***Disclaimer*** It’s always a good idea to talk to your doc before using herbal or other supplements***

You may have seen signs for it at your favorite coffee bar- Chagaccino, a delightful blend of coffee and chaga mushroom powder, cacao, cinnamon, vanilla, monkfruit, and your choice of milk. There are various formulations, but the previous is pretty standard. While chaga mushrooms may be new to your coffee bar, they’ve been around for a long long time.

Why are chaga mushrooms “good” for you? Chaga mushrooms, which have the adorable nickname, “cinder conk,” have been used in folk medicine for thousands of years. There is recent research that supports a wide range of positive effects of this fungus, including, get ready for this!- anticancer/antitumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antithrombotic, uses for diabetes, cosmetic uses, agricultural uses and more (Fordjour et al., 2023). Suppliers tout it as having adaptogenic qualities. Phew! What doesn’t it do??

And what the heck is an adaptogen??? For anyone who, like me, has no idea, an adaptogen is a substance (either man-made or naturally occurring) that help the body deal with stress and respond to physical loads while also increasing mental and physical capabilities (Todorova et al., 2021).

On Memorial Sloan Kettering’s integrative medicine website, they mention the immune-boosting and inflammation-reduction benefits among others (MSKCC, 2023). Holistic providers may be more knowledgeable as far as these supplements go, but definitely talk to your doctor first if you’re taking any blood thinners before trying chaga supplements. More research needs to be done to verify the safety and usefulness of this supplement (MSKCC, 2023).

As far as the chagaccino goes, yes, it does taste pretty good! Is it worth the $7 for a drink? Well, that’s up to you. While I did notice a little boost from my beverage, it could have been the espresso I was noticing. It might be a nice once-a-week treat. You can also buy the powder and mix your own chaggacino’s at home. A 30-serving bag of the mix runs about $45.

References:

Fordjour E, Manful CF, Javed R, Galagedara LW, Cuss CW, Cheema M, Thomas R. Chaga mushroom: a super-fungus with countless facets and untapped potential. Front Pharmacol. 2023 Dec 5;14:1273786. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1273786. PMID: 38116085; PMCID: PMC10728660. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38116085/

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). (2023, February 20). Chaga Mushroom, Purported Benefits, Side Effects & More. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/chaga-mushroom

Todorova V, Ivanov K, Delattre C, Nalbantova V, Karcheva-Bahchevanska D, Ivanova S. Plant Adaptogens-History and Future Perspectives. Nutrients. 2021 Aug 20;13(8):2861. doi: 10.3390/nu13082861. PMID: 34445021; PMCID: PMC8398443. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8398443/