One of my favorite aromas in the world is the smell of fresh brewed coffee! It awakens the senses, energizes the body and is deeply satisfying. The bold scent of coffee in the morning is a symbol of a fresh start to a new day, just waiting for you to crush your goals! Ok, that might not be every single day, but when I treat myself to a coffee (and that’s what it is for me) it’s usually because I want a little extra pep in my step. 

In my opinion, coffee is good in moderation. It’s very acidic in nature and in certain individuals, like myself, it can be unfavorable to your microbiome and your gut integrity and function. Catechols are components in coffee that can stimulate molecular mechanisms of stomach secretion in human stomach cells (source: American Chemical Society, ACS). These chemicals, as well as caffeine, can cause the stomach to overproduce acid in some people with coffee sensitivities. 

No need to worry though! There is some hope for us sensitive folks. There’s a component in coffee, especially in dark roasted beans, that’s called N-methylpyridium (NMP). This compound has been researched and found to provide a way to reduce or avoid stomach irritation. Amazing! However, it’s only in the dark roasted beans.

One of my favorite go-to coffee brands is Four Sigmatic. They use healing mushroom blends in their coffees that can help boost natural energy, ease your adrenals and support major focus. Lions mane and chaga are mushrooms that help maintain a balanced mind without the jitters or that terrible mid-day crash. It’s like adding a health booster to your morning ritual. They only use organic fair trade single origin Arabica coffee beans. Some of their coffees include reishi mushroom and cordyceps, both of which have powerful properties! Reishi mushrooms have beta-glucans, triterpenoids polysaccharides and antioxidants! Let’s look at what all of these compounds can do for humans.

Reishi Benefits:

• Combat fatigue 
• Increases energy 
• Fight cancer cells
• Healthy for the gut
• Boost immune system
• Reduce free radicals
• Prebiotic compounds
• Boost mood and fight depression
• Help maintain healthy stress levels
• Possible benefits related to coronary heart disease 

Cordyseps Benefits:

• Fight fatigue
• Increase libido
• Boost immunity
• Combat kidney disease 
• Anti-aging antioxidants 
• May help fight inflammation
• Increase exercise performance
• Potentially slow growth of tumors
• May help manage type 2 diabetes 

Chaga Benefits:

• Boosts immunity
• Very high in fiber
• Increases gut health
• Combat heart disease 
• Loaded with antioxidants
• Can lower blood sugar levels 
• Reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol
• Decreases chronic inflammation
• Increases HDL (good) cholesterol
• Triterpene compounds fight cancer cells

Lions Mane (The King) Benefits:

• Boosts immunity
• Protects against ulcers 
• May protect against dementia
• Reduces risk of heart disease 
• Helps manage symptoms of diabetes 
• May contain cancer fighting components 
• Reduces inflammation + oxidative stress 
• Helps relieve mild symptoms of depression + anxiety 
• May speed recovery of injuries to the nervous system 

That’s a lot of extra benefits added to your morning cup of Joe! Four Sigmatic also has a delicious Adaptogen Blend Mix with Ashwaganda (will help ease stress and adrenal fatigue). I really like their Mushroom Hot Cocoa with Reishi as well (this will help relax you before you drift off to dreamland). Please reach out with any questions! I hope you enjoy my recommendations 🙂

Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you 🙂