Is Mushroom Coffee Safe During Pregnancy?
Is Mushroom Coffee Safe During Pregnancy? The Honest Answer Is: Ask Your Doctor
By Chris Rea, COO of Mariko Grove · July 2026
Updated August 26, 2026
We sell mushroom coffee for a living, so you might expect a reassuring answer here. You won't get one. Whether mushroom coffee is safe during pregnancy is a question for your OB or midwife, not for a coffee company, and we're not going to tell you it's fine.
There are two reasons, and they stack. Mushroom coffee contains real caffeine, which pregnancy guidance says to limit. And the functional mushrooms in it, Lion's Mane and Chaga, have not been studied in pregnancy at all. This post lays out both honestly, gives you the exact information to bring to your provider, and does not clear our coffee for anyone who is pregnant.
Mushroom Coffee Is Still Coffee
The word "mushroom" makes some people assume the coffee part is diluted or somehow gentler. Sometimes a brand does blend theirs to be lower in caffeine. Ours is not one of them. Mariko Grove is real Arabica coffee with measured amounts of Lion's Mane and Chaga extract added, and the caffeine content is comparable to a standard cup of coffee. The exact amount varies with how you brew it, which is why we say "comparable" rather than quoting a milligram figure.
So the starting point during pregnancy is the same one you'd apply to any coffee: the caffeine counts, and it counts toward whatever limit you and your provider have agreed on. Our live FAQ page gives the same answer, and so does our mushrooms page: if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, we recommend holding off on functional mushroom products until there's more safety data, and talking to your doctor.
What ACOG Says About Caffeine in Pregnancy
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises that people who are pregnant limit caffeine to less than 200 mg a day, which it describes as roughly two 6 oz cups of coffee. ACOG notes that moderate caffeine at that level does not appear to be a major contributing factor in miscarriage or preterm birth, while adding that the relationship between caffeine and fetal growth restriction remains undetermined.
Because our mushroom coffee carries caffeine comparable to a regular cup, a single serving can use up a meaningful share of that 200 mg allowance on its own. That is arithmetic you can do with your provider. But caffeine is only half the question, and on its own it is not the reason we won't clear our coffee for pregnancy. The mushrooms are.
How Much Caffeine Is in Common Drinks?
For context, here is roughly what different drinks contain, using the FDA's published ranges. Keep ACOG's 200 mg pregnancy ceiling in mind as you read the middle column.
| Drink | Typical caffeine | Against the ACOG pregnancy limit (200 mg/day) |
|---|---|---|
| Brewed coffee (8 oz) | 80-100 mg | One cup uses roughly half the day's limit |
| Mariko Grove mushroom coffee (8 oz) | Comparable to a standard cup; varies by brew | Treat it exactly like regular coffee for the caffeine math |
| Espresso (1 oz shot) | ~63 mg | Three shots reach the limit |
| Black or green tea (8 oz) | 30-50 mg | Four cups reach the limit |
| Caffeinated soda (12 oz) | 30-40 mg | Five or six cans reach the limit |
| Decaf coffee (8 oz) | 2-15 mg | Low, but not zero |
Caffeine figures are the FDA's published ranges; individual products vary, so check labels. This table is for the caffeine side of the question only. It does not speak to the mushroom extracts, which is a separate and, in pregnancy, unresolved issue.
The Mushrooms Haven't Been Studied in Pregnancy
Caffeine you can at least measure and budget. The functional mushrooms are different, because the honest state of the evidence is that we don't have it.
The research on Lion's Mane and Chaga, the two mushrooms in every Mariko Grove blend, has been conducted in general adult populations, and it is still early-stage even there. There are no established studies of these extracts in pregnancy or lactation, no established safe amounts, and no data on how they interact with a pregnancy. When a brand implies its mushroom blend is fine while pregnant, ask what that claim is standing on. We're not aware of anything it could stand on.
This lines up with standard guidance on supplements generally. As the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health puts it, there is a lot that is not known about the safety of many dietary and herbal products, in part because a manufacturer does not have to prove a supplement is safe and effective before selling it. The FDA urges pregnant people not to take herbal products without talking to their provider first. Functional mushroom extracts sit squarely in that category.
What "Not Studied" Actually Means
It's worth being precise, because "not studied" is not the same as "known to be harmful."
Absence of evidence is not evidence of harm. There is no finding that Lion's Mane or Chaga causes any problem in pregnancy. But there is also no finding that they're safe, and pregnancy is specifically the time when most providers advise against experimenting with unstudied substances. The reasonable posture with an unstudied botanical during pregnancy is caution by default, which is exactly the posture we take: hold off, and ask.
What About Breastfeeding?
The answer is the same, for the same reasons. Lion's Mane and Chaga extracts have not been studied in lactation, and there's no data on whether or how their compounds pass into breast milk. Caffeine does pass into breast milk in small amounts, which is a known factor your provider can help you weigh. As with pregnancy, this is a conversation for your doctor, lactation consultant, or midwife, and we don't market our coffee as suitable while nursing.
The Practical Answer: Bring the Label to Your Provider
Here's where a transparent brand should actually be useful. The right way to make this decision is to sit down with your OB, midwife, or a pharmacist, and the best thing you can bring them is exact ingredient information.
That's part of why we publish third-party lab results for our coffee base and keep our labeling specific rather than vague. If you want to have the conversation, our lab reports page and our mushrooms page lay out what's in the blend and what the coffee base is tested for, so your provider is deciding from facts rather than guesswork. The complete ingredient list for each format is on the ground mushroom coffee and instant mushroom coffee pages, ready to bring to the appointment. A wellness product earns trust by handing you the information and pointing you to the right expert, not by telling you what you want to hear.
Keeping the Ritual While You Wait
If mushroom coffee is off the table for now, the part worth keeping is the ritual itself: the warm mug and the few quiet minutes before the day starts. That doesn't have to pause.
Many people reach for lower-caffeine or caffeine-free warm drinks during pregnancy, and plenty of decaf and non-coffee options exist. One caution: some herbal teas carry their own pregnancy considerations, so treat any specific drink the same way you'd treat our coffee and run it by your provider first. And the mushroom question isn't closed forever, it's just deferred: whether functional mushrooms fit back into your routine postpartum is, again, a decision to make with your doctor when the time comes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is mushroom coffee safe during pregnancy?
That's a question for your OB or midwife, and we don't clear our coffee for pregnancy. Mushroom coffee contains real caffeine (ours is comparable to a regular cup), which ACOG advises limiting to under 200 mg a day in pregnancy, and the functional mushrooms in it, Lion's Mane and Chaga, have not been studied in pregnancy at all. Bring the ingredient information to your provider and decide together.
Does mushroom coffee have less caffeine than regular coffee?
Not necessarily. Some brands blend theirs to be lower in caffeine, but Mariko Grove mushroom coffee is comparable to a standard cup of coffee, with the exact amount varying by brewing method. Never assume a mushroom coffee is low-caffeine; check the specific brand's information, and count it toward any pregnancy caffeine limit exactly as you would regular coffee.
Are Lion's Mane and Chaga studied in pregnancy?
No. There are no established studies of Lion's Mane or Chaga extracts in pregnancy or lactation, no established safe amounts, and no data on how they interact with a pregnancy. Standard guidance is to avoid unstudied botanical supplements during pregnancy unless your provider advises otherwise, which is why we recommend holding off and asking your doctor.
Can I drink mushroom coffee while breastfeeding?
Take that to your provider. The mushroom extracts haven't been studied in lactation, and there's no data on whether their compounds pass into breast milk. Caffeine does pass into breast milk in small amounts. We don't market our coffee as suitable while nursing, so the safe path is a conversation with your doctor or lactation consultant.
Is any amount of mushroom coffee safe in pregnancy?
We won't name a safe amount, because for the mushroom extracts there isn't the evidence to set one. The caffeine can be budgeted against ACOG's under-200 mg guidance with your provider, but the unstudied mushroom component is the reason we don't clear our coffee for pregnancy at any amount. Your OB or midwife is the right person to make that call with you.
The Bottom Line
Is mushroom coffee safe during pregnancy? We won't say yes, because we can't. Ours carries the caffeine of a regular cup, which pregnancy guidance says to limit, plus mushroom extracts that simply haven't been studied in pregnancy. The honest answer, and the one a careful provider would give, is to hold off until you've talked it through with your OB or midwife, ingredient label in hand.
If you'd like to have that conversation from real information, our lab reports and our mushrooms pages lay out exactly what's in the blend, and everything we make sits in one place in our mushroom coffee collection, so you can look over the blends before that conversation, not after it. And if you're wondering about the rest of your household, our companion guide covers whether kids can drink mushroom coffee with the same honest posture.
About the Author
Chris Rea is the COO of Mariko Grove, overseeing operations, sourcing, and shipping logistics. He ensures every batch of mushroom coffee is handled with care from warehouse to doorstep.
Medical Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your OB-GYN, midwife, or healthcare provider about caffeine, dietary supplements, and functional mushroom products during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Statements regarding mushroom coffee products have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.