Written by Margaret (Maggie) Prosser, BS, CPT

What are functional mushrooms?

Functional mushrooms, also known as adaptogenic mushrooms, are edible fungi with potential health benefits. Functional mushrooms have been used for centuries, dating back to almost 200 B.C. Traditional Chinese medicine utilizes the fungi to aid in healing and promoting good health.

What is Ryze Mushroom Coffee?

Ryze Mushroom Coffee was created by two previous Harvard undergraduates that wanted to change the cycle of drinking coffee to get from one day to the next after entering their professional careers. Ryze’s website claims the mushroom coffee “delivers calmer energy, sharper focus, and immune support” and no jitters or crash when the effects wear off. They offer mushroom coffee and mushroom matcha both. Everyday Dose© and MUD\WTR® are additional companies that sell comparable products.

What is in Ryze Mushroom Coffee?

Ryze’s coffee option is a blend of six functional mushrooms detailed below and Arabica coffee. One serving of Ryze has 15 calories and one gram of carbohydrates. The drink has 48 milligrams of caffeine, about half of one cup of regular black coffee.

How is the flavor?

Personally, I did not love the taste of Ryze. But I am biased; I love my morning cup of coffee. I tried their mushroom coffee three ways: 1) with ice water only, 2) half ice water + half iced coffee, and 3) half iced water + half iced coffee + cold Fairlife vanilla protein shake as the creamer. The water only test was very earthy and bitter, especially without any creamer. (I am a plain black coffee gal.) The half water and half coffee option did not change the flavor of my iced black coffee much. I tasted very little difference. Half and half would be a clever way to reduce your caffeine slowly. I could get behind water and coffee with a dash of protein shake! This way you would know you are still getting some caffeine (and a little extra protein) in the morning.

Does it really work?

My biggest apprehension to recommending any supplement is the amount of peer-reviewed research trials performed. Some of these mushrooms had more research available than others.

Cordyceps: Ryze claims their coffee reduces fatigue.

From my research, cordyceps have been shown to provide an anti-fatigue effect during exercise in mice, but no human studies have been published. Our normal morning coffee is not necessarily an anti-fatigue agent. Coffee works by blocking the receptor that makes us tired. It is not actually giving us extra energy.

Aiming to get seven to nine hours of sleep per night is the best way to reduce fatigue. Your body needs adequate sleep to rest and repair muscles. A well-rounded diet and regular physical activity can decrease feelings of fatigue.

Reishi: Ryze claims their coffee reduces stress.

Reishi was more interesting. Results of a study in India concluded that mice given 200 mg/kg of G. lucidum (Reishi) had similar effects of 2 mg/kg diazepam, an anti-anxiety drug. The researchers' methods are open to interpretation due to the specific test used for mice here. Keep in mind this is just one study.

Managing stress must be part of a daily routine in our busy, high demand world. Try tools like meditation, journaling, going outside on a walk, or enjoying your favorite hobby. Set a designated time every day that is all for you!

Lion’s Mane: Ryze claims their coffee improves memory.

Lion’s Mane started sounding more promising. I was able to find a double-blind pilot study testing 4.8 milligrams of Lion’s Mane’s effect on cognitive function, stress, and mood on healthy young adult participants for 28 days. I was surprised by this because studies I had seen previously were always in compromised cohorts. Researchers found participants performed significantly better on the test given 60 minutes after oral intake. Be cautious with these results though. The sample size was small, consisting of just 41 people. Lion’s Mane was not specifically studied for memory in the previously mentioned study. Ryze’s claim likely comes from the link between cognitive function and memory, but they are not the same.

Memory is improved through the same lifestyle changes that decrease the risk for heart disease and stroke. Moving your body, maintaining a healthy diet and weight, quitting smoking, and getting adequate sleep are all ways to improve your memory.

Turkey Tail: Ryze claims their coffee has anti-viral properties.

When I first read “anti-viral properties” on their website, I was skeptical. I struggled to find research specifically about anti-viral properties, but immune function was studied in women with breast cancer post-treatment. For an immunocompromised individual, Turkey Tail may improve immune function after cancer treatment.

So many healthy habits’ benefits go beyond what they are commonly known for. Almost all the habits listed above to improve memory can also protect and strengthen your immune system.

King Trumpet: Ryze claims their coffee promotes gut health.

King Trumpet has been tested in obese rats with fatty liver disease to analyze if supplementation of it will modulate the colon’s microbiota and concentration of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body. This mushroom supplement was shown to enhance the growth of beneficial bacteria that produced SCFAs and decrease the the abundance of pathogenic bacteria.

If you are not into mushrooms, you can increase your gut’s SCFAs by increasing your fiber intake. A healthy gut relies on what you eat. Per day, men need 38 grams of fiber and women need 25 grams of fiber.

Shiitake: Ryze claims their coffee reduces inflammation.

Shiitake mushrooms contain beta-glucans. Beta-glucans are a type of soluble fiber naturally occurring in some plants’ cell walls like fungi, oats, barley, and rye. Beta-glucans have been shown to reduce inflammation in human studies, thereby reducing the risk of some chronic non-communicable diseases like atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, diabetes, and cancer. Get your shiitakes in!

Not into mushrooms? Try recipes with oats, barley, or rye to add beta-glucans to your diet.

Final Thoughts

Ryze Mushroom Coffee is not clinically tested nor proven to accomplish any of these claims. Some of their claims are not listed for the correct mushroom category. Most of these health claims can be accomplished by increasing your fruit and vegetable intake. After all, mushrooms are considered vegetables.

Depending on what your goal is, Ryze coffee can be exactly what you need. My two best examples are reducing soda intake or reducing caffeine intake during pregnancy. If you are on the one-Diet Coke-per-day train, pretending Ryze is your morning DC several times a week is a great idea. During pregnancy caffeine should be limited to less than 200 milligrams per day so trying Ryze could decrease your caffeine intake per day.

At the very least, eating, drinking, or taking functional mushrooms is going to provide you with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

The bottom line is Ryze’s coffee can be an adequate substitution depending on your goals and has potential health benefits. More research needs to be done to prove its focus and immune support capabilities. Nothing can beat a balanced diet and regular physical activity for both energy levels and immune protection.

Check out the rest of our blog posts for more supplement reviews!

References

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Docherty S, Doughty FL, Smith EF. The acute and chronic effects of Lion’s Mane mushroom supplementation on cognitive function, stress, and mood in young adults: A double-blind, parallel groups, pilot study. Nutrients. 2023;15(4842). doi: 10.3390/nu15224842

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