recent beans and brewing a mug.

Given the enhance in power that Roots Focus gave me, I can see myself consuming the mushroom power drink at lunchtime to assist with my afternoon power ranges. I at all times lose steam by round 2 or 3 p.m., so this drink might be the afternoon pick-me-up I have to energy via till the top of the day—with out overloading on caffeine late within the day and doubtlessly disrupting my sleep.

If you happen to’re seeking to scale back your caffeine consumption with out sacrificing your power and focus ranges, I might say give a mushroom power drink like Roots Focus a attempt (along with your physician’s “okay,” in fact, particularly when you have an underlying well being situation). It is a purposeful, refreshing drink that gives sustained power with out the caffeine overload, which could be significantly useful for people who usually discover themselves in that afternoon stoop, however do not wish to disrupt their sleep in a while.

—reviewed by Jennifer Gilbert, MD, MPH