Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee Review: Joe Rogan’s Recommendation

Our Rating

1.9

The bottom line:
If what you're after is a 'heathy beverage' that may not have the kick of coffee and holds minimal medicinal benefits, this might be a good choice for you.

Product Info:

  • Organic instant coffee powder.
  • Wildcrafted mushrooms.
  • Get the energy of coffee without the caffeine jitters.
  • Tastes like coffee, not like mushrooms.

Four Sigmatic is one of the first if not the first mushroom coffee’s to hit the market. The company is largely responsible for the ‘shroom boom’ when it comes to medicinal mushrooms. They produce a trendy beverage that is a hit with health conscious people.

Their origin story dates back to Finland where their founder and CEO Tero Isokauppila is from. In Finland Mushrooms are consumed fairly regularly, with mushroom tea being a significant part of that consumption. Tero’s grandparents generally brewed mushrooms when they couldn’t get their hands on coffee; this gave him an idea, Coffee + Shrooms.

Tero found that not only did the two beverages go well together but that they brought out the beneficial components in each other.

Coffee by itself gives some people jitters.

Some people find Chaga bitter.

However when he combined them together Chaga seemed to take the edge off of the coffee resulting in no jitters.

The Coffee seemed to improve the flavor profile of the Chaga.

This all sounds amazing but does it actually work? We’re going to help you separate fact from fiction.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Tastes better than mushroom tea.
  • Amazing alternative to regular coffee
  • Caffeine boost without jitters
  • May improve mental clarity

Cons

  • Scientific evidence lacking to back up medicinal claims.
  • High cost ($2 / Packet) (1 Packet = 1 Drink)
  • Better alternative (Mushroom Supplements)

RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE

Our Rating:

Product Info:

Full Review

We review products based on 4 categories Efficacy, Value, Trust & Safety

Efficacy

Let’s get this out of the way. There are no studies to back up Mushroom Coffee with science, zero, zilch, none.

On their website Four Sigmatic makes multiple claims including that mushrooms support digestion, stress management, energy, anxiety, depression, immune function and mental cognition.

Some of that may be true as there are minor studies & clinical trials that do support the use of medicinal mushrooms.

However; the problem occurs when you get down to the science of how their mushrooms are produced. Four Sigmatic sells ‘ground up’ mushrooms. Essentially they dry the mushrooms out and grind them up into a powder.

All evidence that supports the use of medicinal mushrooms and their benefits use mushroom extracts. This could be a dual extract or a hot water extract, but at the end of the day the literature supports extracts.

The reason for this is that the beneficial compounds of mushrooms are trapped inside the cell walls of the mushroom. The cells walls are made of something called “chitin” and in order to break the chitin and release the beneficial compounds an extraction process needs to take place.

If you simply eat ground up dried mushrooms the human body doesn’t have the capabilities to digest the chitin and release the beneficial compounds of the mushroom. It will pass through your body without behind absorbed. You are unlikely to get any benefits from Four Sigmatic’s Mushrooms.

Now let’s get onto the coffee portion of the beverage.

This seems like a silly portion of Four Sigmatic’s beverage to review because if you’re looking for benefits from coffee you should just drink regular coffee.

However; Four Sigmatic claims that the coffee and mushrooms of their beverage ‘balance each other out’. Tero the owner of Four Sigmatic claims that people find Chaga bitter and Coffee improves the flavor profile of it. Likewise he says that Coffee gives people jitters and when combined with Chaga it ‘takes the edge off’ and fixes the jitters. While that is possible I’d say it’s unlikely. If you’re a science based person it’s simply not true as there is no evidence to support this claim.

Coffee as a substance by itself is incredibly polarizing. Almost every doctor holds a different opinion on it. Some believe it’s beneficial and some are hard fast in the belief that caffeine is the most abused drug of all time. You can find literature to back up any point of view you have with coffee. I’d suggest doing what makes you feel good and checking with your personal doctor for your personal situation.

Overall when it comes to rating the efficacy of Four Sigmatics Coffee I’d give it a rating of 1/10. The odds of Four Sigmatics Mushrooms holding and benefits are virtually zero. They are not extracted and therefore are unlikely to hold and beneficial effects beyond the coffee and caffeine (whether you view those effects as positive or negative). If you want the effects of coffee, drink coffee. If you want the benefits of mushrooms use our recommended alternative.

Value

Four Sigmatics products lean towards overpriced/ expensive.

Each box comes with 10 packets.

Each packet makes one drink.

At the time of this review their boxes cost $12.50 + tax.

That means each drink is going to cost at least $1.25.

For comparison sake Green Tea generally costs about .11 cents a drink.

I’d give them a value score of 4/10.

Trust

There are some positives and negatives when it comes to Four Sigmatic’s Trust Score.

On the positive side:

Four Sigmatic does have a money back guarantee and they do seem to honor it.

They have over 20,000 reviews.

Their owner Tero is well known and makes appearances on many podcasts and publications. You can put a face to the product.

On the negative side:

They make medical claims about their mushrooms which aren’t true.

They don’t give a definitive answer as to where their mushrooms are grown.

I’d give them a trust score rating of 7/10.

Safety

Four Sigmatic’s products are all safe. They won’t do you any harm. The two things to worry about are:

Allergies: If you have a mushroom allergy do not take Four Sigmatics products.

Caffeine: Many doctors consider caffeine a drug and literature backs that up. Caffeine may cause insomnia, headaches, dizziness, increased heart rate, anxiety and dependency (addiction).

I’d give Four Sigmatic a safety score of 9/10.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are these Magic Mushrooms?

No. Four Sigmatic Mushrooms are simply ground up ‘medicinal mushrooms’. Medicinal Mushrooms are a group of mushrooms that are though to have medicinal benefits. Popular medicinal mushrooms include Lions Mane, Turkey Tail, Chaga, Reishi and Cordyceps. Lions Mane for example is thought to have nootropic effects (cognitive enhancement).

Does it Taste like Mushrooms?

No. Four Sigmatic doesn’t taste like mushrooms. If you are looking for a mushroom taste, stick to a traditional mushroom tea. If you want some potential benefits of mushrooms with a coffee taste, Four Sigmatic is what you want.

Does Four Sigmatic have a Money Back Guarantee?

Yes. Four Sigmatic does stand behind their product with a money back guarantee. They are a well known company with many reviews.

Where are Four Sigmatic’s Mushrooms Grown?

It’s not entirely clear where Four Sigmatic grows their Mushrooms. Their official answer is “around the world” which to me indicates they are grown in China. This may seem alarming but most high quality mushrooms on the market are actually grown in China.

When is the best time to take Mushroom Coffee?

The best time to take Mushroom Coffee is when you need a boost in energy, much life a coffee. Most people take it in the morning.

Product Info:

  • Organic instant coffee powder.
  • Wildcrafted mushrooms.
  • Get the energy of coffee without the caffeine jitters.
  • Tastes like coffee, not like mushrooms.

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