Many people say drinking regular coffee makes them feel wired, anxious, or ultra-jittery. But for those of us who love the taste of coffee and the ritual behind it, quitting this addictive beverage isn’t as easy as it sounds. Caffeine is a stimulant that’s hard to break up with, which has caused many people to seek other alternatives — such as mushroom coffee.
You’ve probably seen it all over your feed and quickly passed over it without understanding how it really works in the body. We chatted with Dr. Darla Karpinsky-Semper, PhD, Director of Research at RYZE, to break down the real reason mushroom coffee delivers energy without the anxiety.
Why caffeine in coffee can trigger anxiety
“Caffeine is a stimulant. It tells your nervous system to “go.” People respond to caffeine differently because of a mix of genetics that influence how quickly you metabolize caffeine and how sensitive you are to its stimulating effects, lifestyle, and habits,” says Karpinsky-Semper. “Your baseline anxiety, how well you slept, how often you drink caffeine, and even the timing and dose all shape your experience. That’s why 90 mg can feel effortless for one person but edgy for someone else.” Unlike traditional coffee, mushroom coffee contains added functional ingredients that help support natural sustained energy without the crash.
The caffeine tipping point
While everybody’s caffeine tolerance varies, there’s a general threshold where caffeine shifts from helpful stimulation to overstimulation. “For most adults, somewhere between 100–200 mg of caffeine enhances alertness and cognitive performance. Beyond that, especially past 300–400 mg per day, we see diminishing returns and increased side effects like jitters, irritability, and sleep disruption,” she shares.
“Our experience at RYZE shows that many people function well with lower caffeine levels than they assume they need. They want clarity and energy, not the spike and crash. That’s why our blends use about half the caffeine of regular coffee. It offers the focus they want without reaching that ‘too much’ threshold.”
Caffeine’s impact on cortisol levels
“If someone is already dealing with chronic stress, adding large amounts of caffeine can compound the load. It becomes less about energy enhancement and more about stress stacking,” says Karpinsky-Semper. Instead, switching to mushroom coffee products that use adaptogenic mushrooms like reishi and lion’s mane in their blends can help promote healthy energy levels.
“Laboratory research suggests reishi may influence stress‑related pathways, rather than directly altering levels of stress hormones like cortisol. Plus, lion’s mane is often linked to improved mood and reduced anxiety, which indirectly can reduce the perception of stress. Functional mushrooms like lion’s mane, cordyceps, reishi, turkey tail, and shiitake don’t stimulate the nervous system directly in the same way caffeine does. Instead, many act as adaptogens or immunomodulators. Their role is regulatory rather than stimulatory.” The goal in switching to mushroom coffee is to move away from forcing alertness and focus on supporting systemic balance to help the body respond better to stress over time.
The misunderstood claims about mushroom coffee
“Although mushrooms might feel trendy right now, but they’ve been used in traditional wellness practices for centuries, Karpinsky-Semper reminds us. “What’s new isn’t the mushrooms – it’s the format. Blending them into coffee simply makes them easier to incorporate into a daily routine people already have.”
