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If you hate the jittery feeling of drip coffee but still want to start your morning routine strong with an energizing, comforting beverage, you’ve probably come across mushroom coffee as a promising alternative.
Like those who drink powdered greens for the super greens powder benefits, many people like drinking the best mushroom coffee for the purported gut health, immune system boost, and stress reduction benefits of medicinal mushrooms.
RYZE Mushroom Coffee is one such alternative aimed at providing sustained energy without the jitters that can come from your standard cup of joe. Their social media ads are convincing, but is it really worth the price?
Read on to see what the experts have to say in our RYZE Mushroom Coffee review, where we try the product firsthand and give you our honest opinion.
Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider. GGR also recommends choosing a product that has been third-party tested for quality.
The Buzz on Mushroom Coffee From Nutrition Experts
Our expert team consists of fitness and nutrition professionals, including Olympic athletes, registered dietitians, certified personal trainers, certified nutrition coaches, and CrossFit coaches.
We’ve tested dozens of adaptogen-containing supplements from the best greens powders to pre-workouts to electrolyte drinks.
Our product tester for this article was Nicole Davis, CPT, PN1-NC, and GGR head of content. She analyzed RYZE mushroom powder using our supplement testing methodology, which ranks factors on a scale from 1 to 5. These include:
- Price
- Formulation
- Taste
- Solubility
- Side effects
- Third-party testing
- Customer service
To get the best feel for the product, Nicole followed the preparation instructions provided by the brand.
RYZE Mushroom Coffee
RYZE Mushroom Coffee
Product Highlights
- Vegan mushroom coffee with less than half the caffeine of a traditional cup of coffee
- Features California grown mushrooms and Mexican coffee
- No sugar, gluten, dairy, soy or GMOs
- 1% of profits go to teaching mindfulness in schools
- Listed benefits: Improved focus, energy without a crash, supports immune, gut, and digestive health, and optimizes brain function
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 30 Day Guarantee
- 100% recyclable packaging
- Vegan, keto, and paleo friendly
- 6 mushroom blend
Cons
- Only available in the United States currently
- More caffeine than competitors
- Mixed reviews on taste
Bottom Line
Ryze Mushroom Coffee contains both a 6 mushroom blend and coffee. Despite containing coffee the taste still received mixed reviews from people making the switch from traditional coffee. It was described as “earthy” both positively and negatively.
A Quick Look at RYZE Mushroom Coffee
RYZE Mushroom Coffee is an organic blend of dried adaptogenic mushrooms, coffee, MCT oil, and coconut milk. It’s sold as an energizing, gut-friendly alternative to regular coffee that won’t leave coffee lovers feeling jittery or anxious.
According to RYZE Superfoods, their California-grown mushrooms provide health benefits like sustained energy levels, improved focus, immune support, gut health, and stress reduction.
With only 48 milligrams of caffeine, one serving contains half the amount of caffeine you’d find in a cup of coffee or the same amount as a cup of black tea.
Before You Buy
- Contains 48 mg of caffeine per serving
- Available on the RYZE website; only sold by third-party shops on Amazon
- RYZE offers coconut milk creamer to go with it
Is RYZE Mushroom Coffee Worth It?
If you need a caffeine-free coffee alternative, RYZE isn’t the product for you. However, RYZE could be worth it if you’re looking for a relatively affordable, antioxidant-rich coffee alternative with less acidity to help reduce your caffeine intake.
The use of medicinal mushrooms is based on ancient Chinese and Ayurvedic practices, but research on medicinal mushroom benefits1 is mostly limited to animal or petri dish studies. Actual benefits in humans are still unclear, so we don’t know whether RYZE Mushroom Coffee can deliver on its claims.
That said, this product is pretty affordable, so trying it won’t set you back too much.
Great for:
- People seeking a lower-caffeine alternative to coffee
- Those wanting the antioxidant benefits of adaptogenic mushrooms
- People needing an affordable coffee alternative
Not recommended for:
- Those avoiding caffeine
- Individuals who are pregnant or breastfeeding
- People who prefer drinking their coffee black
RYZE Mushroom Coffee Specs
Price per serving | $1.20 |
Standout ingredients | Mushroom Blend (Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Shiitake, Turkey Tail, King Trumpet), Organic Arabica Coffee, MCT Oil, Organic Coconut Milk |
Caffeine content | 48 mg |
Flavors | Mushroom Coffee, Mushroom Matcha |
Third-party tested? | No |
Experience Using RYZE Mushroom Coffee
Whipping up a serving of RYZE Mushroom Coffee was quick and easy, taking no longer than brewing a typical cup of coffee.
Nicole mixed one tablespoon of mushroom coffee powder with 8 ounces of hot water for a warm, comforting beverage. If you’re more of an iced coffee person, you can easily mix it with cold water and add ice.
To round out the experience, RYZE sends a complementary acacia wood spoon with your first order and sells their own dairy-free vanilla probiotic creamer for an additional charge ($30).
Price Per Serving
A 30-serving bag of RYZE Mushroom Coffee costs $36 per bag or $1.20 per serving.
You can usually save some money by signing up for a subscription or waiting for seasonal sales. At the time of writing, for example, RYZE was offering a 40% summer discount. Shipping is free for first-time purchases and on all subscription orders.
Thanks to the low starting price and multiple savings options, we rated RYZE a 5 out of 5 for price. It’s more expensive than brewing your own coffee at home, but could save you money if you’re used to ordering lattes on your way to work.
Formulation
We appreciated that the blend includes six different mushrooms, is free from added sugars and unnecessary food additives, and is made with organic ingredients.
However, we could only rate the formulation a 3 out of 5 since RYZE uses a proprietary blend of mushrooms. This means the amount of each specific mushroom is unclear. We know there are 2,000 total milligrams of mushrooms, but we don’t know how much is cordyceps versus lion’s mane, for example.
It probably contains a good amount of antioxidants from the mushroom blend, so it could help fight oxidative stress, as claimed. However, it contains almost no dietary fiber, which means it’s low in beta-glucans. These soluble fibers are partly responsible for the immune-supporting benefits2 of medicinal mushrooms.
Taste and Solubility
Nicole gave RYZE a 4 out of 5 rating for taste. She didn’t love it enough to replace her usual cup of coffee but said, “I could enjoy this as a warm coffee alternative on winter afternoons when I don’t want as much caffeine. It tastes a little like watered-down instant coffee with hints of earthiness and could be a nice alternative to tea. It’s not as good as coffee, but not bad either.”
Unfortunately, RYZE may not be the best option for people who like to savor their morning beverage slowly. “The powder dissolves well at first, but it starts to settle if you don’t drink it right away,” said Nicole, rating it a 3 out of 5 for solubility.
Side Effects
Nicole used RYZE in place of her regular morning coffee a few times but didn’t notice any significant differences in how she felt.
“I’ve seen lots of reviews where people mention feeling better after drinking RYZE in place of coffee, avoiding the usual caffeine crash. I’ve noticed a slight energy boost from the caffeine, but I don’t feel any different so far,” said Nicole.
Because she didn’t have any negative side effects but also didn’t experience any of the positive side effects touted by the brand, Nicole gave it a 4 out of 5 rating here.
RELATED: Best Stim-Free Pre-Workout
Third-Party Testing
Because dietary supplements aren’t tested for safety or purity by the FDA, we prefer supplements that have been independently tested.
Unfortunately, RYZE doesn’t have third-party testing done for their mushroom coffee. This means you’re basically taking the company at their word that the product is free from contaminants.
And because RYZE uses a proprietary mushroom blend, we’re even less certain about what you’re getting in each bag. This product earned a disappointing 1 out of 5 rating here.
RYZE Mushroom Coffee vs MUD\WTR
Product not found.
Now that we’ve discussed RYZE Mushroom Coffee in detail, you’re probably wondering how it stacks up to the competition. To make choosing the right mushroom coffee easier, we’ve directly compared RYZE to one of its top competitors, MUD\WTR, in the chart below.
For more detailed information on MUD\WTR, check out our full MUD WTR review.
RYZE Mushroom Coffee | MUD\WTR | |
Price per serving | $1.20 | $1.67 without a subscription, $1.33 with a subscription |
Standout ingredients | Mushroom Blend (Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Shiitake, Turkey Tail, King Trumpet), Organic Arabica Coffee, MCT Oil, Organic Coconut Milk | Mushroom Blend (Chaga, Reishi, Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps Mushroom and Mycelium), Cacao, Turmeric, Masala Chai, Himalayan Pink Salt |
Caffeine content | 48 mg | 35 mg |
Flavors | Mushroom Coffee, Mushroom Matcha | Original, Matcha, Turmeric, Rest |
Third-party tested? | No | Yes |
Customer Experience
We gave RYZE a 5 out of 5 rating for their 30-day return policy and “Love It” guarantee, which offers a full refund on your first subscription order, taking the risk out of trying the product and not liking it.
We also appreciate that you can initiate a return by email, sending a DM on social media, or sending them a text.
We only found a couple weak areas in their customer service policies. One is that the “Love It” guarantee doesn’t apply to one-time orders, and the other is that finding the one-time purchase option on the RYZE website is a little difficult. I ended up having to do a Google search to find it.
Customer Reviews
RYZE Mushroom Coffee has an excellent 4.7-star rating on the company’s website.
Most customers love the woodsy flavor, especially when mixed with coffee creamers, cinnamon, oat milk, or cocoa powder to imitate hot cocoa. Some admitted that it took a couple of days to appreciate the taste, and others said it needed sweetener.
Many mentioned feeling more well-rested, sleeping better, feeling energized but not jittery, having less bloating and anxiety, and improved their skin and hair. Others said they didn’t notice any health improvements.
Complaints were rare, limited to a few people who didn’t like the flavor or who felt shipping took too long.
Final Verdict of Our RYZE Mushroom Coffee Review
While we weren’t impressed with the proprietary blend, lack of third-party testing, and so-so solubility, RYZE Mushroom Coffee is made from high-quality ingredients, including six different adaptogenic mushrooms.
It doesn’t have a strong coffee taste, but we (and many other customers) liked the cozy earthiness and the slight energy boost. This could be the right mushroom coffee for you if you:
- Need an affordable, lower-caffeine alternative to coffee
- Don’t mind proprietary blends
- Want a drink you can enjoy hot or iced
- Plan to add milk or creamer
- Feel better when drinking it
Interested in learning more about taking adaptogens? Check out our article on the best time to take ashwagandha.
Full Rating
RYZE Mushroom Coffee
Ryze Mushroom Coffee contains both a 6 mushroom blend and coffee. Despite containing coffee the taste still received mixed reviews from people making the switch from traditional coffee. It was described as “earthy” both positively and negatively.
Product Brand: RYZE
Product Currency: $
Product Price: 45
Product In-Stock: InStock
3.7
RYZE Mushroom Coffee: FAQs
Is RYZE mushroom coffee actually good for you?
RYZE mushroom coffee contains less caffeine than coffee and is rich in mushroom antioxidants. However, its claims of improved energy levels, focus, digestive health, and stress reduction aren’t yet supported by human studies.
What are the side effects of RYZE coffee?
Some RYZE customers report increased energy and focus, while others say they don’t feel any different. Negative side effects aren’t frequently reported by consumers of RYZE coffee.
What is the downside of mushroom coffee?
Some downsides of mushroom coffee are that it doesn’t taste the same as coffee and that adaptogenic mushrooms may not be safe for pregnant or breastfeeding individuals. Cordyceps mushrooms may also interact with blood thinners3 and medications for diabetes and cancer.
Does RYZE really work for weight loss?
RYZE probably isn’t effective for weight loss on its own. To lose weight, the most important thing is to be in a calorie deficit. If you use RYZE in place of higher-calorie coffee drinks, it could be helpful.
Is RYZE FDA approved?
No, RYZE is not FDA-approved since the FDA4 does not approve dietary supplements.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.
References
- Venturella G, Ferraro V, Cirlincione F, Gargano ML. Medicinal Mushrooms: Bioactive Compounds, Use, and Clinical Trials. Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(2):634. Published 2021 Jan 10. doi:10.3390/ijms22020634
- Akramiene D, Kondrotas A, Didziapetriene J, Kevelaitis E. Effects of beta-glucans on the immune system. Medicina (Kaunas). 2007;43(8):597-606.
- Sharma H, Sharma N, An SSA. Unique Bioactives from Zombie Fungus (Cordyceps) as Promising Multitargeted Neuroprotective Agents. Nutrients. 2023;16(1):102. Published 2023 Dec 27. doi:10.3390/nu16010102
- United States Food & Drug Administration. Facts about dietary supplements. FDA website. Last updated May 2023. Accessed 7/24/24.
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