Nowadays, more and more people are looking to a growing organic cacao market for alternatives to traditional coffee. Whether due to coffee’s well-known side effects, pre-existing health concerns, or general wellness reasons, mushroom coffee and mushroom cacao are becoming popular as lower caffeine options which provide a more stable energy boost as compared to your usual morning cup.
But while the ways coffee alternatives like these can be beneficial to your health versus consuming regular coffee are numerous, one we have not yet touched on is whether or not they would be safer to consume during pregnancy. Coffee is one of the many foods that some experts will claim should be consumed in heavy moderation or avoided altogether during pregnancy, but what does this mean for an option that includes half or even less than half the caffeine? Read on to learn more about the implications on mushroom coffee and cacao:
Table of contents
What Are Mushroom Coffee and Mushroom Cacao?
Before fully getting into the effects mushroom coffee may have on pregnancy versus regular coffee, it is important to go over what is different about it in the first place. As the name suggests, mushroom coffee or mushroom cacao is a blend of coffee or cacao and certain medicinal mushrooms or mushroom extracts. These blends can be low or no caffeine, but typically have a lot less caffeine than regular coffee, while also providing potential health benefits via the mushrooms used such as cognitive support and stress relief. These factors are making it a fast-growing, popular alternative.
Can You Drink Mushroom Coffee While Pregnant?
Even with regular coffee, there are conflicting opinions on how, if at all, it can be safely consumed during pregnancy. The science, simply, is not fully conclusive yet, with some research claiming moderate consumption (200mg of caffeine or the equivalent of a 12-oz cup per day) leads to no adverse birth effects, and some saying the exact opposite, that this amount is twice as likely to lead to adverse effects as consuming none at all. The American Pregnancy Association notes that this level of consumption has not been found to lead to negative effects[1], but that is not the same as saying it has been proven safe or that there is no evidence in favor of avoiding it if possible.
Can you drink mushroom coffee while pregnant? With mushroom coffee and cacao, the story is a little different. As stated previously, mushroom coffee’s caffeine content will be half or less than half of regular coffee, so if a safe level of caffeine consumption during pregnancy does exist, this would suggest drinking an equivalent amount of mushroom coffee to be safer. And of course, if what you are consuming is a mushroom cacao blend rather than a coffee one, you will be getting theobromine as a mild stimulant rather than caffeine, which is also likely safer.
Then there are the mushrooms themselves, which even more so than caffeine are not very well-studied for their effect on pregnancy. At the moment, both culinary and medicinal mushrooms are considered not only safe but beneficial[2], but as with all foods and supplements, consulting your doctor and taking individual reactions into account is the way to go. In conclusion, mushroom coffee and mushroom cacao are likely better, healthier options both during and outside of pregnancy. There are trace amounts of caffeine in cacao, which you should be cognitive of, but's usually only 1% of the total raw material. Which means, you would need to eat a lot of cacao for you to get a meaningful amount of caffeine. Also, purple cocoa is a significant antioxidant for the body.
For those who are pregnant, consulting your doctor, always consuming low amounts during pregnant are always the best steps to ensuring the greatest level of safety.
Key Takeaways:
Mushroom coffee blends coffee with popular medicinal mushrooms
Mushroom coffee contains less caffeine, which is usually considered okay in moderation. Same with Cacao
The mushrooms used are considered potentially beneficial during pregnancy
Always consider individual reactions and consult your doctor before introducing new foods
Sources:
[1] https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy/caffeine-and-pregnancy/
[2] https://cornerstonewrc.org/can-you-eat-mushrooms-while-pregnant/
Is Caffeine While Pregnant Considered Okay?
Some experts claim limiting or avoiding caffeine while pregnant as much as possible is the safest, but currently more research needs to be done to prove whether caffeine in moderation causes ill effects during pregnancy. While this does mean caffeine in moderation during pregnancy is often considered okay, consulting your doctor and looking for low or no caffeine alternatives like mushroom cacao may prove beneficial.
Are Medicinal Mushrooms Okay During Pregnancy?
Currently, there is even less research into the effect of medicinal mushrooms during pregnancy, but evidence suggests they may actually be beneficial due to their adaptogenic (stress and anxiety relieving) properties. Still, consult your doctor before introducing any supplemental foods.
How Is Mushroom Coffee Better Than Regular Coffee?
Mushroom coffee is healthier than regular coffee due to containing much less caffeine (none at all if it's a cacao blend) while also containing medicinal mushrooms which can help regulate stress and anxiety while also boosting sleep, focus, and immune health among other benefits.
Phillip McCauley
Phillip McCauley is the owner of Natural Zing and Vital Purple at TheOrganicCacao.com.
Writer / Researcher: Trey Norbey
