No review box found! Insert a valid box ID.

The company has developed a number of instant drink mixes featuring Chaga, Reishi, and Cordyceps mushrooms, and these formulas are targeted at boosting digestion, immunity, relaxation, and/or focus. Several of their products feature common nootropic ingredients combined with mushroom extracts and instant drink mixes like coffee and hot chocolate.

Mushroom Coffee with Cordyceps is one such product, which Four Sigmatic says provides stimulatory effects of caffeine without the jitteriness. Our testers tried out the coffee, reviewing it for both its purported effects and flavor. Read below to see what we found.

The Ingredients

Active Ingredients:

Instant Coffee Powder – Caffeine 40 mg

The world’s most popular stimulant, caffeine reduces drowsiness and sedation by inhibiting adenosine (a nervous system depressant) from reaching receptors in the brain. There are extensive studies on the effects of caffeine on cognition, alertness, and athletic performance.

Strong Mushroom Dual-Extract 500 mg

Siberian Chaga Mushroom Dual-Extract (Inonotus obliquus) – 350 mg

The Chaga mushroom has been used extensively in both Ayurvedic and traditional medicine. The extract is typically prescribed for its diuretic and potentially anti-cancer properties. Four Sigmatic claims the highly alkaline mushroom also helps neutralize some of coffee’s natural acidity and bitterness, resulting in a smoother taste along with increased anti-oxidants properties.

Chaga mushrooms have been used in the past as replacement for coffee during times when it’s in short supply, so it’s not a big surprise that the two could be paired as far as flavor profile.

Cordyceps Dual-Extract – 150 mg

The cordyceps mushroom is an adaptogen that has been used in Chinese and Tibetan medicine as a treatment for numerous ailments, though its exact effects on the body still need to be determined through extensive clinical research. There’s also some early but promising clinical research indicating cordyceps extract has significant anti-fatigue properties, which is one of Four Sigmatic’s main claims about the ingredient.

While previously medicinal cordyceps mushrooms were hatched inside caterpillars, the mushrooms used in the Four Sigmatic’s products are vegan. Their site also contains extensive information about their ingredient extraction processes.

Usage Guidelines

Instant – Add one packet to 7fl oz of hot water.

What Our Testers Say

“The Mushroom Coffee with Cordyceps had me feeling like I’m enjoying a cup of coffee without worrying about bouncing off the walls, and the subsequent crash. My caffeine tolerance is prety low. My limit is usually ¼ cup of coffee before I start feeling off, but I was able to enjoy my whole cup, and the clean energy that came with it. There’s not a ton of caffeine in here, but I still felt effects.”

“I wasn’t crazy about the potency of this when mixed with the full amount of water, but I did feel a nice bit of energy after taking it. I ended up following it with my regular cup of coffee, and also tried mixing it with less water, which got me better results. I would use it again, especially on trips where quality coffee options are limited. Like the company claims, this coffee doesn’t taste acidic at all, or just very mildly so.”

“This was a little too mild for me on its own, so I mixed it in with my cold brew. The flavor was fine, and I do think that the Cordyceps took a bit of my jitters out, maybe not quite on the level of 200mg or so of l-theanine, which I like pairing with caffeine, but it was still noticeable. I will keep adding this to my normal brew for days when I need an extra push and don’t want to feel jumpy.”

“I mixed 1 packet with a vanilla protein shake, and it was amazing. There was a really mild, and sustained wave of energy, with no slump. It was a little too tea-like for me with the full 7 oz of hot water, but it was just right in my shake.”

Brain Wiz Tips

• Four Sigmatic’s Mushroom Coffee mixes well with both cold and hot liquids.
• The taste is mild. Our testers had success mixing it with less water for a stronger taste.
• This supplement contains about half the caffeine as a regular cup of coffee, making this a potentially solid option for those sensitive to caffeine or other stimulants.
• Some of our java junkie testers mixed the powder with hot or cold coffee for a stronger taste and buzz.

<li”>This coffee is noticeably less acidic than plain coffee.

• It tastes like coffee, NOT mushrooms, though the mouth-feel is slightly thicker when mixed with 7 ounces or less of water.
• Individually packaged servings makes it portable and convenient for travel.
• This product is vegan and Non-GMO.

Supplement Summary

Four Sigmatic’s Mushroom Coffee with Cordyceps surprised us and, at least mildly, impressed even our biggest coffee fanatics. It may be a great option for people who do well on smaller amounts of caffeine but would still like the buzz and energy boost with a lower instance of jitters and no crash. The flavor of the coffee is good, albeit extremely mild, it will likely be too light for those accustomed to a stronger brew. Some of our bolder testers mixed it with both protein shakes and coffee with great success. As with any caffeine-containing product, start slow and assess your tolerance before adding additional ingredients.

For our testers, this product performed basically as advertised, promoting an even wave of energy with no crash and no jitteriness. The convenience was also a plus.

The post New Brain Drink? Reviewing Mushroom Coffee with Cordyceps by Four Sigmatic appeared first on Brain Wiz.

Four Sigmatic bills this form of their instant coffee as a productivity boosters with adaptogenic properties. Read on to see if it lived up to the manufacturer’s claims.

The Ingredients

Instant Coffee Powder – 40 mg caffeine

Caffeine doesn’t so much provide the brain/body with energy as it reduces fatigue. Caffeine actually reduces drowsiness and sedation by inhibiting adenosine (a nervous system depressant) from reaching receptors in the brain. There are extensive studies on the effects of caffeine on cognition, alertness, and athletic performance.

Siberian Chaga Mushroom Dual Extract (Inonotus obliquus) – 250 mg

The Chaga mushroom has been used extensively in both Ayurvedic and traditional medicine. The extract is typically prescribed for its diuretic and potentially anti-cancer properties. Four Sigmatic claims the highly alkaline mushroom also helps neutralize some of coffee’s natural acidity and bitterness, resulting in a smoother taste along with increased anti-oxidants properties.

Chaga mushrooms have been used in the past as replacement for coffee during times when it’s in short supply, so it’s not a big surprise that the two could be paired as far as flavor profile.

Lion’s Mane Mushroom Dual Extract (Yamabushitake) – 250 mg

A dietary mushroom that is now being studied for potentially significant cognitive benefits, Lion’s Mane mushroom may act by increasing nerve growth factor by acting on mRNA. It may also promote the growth of myelin, the protective sheath around nerve fibers that helps conduct impulses between neurons. It may also be neuroprotective in that it could reduce the death rate of certain neurons. In another human study, it was also linked with reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Overall, the current clinical research on Lion’s Mane suggests its potential as a powerful neuroprotective and protector against cognitive decline, but only when taken consistently and in doses much higher than what’s available in Four Sigmatic’s Mushroom Coffee with Lion’s Mane. However, it’s unknown at this point what the minimum effective dose is for this supplement.

Wild Tibetan Rhodiola Extract (water and ethanol extract) – 100 mg

A noted adaptogen with few (if any) noted side effects, rhodiola is an herbal extract shown to boost physical and mental endurance while reducing the perceived symptoms of stress. Rhodiola fights fatigue, and there’s some anecdotal evidence it boost the effects of stimulants like coffee. Generally, a very large amount of rhodiola (over 600 mg) does not seem to boost the ingredient’s effects and may actually reduce them; with rhodiola, less may in fact be more for some users, and some clinical studies have seen effectiveness at doses under 100mg. It’s also a headlining ingredient in stimulant-free stacks like RISE by Nootrobox.

Several of our BrainWiz testers enjoy pairing rhodiola with coffee for a cognitive and energy boost. While several supplements we’ve reviewed include a rhodiola-caffeine pairing, including Neurorise, this is the first coffee product we’ve seen with the herb included.

Usage Guidelines

Add one packet to 7fl oz of hot water or blend into your favorite smoothie.

What Our Testers Say

“This coffee is very mildly caffeinated (Four Sigmatic says it has about half the caffeine of normal coffee), and when I tried their Cordyceps blend, I actually ended up mixing it with cold brew to get more caffeine. But after trying this version, I felt a bit more in the sense of sustained energy, or at least less fatigue throughout the day than I normally do. The effect was somewhat similar to their Cordyceps coffee, but moreso. It’s also a convenient way to get rhodiola and coffee in one supplement, which is something I normally combine on my own up to twice a day.”

“I’ve played around with the best way to mix Four Sigmatic’s blends, and I’ve settled on putting them in protein shakes. I felt less of an energy boost than with the cordyceps version, but this one definitely kept me calm after I took it. The taste seemed similar to their other mushroom coffees, if you don’t like earthy tastes, may not be the best option for you.”

“I have a fairly low caffeine tolerance, and I enjoyed this lightly caffeinated coffee about as much as Four Sigmatic’s Mushroom Coffee with Cordyceps (which is to say, a significant amount). I’ve been taking Rhodiola for years, and I’ve learned it doesn’t take much to give me an added sense of calm in the face of stress. Overall, this blend worked well for me. It’s not the tastiest drink to start the day, but when paired with breakfast, which I always try to do on the occasions when I drink coffee, I really liked this blend. The packets are also really convenient for travel, I’m tossing a few in my toiletries bag for work trips.”

“I didn’t experience any energy boost from this, but I like the taste (not very acidic, so good for the first cup in the morning). It’d be a solid option to keep at my desk when I don’t have time to run out for coffee, but I might experiment with taking two packets at once.”

BrainWiz Tips

• Four Sigmatic’s Mushroom Coffees mix well with both cold and hot liquids.
• This is a mild coffee that tastes far less acidic than most others we’ve tried.
• Has a slightly earthy taste.
• Four Sigmatic’s mushroom coffees are vegan and Non-GMO.
• A convenient option for travel with the portable, single-serving packs.
• A few of our testers experimented with mixing this into shakes and other drinks (which Four Sigmatic recommends trying). It was a welcome addition to vanilla or chocolate protein shakes as far as taste, texture, and effect.
• Like their other mushroom coffees, the taste is mild. Our testers had success mixing it with less water for a stronger taste.
• This supplement contains about half the caffeine as a regular cup of coffee, making this a potentially solid option for those sensitive to caffeine or other stimulants.

Supplement Summary

Four Sigmatic’s Mushroom Coffee with Lion’s Mane was generally well received by our testers, who appreciated its mild taste and calming effect. While we’re slightly skeptical this amount of Lion’s Mane can significantly boost cognition with one serving, we enjoyed the rhodiola-caffeine pairing for a stress-fighting combo. We recommend new users experiment with various ways to mix or prepare this coffee, including protein shakes and both hot and cold preparations.

For its cost and ingredient profile, Mushroom Coffee with Lion’s Mane provides solid value for its cost-per-serving in a travel-friendly and convenient delivery system.

The post Adaptogen Coffee? Mushroom Coffee with Lion’s Mane by Four Sigmatic appeared first on Brain Wiz.