Is adaptogenic coffee the wellness upgrade YOU need? Our team put it to the test - here's what they really thought
Have you ever drunk a third coffee by mid-morning only to crash hours later, buzzing and questioning whether the jittery high was worth it?
Caffeine is best known for boosting alertness, but it also infamously spikes cortisol, the body's stress hormone, which can leave us feeling more frazzled than focused.
Enter: adaptogenic coffee, the wellness trend that claims to give you the boost without the burnout. Packed with functional mushrooms and herbs, this new wave of brews promises energy and calm in one cup.
To find out if it's all hype or actually helpful, we challenged our shopping team to swap their usual flat whites and cold brews for adaptogenic coffee brand London Nootropics for one full week.
With blends from the brand costing as little as £0.67 per cup, which is far cheaper than your daily Starbucks, could this be the smarter way to start your day? Here's what we discovered.
Layla Turner - Commerce Writer and Content Creator
I've not drank an actual coffee in over a year since I made the switch to matcha, a decision I made to combat caffeine-induced anxiety.
I've been curious about mushroom coffee for some time, as I often miss the taste of my daily brew - but would it really be possible to cure my cravings without the unwanted effects?
Mojo Coffee from London Nootropics contains only six per cent roasted coffee, alongside Siberian ginseng, and, you guessed it cordyceps (you know, the things on The Last Of Us that take over the world).
The Mojo blend is earthier (a side effect of the cordyceps) than what I'm used to, and has a slight bitterness to it, though when I stirred in a cheeky half spoon of honey, it certainly hit the spot.
The moment of truth for me would be if I experienced any post-caffeine anxiety, and I'm pleased to say, the jitters never came.
I'm not sure I felt as energised as I normally would after a proper cup of joe, but if you're looking for an alternative for dealing with the post-lunch slump, I found this made me feel more alert and able to focus more easily.
For me, I'd give it a 7/10 for 6.5/10 for taste, and a 7.9/10 for energy.
Lydia Wheatley - Senior Commerce Writer
As an avid coffee drinker, I was super excited to try out these adaptogenic coffee s, especially if it meant getting some extra perks from the pretty intriguing ingredients list.
Hoping to get an energy boost to help me tackle my daily workload, I opted to try out Flow – a focus and clarity-enhancing coffee made with Hifas da Terra Lion's Mane mushroom and Rhodiolife® Rhodiola Rosea.
Having tried 'enhanced' coffees in the past and finding the flavour distasteful (muddy and tart), I was pleasantly surprised to find that this one simply tasted of, well, coffee.
The contents of the coffee sachet looked, smelled and tasted like your run-of-the-mill 'soluble' coffee, which I found pleasant as a black coffee drinker, and while it doesn't quite match up taste-wise to my daily drip, it certainly had me feeling more enhanced.
Drinking a mug at around 2pm, I found myself feeling more awake, switched on and mentally willing to work within half an hour.
Where I would usually be struggling with an afternoon slump, I was instead left feeling far more focused and able to string sentences together.
I'll definitely try this coffee again when I need to really buckle down. It's quick and easy to make, tastes good, and gives me a bigger, better boost than my mug of drip ever has.
Danielle Amato - Lifestyle and Consumer Reviews Writer
I have a twice-daily coffee habit, and while I enjoy the taste, it doesn't always make me feel great. I swapped my usual coffee with London nootropics to see if it made any difference.
The three flavours I tried included Zen with Ashwagandha, Mojo with cordyceps and Flow with Lion's Mane.
While I can't say I noticed any specific benefits after testing, I did genuinely feel less sluggish than usual.
Surprisingly, I preferred it to my usual instant coffee (Nescafe Azera) and found it to be super smooth and easy to dissolve.
It wasn't bitter or harsh, and I could enjoy it without milk. There was also no mushroom taste whatsoever.
While I'll never ditch my espresso machine, I would consider swapping out my usual instant with London Nootropics.
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