The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?

London Nootropics claims its adaptogenic coffee reduces stress – but does it?

These mushroom and CBD blends promise to help your body adapt to and cope with stress

Dominique Boulan
Wednesday 02 August 2023 16:38 BST
We tried the starter box containing four sachets of each blend, but there are different subscriptions too
We tried the starter box containing four sachets of each blend, but there are different subscriptions too (The Independent)

Whether you’re a natural early bird or need some time to get started, there’s nothing like a steaming cuppa to kickstart your day. While big names such Nespresso or Nescafe probably spring to mind first when thinking of home brew, there are many independent coffee brands that are just as good – if not better.

If you’re looking for a recommendation, enter London Nootropics. It does coffee a little differently than we’re used to, as it uses adaptogens. These are specific mushrooms, herbs and other plants that can help your body adapt to and cope with stress.

While not all the ingredients used have scientific research to back up their effects on humans, some have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. They’re also generally risk-free to use and their benefits range from reducing stress levels to improving memory and brain health. With such bold claims to its name, we tried London Nootropics coffee blends to see if it could live up to the hype.

How we tested

We received a starter box (was £15, now £12 with discount code “MUSHCOFFEE”, Londonnootropics.com), which contained four sachets of each blend available: zen, flow (previously grind) and mojo – equal to 12 cups. Each blend is tailored for specific benefits and while zen should have a relaxing effect, mojo should be more performance-enhancing.

This starter box is a great introduction to the brand and can help you decide which blend works best for your needs, so you can then decide if you want to continue with the mixed box, switch to the mushroom blend box or a full box of one of the individual flavours in the future. There’s also bigger-sized boxes available and monthly subscriptions, which are most cost efficient and could see you save between £3 and £12 per month.

We followed the instructions on the packaging, mixing one sachet with 300ml of hot water, and started tasting. We judged based on flavour, smell, benefits and how these blends compared with our regular morning coffee. After trying each of the blends on its own, we started adding in our favourite plant-based milk. We do recommend avoiding almond milk, as we noticed this resulted in a strange consistency. No cups were consumed past midday, as we didn’t want to cause any sleepless nights.

London Nootropics flow coffee (previously called grind)

Adaptogens
  • Number of sachets: 12
  • Benefits: Said to improve brain health, focus and concentration, mental clarity and both short and long-term memory
  • Main ingredients: Lion’s mane mushroom and Rhodiola rosea

After the first sip, we weren’t sure about the lion’s mane mushroom flavour. We hadn’t tried adaptogenic coffee before and found its flavour was too earthy for our taste. Fast forward to our third sip and we absolutely loved this beverage. Once we got past the initial earthiness, we actually enjoyed its flavour more than regular coffee.

Lion’s mane mushroom has been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times, and can help support memory, focus and concentration, as well as mental clarity and brain health. Research found this mushroom contains two compounds that can stimulate the growth of brain cells. On top of that, it has strong anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immune-boosting abilities. The other main ingredient, Rhodiola rosea – a herb found in the mountains of Europe and Asia – has been used for centuries to treat anxiety, fatigue and depression. Nootropics’ sources the plant from the Altai Mountains in Russia.

If you only want to try one blend of adaptogenic coffee, this is the one we’d recommend. While we can’t say much about benefits for our memory, we definitely didn’t struggle with our afternoon dip during our workday and felt more focused on the tasks at hand too. On top of that, with some plant-based milk added, we really enjoyed the taste of this blend and would choose it over our regular cuppa. If you want to give it a try, use the discount code “MUSHCOFFEE” to benefit from 20 per cent off.

Back to top

London Nootropics zen coffee

London Nootropics zen.png
  • Number of sachets: 12
  • Benefits: Said to help you feel more alert, calm and focused
  • Main ingredients: CBD made from 100% organic hemp and KSM-66 ashwagandha

The name of this blend made us feel a little sceptical, as feeling ‘zen’ is not something that comes to mind when we think of coffee – we tend to associate zen with a yoga session followed by a warm shower and cup of tea on our sofa. Nevertheless, this blend definitely helped us unwind and left us feeling calm, yet focused.

Its main ingredient, CBD, is made from organic hemp and has soothing nutrients that absorb rapidly and claim to help alleviate stress, anxiety and inflammation. The included KSM-66 ashwagandha is an adaptogen that has been used for thousands of years and can help tackle anxiety, enhance memory and cognition, and help adapt to both physical and mental stressors.

Flavour-wise, we thought this blend was quite similar to the flow flavour and we enjoyed drinking it with soy milk. Save 20 per cent off this blend by using the discount code “MUSHCOFFEE”.

Back to top

London Nootropics mojo coffee

Adaptogens
  • Number of sachets: 12
  • Benefits: Said to help improve brain health, strength and vitality, endurance and boost the immune system
  • Main ingredients: Cordyceps and Siberian ginseng

This coffee includes cordyceps – a fungus that can reportedly improve immunity by stimulating cells and specific chemicals in the immune system. It can help increase oxygen flow to muscles as well as help build resistance to fatigue.

Siberian ginseng is also included and is traditionally used to prevent colds and flu and increase energy, longevity and vitality. It’s also used to increase mental alertness and physical performance.

The first time we tried our mojo coffee, we thought it had a real kick, a bit too much, even. We intentionally tried it first on a Saturday morning before heading off to hockey practice, as we thought its benefits would make it a fine pre-workout drink, but by the time we got to our club, we were feeling very jittery. We usually don’t drink coffee before workouts for exactly this reason, so it wasn’t quite the kick we were looking for.

After our initial cup, the effects we experienced were mellower and we made sure to plan ahead before dipping into the remaining sachets prior to our workouts, to make sure any jitters would’ve worn off, but we could still benefit from the extra energy boost.

It’s a bit more chocolatey in taste than the flow and zen mixes, which made it our top choice flavour wise. To benefit from the 20 per cent discount, use the code “MUSHCOFFEE”.

Back to top

The verdict: London Nootropics coffee

We were impressed by London Nootropics’ products, as they gave us all the benefits of our regular morning coffee and then some, without the dip we so often experience once its effects wear off. The branding of this coffee is also appealing, and we loved receiving the neat little box. The sachets are incredibly easy to use as there’s no need for a coffee machine whatsoever, and the result is a very tasty cuppa.

The main downside, in our opinion, is the price – the 12-sachet starter box lasted about two weeks, and with it costing £1.25 per cup (£1 per cup with the discount code), this will definitely cost you over time – for comparison, our usual cups of coffee cost us between 36p and 60p per serving. You can save £15 by ordering a big box of 60 with 20 sachets of each of the blends, or a custom combination, or sign up for a monthly subscription for £12 per box. That said, it’s a very tasty, natural option for anyone who wants to cut back on caffeine, while still enjoying a little extra kick.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in