By Dr. Fabiano de Abreu Agrela Rodrigues, Post-PhD in Neuroscience, specialist in Behavioral Genomics and Clinical Nutrition.
The proposal of combining coffee, Hericium erinaceus (lion’s mane mushroom), and honey as a cognitive optimization strategy seems promising from the perspective of applied neuroscience. However, caution is warranted. Stimulating the brain is different from knowing when, how much, and whom to stimulate. Human neurochemistry is not standardized. Just as each fingerprint is unique, so is the brain’s response to bioactive combinations.
Below, I analyze the possible effects of this triad on different neurological and psychobehavioral profiles, based on my clinical practice and translational research.
1. Gifted
Individuals: Individuals with high IQ or high cognitive complexity already exhibit hyperfunctioning in networks such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the default mode network (DMN). The combination analyzed can enhance verbal fluency, working memory, and processing speed. However, there is a fine line between cognitive efficiency and mental overstimulation, which can generate side effects such as executive fatigue, insomnia, and ideational hyperactivity.
“In gifted brains, overstimulation can become sabotage.”
2. Autistic individuals (ASD)
In autism, local hyperconnectivity and functional hypoconnectivity between networks make the brain sensitive to excitatory interventions. Hericium erinaceus, by stimulating nerve growth factor (NGF), can contribute positively in cases with synaptic impairment. Coffee can induce sensory and behavioral hyperstimulation, especially in autistic individuals with comorbid anxiety. Honey can contribute to beneficial inflammatory modulation. However, the combination should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, based on a neurofunctional report.
3. ADHD
In attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, there is dysfunction in the dopaminergic and noradrenergic pathways of the prefrontal cortex and striatum. Caffeine, in light doses, can improve focus in some cases; Hericium contributes to long-term plasticity. The risk lies in uncontrolled use: high doses aggravate impulsivity and disorganization. The glucose in honey can help with short-term tasks, but there is a risk of attentional rebound.
“Poorly timed stimulation in ADHD reinforces dysregulation.”
4. Anxiety Disorders:
Anxious people have hyperactivity of the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis and increased activation of the cerebral amygdala. Coffee can exacerbate symptoms such as tachycardia, sweating, and restlessness. Hericium, on the other hand, has been shown to be anxiolytic in some rodent studies, but its action is slow. The combination can generate paradoxes: cognitive improvement followed by anxiety.
“For anxious individuals, the brain doesn’t need more stimulation, but rather internal coherence.”
5. Dramatic Personality Disorders (Cluster B)
Individuals with borderline, histrionic, or narcissistic traits tend to present emotional self-regulation dysfunctions and oscillate between impulsivity and affective hyperfocus. External stimuli, such as caffeine, amplify emotional and behavioral reactions, while Hericium can affect affective modulation in the medium term. Use of this combination can reinforce emotional peaks and dysphoria.
“Stimuli without emotional containment accelerate collapse.”
6. Typical People (Neurotypicals)
For healthy adults, this triad can be beneficial when used sparingly: improving attention, memory, and motivation at specific times (mornings, before demanding cognitive tasks). However, chronic or excessive use can induce tolerance, irritability, or sleep disturbances. Periodization of use (cyclical use, with breaks) is recommended.
7. Children:
There is insufficient scientific evidence to support the safe use of this combination in children. The neurodevelopmental phase requires delicacy rather than acceleration. Artificially stimulated NGF can interfere with natural pathways of synaptic pruning and cortical maturation.
“Stimulating an immature brain is like playing with an electrical network without a fuse.”
Conclusion:
Not everything that stimulates is beneficial. The triad of coffee + Hericium erinaceus + honey can be an effective resource for cognitive optimization in adults with controlled profiles, as long as it is assessed using nutrigenetic, neurofunctional, and clinical criteria. For other profiles, especially those involving dysfunctions in affective modulation or neurodevelopment, the risks may outweigh the benefits.
Stimulating the brain is an art that requires science. And science without personalization is always inaccurate.
Dr. Fabiano de Abreu Agrela Rodrigues MRSB holds a post-PhD in Neuroscience and is an elected member of Sigma Xi – The Scientific Research Honor Society (more than 200 members of Sigma Xi have received the Nobel Prize), as well as being a member of the Society for Neuroscience in the United States, the Royal Society of Biology and The Royal Society of Medicine in the United Kingdom, the European Society of Human Genetics in Vienna, Austria, and the APA – American Philosophical Association in the United States. He holds a Master’s degree in Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in History and Biology. He is also a Technologist in Anthropology and Philosophy, with several national and international degrees in Neuroscience and Neuropsychology. Dr. Fabiano is a member of prestigious high IQ societies, including Mensa International, Intertel, ISPE High IQ Society, Triple Nine Society, ISI-Society, and HELLIQ Society High IQ. He is the author of more than 300 scientific studies and 30 books. He is currently a visiting professor at PUCRS in Brazil, UNIFRANZ in Bolivia and Santander in Mexico. He also serves as Director of CPAH – Centro de Pesquisa e Análises Heráclito and is the creator of the GIP project, which estimates IQ through the analysis of genetic intelligence. Dr. Fabiano is also a registered journalist, having his name included in the book of records for achieving four records, one of which is for being the greatest creator of characters in the history of the press.