With over 30,000 5-star reviews, Ryze Mushroom Coffee is pretty popular right now and I’ve been getting a ton of questions about it. Is there any evidence to back up the bold health claims that it makes? Let’s dive in with this Ryze coffee review.
What is Ryze Mushroom Coffee?
Ryze is a company making mushroom coffee. The founders who are two Harvard graduates (we don’t know what they studied to know if they even have a background in health), claim that you can ‘supercharge’ your health with just two cups a day and ‘heal your body and mind.’
The description of this coffee claims, ‘loaded with adaptogenic mushrooms, our coffee blend delivers a calmer energy, sharper focus, and immune support for a balanced body and clear mind.’
The fact that they say this coffee can ‘supercharge’ your health is a huge red flag, and they are clearly using this term and others to elicit an emotional response and sell their product.
There is no such thing as “supercharging” your health. Improving your health is so much more complex than just drinking a cup of coffee, a healthy balanced diet, physical activity, stress management, and limiting alcohol are all important. Of course, people are always looking for a quick fix, and the Ryze coffee marketing department knows this.
Hence, the fantabulous claims that 1. can’t be measured and 2. are hyperbolic to a fault 3. are vague and easily interpreted however you want. Marketing 101.
Ryze coffee ingredients
Here’s the nutrition panel from Ryze coffee:
It’s basically the RYZE Organic Mushroom Blend (Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Shiitake, Turkey Tail, King Trumpet), plus Organic Arabica Coffee, Organic MCT Oil, Organic Coconut Milk.
The Ryze blend is proprietary, meaning that we don’t know exactly how much of each ingredient is in there. It could be a lot, or it could be a little…both being problematic. Too much of a certain ingredient could be dangerous. Too little, and the blend can be ineffective. That is, if there’s actually proof that any of these ingredients are effective in the first place. for what the company is claiming.
Any time you see a proprietary blend in a product, do not purchase it.
Ryze coffee reviews
Ryze has 484,000 followers on Instagram and seems to hire a lot of influencers to talk about their products. These people swear that drinking the coffee blend makes them ‘feel amazing,’ that their mood is improved with it, and that they no longer get energy crashes, since Ryze has less caffeine than regular coffee.
Ryze appears to depend on testimonials to market the product.
Ryze coffee tastes amazing I just started using it. I feel that I sleep better and wake up more energized
It works!
I feel great and I think it’s giving me the vitamins I’m missing. Not a great taste you need to mix with something if you want to enjoy it. I literally down it every time I take it.
PERFECT!
The serving size is perfect. The amount of calories is perfect. The amount of protein is perfect. The way it taste is perfect to have all the extra benefits is just insane. I love this product. I recommended everyone I work out a lot, so getting those proteins in such a quick and easy way work completely perfect thank you!!!!
To note, Ryze actually does not contain any protein in it if you look at the nutrition facts panel.
And then there’s Christie Brinkley.
70-year-old actress Christie Brinkley is an ambassador for Ryze, and was cited in People Magazine earlier this year saying:
“It’s so good. And the way that I use it is I make my cup of coffee, and then I put a big huge tablespoon of RYZE in it, and then I put oat milk, and my coffee’s like this powerhouse drink in the morning.”
A glowing endorsement for sure, but what’s it worth?
Christie Brinkley on Wrinkles, Diet and Exercise at 70 (Exclusive) (people.com)
Ryze mushroom coffee research
For all the claims the company makes, you’d think they’d have research on Ryze to back it all up.
But NOPE!
The product itself has no research behind it, which is common. Often, a company will say a supplement is backed by science, but what they mean is that some of the ingredients have research on them, not the supplement.
We’ve seen this before with the Glucose Goddess’s new Anti-Spike supplement, which I reviewed here.
Let’s take a look at the research on the mushrooms that Ryze mushroom coffee contains.
Lion’s Mane
Lion’s mane is a type of mushroom that has culinary and medicinal uses. It grows on trunks of dead hardwood trees and has a long history of use in traditional Asian medicine. Lion’s Mane has increased in popularity due to claims it will help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, improve focus and memory, help with digestive issues and improve gut health, fight inflammation, and “boost” the immune system.
In a randomized control trial of healthy participants taking lion’s mane supplements for 12 weeks, those taking the supplement showed improvements in scores in the Mini-Mental State Examination (a test used to help diagnose dementia) compared to those in the placebo group. The researchers also did two other tests, one for visual memory, perception, and construction and one that evaluates short-term memory of words. These tests did not show any differences between the two groups.
There has been one small RCT on lion’s mane and gut health which showed beneficial effects. After taking lion’s mane supplements, participants had more species of gut bacteria detected however no particular type stood out. The participants in the study already had diverse gut bacteria, so although there were more found after the supplement, this does not translate into a clinically relevant improvement. The study also only had only 13 participants and they only took the supplement for a week. Before any real conclusions can be made about the effect of lion’s mane on gut health, we need much longer and larger studies done.
Cordyceps
There are a lot of health claims around cordyceps and its use as a supplement for improving immunity, fighting cancer, anti-aging, anti-fatigue, protecting the kidneys, and being an anti-depressant (red flag!).
However, these claims are all based on pre-clinical studies, which means they were done on animals or in test tubes. We don’t have any human studies at this point to draw any solid conclusions about how cordyceps may be beneficial.
Reishi
The use of reishi mushrooms goes back 4000 years in traditional Chinese medicine and is thought to promote longevity. Other potential benefits include supporting the immune system, reducing inflammation, and improving relaxation and sleep.
The popularity of reishi supplements is growing, but there is a significant research gap regarding its health benefits in humans, and with its safety.
We need more high-quality, larger, clinical studies in humans to draw any conclusions on how reishi can impact health.
Further, several groups of people should avoid reishi supplements, including those taking anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications, people with certain types of cancers, people at risk for low-blood sugar, and anyone taking medications that can lead to liver toxicity.
Shitake
Out of all the mushrooms used in this coffee blend, shitake are the ones most of us have heard of, and they are the easiest to find at the grocery store. Shitake mushrooms have B vitamins, zinc and copper, some fibre, and small amounts of vitamin D.
They must be fully cooked before consumption or else they can cause dermatitis.
Shitake mushrooms have also been used in traditional Chinese medicine, and are thought to help improve longevity and promote health.
They have also been found to have antiviral, antitumor, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, like many of the other mushrooms studied, these properties have been found in test-tube and animal research.
Before any medicinal claims or health-promoting claims can be made on shitake mushroom supplements, we need much more high-quality research and it needs to be done on people.
I’m sensing a pattern emerging here.
If you like shitake mushrooms, add them to a stir-fry or a pasta dish, but there is no indication for them in supplement form at this point.
Turkey Tail
Turkey tail mushrooms are said to boost the immune system, improve gut health, and support cancer treatment. Their use in cancer treatment appears to be the most widely studied aspect of this mushroom, and it is thought that certain chemical compounds in them known as beta-glucans (also in oats, FYI), strengthen the immune system.
An extract of turkey tail mushrooms known as polysaccharide-K (PSK) has been approved for use as an adjunctive cancer treatment in Japan and other Asian countries for 30 years. The FDA has not approved its use for cancer treatment or any other medical condition in the United States.
Research on generally healthy people and turkey tail mushrooms appears limited.
King Oyster
King oyster mushrooms have B vitamins, minerals, small amounts of Vitamin D, and fibre. Like the other mushrooms in this coffee blend, they have also been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine.
Some health claims around them include heart health, supporting the immune system, fighting inflammation, improving gut health and possibly having anti-tumor properties.
There are very limited studies done on humans at this time to be able to validate any of the health claims around these mushrooms. Eating them as you would other mushrooms may give you some benefits since they are high in nutrients but taking them in supplement form can’t be recommended.
All in all, very underwhelming evidence to support the consumption of these mushrooms, especially in a proprietary blend, especially for the claims that Ryze is making.
A reputable company would not have garbage like this on their social media. Period.
Ryze Mushroom Coffee Review: Is mushroom coffee healthy?
There is not enough high-quality human evidence to back up the claims made about Ryze mushroom coffee. Just because something has been found to have benefits in animals or test-tube studies, does not mean that it will have the same benefits in humans.
Influencer and user testimonials are, shall we say, not worth the paper they’re written on (or the computer they’re typed on?). These are often biased and sadly, faked. Negative reviews can be taken down. Lastly, the placebo effect is real.
There are some safety issues to consider as well, so if you are taking medications or have a health condition, be sure to discuss with a medical professional before buying this product.
If Ryze coffee appears to be safe for you, and you want to try it, go ahead. But glowing reviews and good marketing aren’t a substitute for science.