Mushroom Coffee vs. Matcha: Which One Supports Calm Focus Better?

Introduction: Two Popular Drinks, One Big Question

Looking for focus without overstimulation? Mushroom coffee and matcha both claim to do the trick, but their profiles differ in terms of adaptogens, l-theanine, caffeine, antioxidants, and more. Not to mention the question of taste and side effects. 

Let’s put mushroom coffee and matcha head-to-head to help you brew the best calm focus drink for your lifestyle.

What Is Mushroom Coffee? 

Mushroom coffee is a blend of coffee and functional mushrooms. It usually comes in a powdered form that you can mix with milk or water. Its taste is typically earthy to umami.

Popularly used mushrooms in coffee include:

Lion’s Mane: A mild-tasting mushroom that has been studied for its ability to promote stress relief, mood enhancement, and better cognitive function. 

Chaga: The Chaga mushroom is commonly used in supplements to lower cholesterol and boost immunity. 

Reishi: Reishi is known for its relaxing qualities, often added to coffee (and tea). Historically, Reishi has been used for thousands of years in herbal medicine and various cuisines. People have reported feeling decreased nausea, depression, and fatigue after consuming Reishi. 

Cordyceps: With a potential to improve heart health and offer other benefits, Cordyceps is common in both foods and medicines. However, some people experience stomach discomfort after ingesting Cordyceps, so it is not as popular in coffee as other adaptogenic mushrooms. 

(We also go in-depth into each mushroom’s benefits, so scroll down for more information.) 

What is mushroom coffee for 

Mushroom coffee offers balanced stimulation with adaptogens. It has lower caffeine than traditional coffee. 

Designed for: 

• Focus
• Stress support
• Smooth energy

History of mushroom coffee

In the 1940s, Finland faced a shortage of regular coffee. People started using mushrooms as a wartime substitute ingredient. However, it wasn’t until the 2010s that mushroom coffee really entered the modern coffee industry with Four Sigmatic. 

Since then, dozens of mushroom coffee brands have popped up, offering different supplementary health benefits, tastes, and mushroom choices. Wellness enthusiasts pushed it to the forefront of people’s minds in an effort to mindfully consume. 

What Is Matcha?

Matcha is a type of green tea. It comes in powdered form and is made from shade-grown leaves. 

Matcha contains:

L-theanine: An amino acid found naturally in tea and mushrooms. It promotes calm focus and relaxation. 

Caffeine: A cup of matcha has on average 30 mg per gram, which means you could be taking in anything from 30 mg to 100 mg of caffeine in a cup. Compared to other teas, matcha has a surprising amount of caffeine. It generally comes with fewer caffeine jitters than regular coffee, but it can keep you awake.

Benefits of matcha 

Matcha can provide a smooth, meditative focus. Its main benefits are:

• Zen-like alertness
• Stable energy
• Antioxidants

History of matcha

Legends say that in the 1100s, a Zen Buddhist monk brought tea seeds to Japan. “The way of the tea” became popular in Japan, with the ceremonial tea leaves being powdered, whisked with a bamboo brush into boiling water, and then drunk instead of strained. In Japan, matcha is grown with strict, laborious production standards, one of them being that the tea has to come from shade-grown plants. Because of all the rules surrounding matcha, it is relatively expensive compared to other types of tea. 

How Caffeine Affects Focus (and Anxiety)

Many people love caffeine. All around the world, it’s a part of morning rituals, community bonding, and desserts. 

Caffeine increases alertness via stimulating the central nervous system. 

Unfortunately, if you drink too much coffee, you can end up with:

• Jitters and heart palpitations
• Racing thoughts
• Cortisol spike
• Insomnia or sleep disruption 

Both mushroom coffee and matcha offer lower, smoother energy boosts when compared to coffee. 

Adaptogens in Mushroom Coffee: Focus Without Stress

Mushroom coffee aims to bring calm focus via stress resilience and gentle stimulation. Let’s look at the research behind each type of mushroom commonly found in mushroom coffee. 

Lion’s Mane:

Lion’s mane has been used for enhancing productivity because it can give you better concentration and overall health. 

Researchers have also studied how lion’s mane offers neuroprotective qualities and cognitive benefits. It may support brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). 

Reishi:

Reishi is often used for its ability to calm the nervous system. There was a study with over 1300 cancer patients who ingested Reishi for a few months. Over half of the patients reported feeling less fatigued and less depressed. Research also suggests that Reishi can lower stress-induced cortisol output. 

Chaga:

Chaga is rich in antioxidants, which can protect your body by neutralizing unstable free radicals (which are harmful in numerous ways). By consuming a healthy amount of antioxidants, you can protect your cells from daily damage. 

While more research is needed, Chaga has been used for many purposes, from anti-cancer medicines to diabetes treatment. The potential is there, making it an exciting research focus for many scientists. 

Cordyceps:

Cordyceps can boost your stamina without causing overwhelming, jittery stimulation. Not all species of Cordyceps are considered suitable for herbal drugs and regular consumption. 

When consumed safely, Cordyceps can also help prevent kidney disease and improve kidney health. 

L-Theanine in Matcha: The Calm-Focus Powerhouse

Matcha is theanine-rich green tea. The l-theanine found in it can provide significant relaxation and stress relief. It has also been found to enhance alpha brain waves, which also provides a “flow state” sort of calm. 

By ingesting a healthy amount of matcha in your diet, you can:

• Feel relaxed without getting drowsy
• Enjoy a low level of caffeine that provides smoother mental clarity
• Enter “flow state” more easily
• Reduces the odds of caffeine jitters

Caffeine Showdown: Mushroom Coffee vs. Matcha

Mushroom coffee: ~30–75 mg caffeine/cup

Matcha: ~30–50 mg per serving (varies by grade)

Regular coffee: ~95–150 mg 

Matcha and mushroom coffee both tend to keep caffeine levels moderate to be more calming and avoid the jitters of a traditional cup of joe.

In reality, how much caffeine is in your pack of coffee depends entirely on how many grams you add to your brew and how much your matcha or coffee brand adds. Some formulations are meant to give you a huge jolt of energy, almost like an energy drink–these can have a heavy amount of caffeine. 

Check your mushroom coffee or matcha’s level of caffeine before buying, especially if you’re caffeine sensitive. 

Is there decaf matcha and decaf mushroom coffee?

Yes. You can choose a decaffeinated version of your chosen blend, which has either no caffeine or drastically lower levels. Decaf can taste different, though, so be ready for that. 

Focus Impact: Which Helps You Concentrate Better?

Mushroom Coffee:

High quality mushroom coffee is usually good for productivity-driven focus. If you want a new morning routine before work, mushroom coffee excels at preparing you for your upcoming tasks. 

Adaptogenic mushrooms have the potential to enhance your memory and concentrate better on problem-solving. Work, studying, and creative projects can benefit from routine consumption of mushroom coffee. 

Matcha:

Looking for mindfulness support and a meditative calm? Matcha is better for promoting a relaxed “flow state” where you are in tune with yourself. Compared to mushroom coffee, matcha tends to be better for contemplative work and creative brainstorming. If you want concentrated focus for a task, mushroom coffee is better. 

Calm Impact: Which Keeps You More Zen?

Mushroom Coffee:

Reishi and Chaga mushrooms can provide meaningful stress relief. The low caffeine levels can reduce cortisol spikes–however, if you’re extra sensitive to caffeine, you may still feel some jitters. In general, mushroom coffee is good for creating a sense of calm alertness: perhaps not as zen as matcha. 

Matcha:

The l-theanine in matcha can induce both physical and mental relaxation. By choosing a low caffeine level matcha, it can feel more soothing, ritualistic, and zen than mushroom coffee.

Energy Profile: Slow Burn vs. Smooth Clarity

Mushroom coffee

Mushroom coffee can provide more stamina and a smooth energy boost that lets you stay alert throughout the day. 

Matcha

Matcha provides mental clarity that enables you to feel more calm and mindful. This tranquil clarity may be able to help you tackle mentally-draining challenges in your life. 

Either way, mushroom coffee and matcha are both better at avoiding jitters and energy crashes than coffee. 

Matcha vs Mushroom Coffee: Who Should Choose Which 

Choose Mushroom Coffee if you:

Prefer productivy boosting, task-oriented focus. A lot of people with ADHD report feeling better productivity after drinking mushroom coffee. 

Want adaptogens in their diet. A lot of people aren’t taking in adaptogens elsewhere in their diet, so the stress-relieving mushrooms can be a valuable source of stress relief.

Want a coffee-like flavor. Mushroom coffee tastes like coffee, so if you’re a coffee lover, it’s your best bet as a coffee substitute. 

Choose Matcha if you:

Prefer meditative clarity. Mindfulness, meditation, relaxation… these are all easier to do if you choose matcha. 

Want the benefits of l-theanine. While many mushroom coffees contain l-theanine, matcha is more of the classic l-theanine booster. 

Have anxiety around caffeine. This is much more common than you might expect. A lot of people experience caffeine jitters and worsened anxiety symptoms after ingesting a cup of coffee. Just double check you’re choosing a brand of matcha that has low caffeine levels. 

Want a green tea flavor. Matcha tastes similar to other green teas. 

Enjoy tea rituals. Ceremonial tea has a lot of fascinating culture behind it. Matcha lets you host tea ceremonies. 

Who Should Avoid Which Drink?

Mushroom Coffee:

Some adaptogens can interact with medications. If you have any health concerns, are pregnant, or are taking any medications, be sure to check with your physician before starting a new coffee ritual.  

The taste of mushroom coffee may be too earthy if you are sensitive to its taste. However, you can choose a mushroom coffee brand that uses mild-tasting mushrooms as the main ingredients, such as lion’s mane. 

Matcha:

Matcha contains oxalates. Too much oxalate can result in an increased kidney stone risk. If you have any kidney stone concerns, you may wish to avoid matcha. 

In addition, the taste of matcha can be too grassy or strong for some palates. 

Can You Drink Mushroom Coffee & Matcha Together?

Yes, especially in different parts of the day. Here’s an example routine of what I personally do. 

I drink a hot cup of Everyday Dose matcha in the morning for calm clarity that is pleasant to drink. 

Later on after midday, if I feel I need that extra boost of productivity, I take out my ice cubes and drink some iced Atlas+ mushroom coffee. 

You can also alternate your routine based on mood or workload. Just be careful of how much caffeine you’re ingesting. Healthy adults should not consume more than 400 mg a day according to the Food and Drug Administration. 

Conclusion: And the Winner Is…?

Both mushroom coffee and matcha support focus and relaxation, but in different ways. Mushroom coffee offers adaptogenic stress-relief and smooth productivity boosts, while matcha promotes l-theanine health benefits and zen clarity.

Your health matters. Choosing high-quality blends makes a difference. Check out our curated list of the best mushroom coffee of 2026.