Coffee is perhaps the most commonly consumed drink when it comes to an energy boost. This is all thanks to its caffeine, a natural stimulant that gives us the energy boost that we need for the day (and night).
Once demonized for its bad effects, coffee is now a crowd favorite. Aside from energy boost, coffee is also shown to bring other health benefits such as fat burn, improving physical and mental performance, lower risk of certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes, and coffee is also a great source of antioxidants.
Nevertheless, not all people can tolerate coffee. Too much coffee can cause side effects such as jittery, anxiety, palpitations, and disturbed sleep. Others simply can’t tolerate caffeine – and for these reasons, coffee alternatives were made.
Coffee alternatives are products that are made to bring you the benefits of coffee without bringing in the nasty side effects. How they are made and what they are made can vary, but the main goal of energy without the negatives is the same.
There are quite a few options out there when it comes to coffee alternatives, but two that stand out are MUD\WTR and Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee. Which is the better option, you ask? Well, that’s why we’re here! In this article, we are going to talk about how MUD\WTR and Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee differ, the ingredients they use, their benefits, and above all, which of them is the better coffee alternative.
So, without further ado, let’s get started with this comparison of MUD\WTR vs. Four Sigmatic!
MUD WTR vs. Four Sigmatic: Overview
- Four Sigmatic is a mushroom coffee blend that comes in ready-to-mix packets, ground/whole bean coffee, and K-cups.
- MUD\WTR is a powdered coffee alternative that can be mixed with hot water.
- Both products contain functional mushrooms such as Chaga and Lion’s Mane.
- Four Sigmatic products contain zero calories whereas MUD\WTR contains 20 calories.
- MUD\WTR contains about 1/7th the amount of caffeine as a normal cup of coffee whereas Four Sigmatic contains full caffeine (except the ready-to-mix packets which contain about half the caffeine).
- Four Sigmatic is the more cost-effective product.
- Overall, Four Sigmatic is ideal for people who want to elevate their morning brew whereas MUD\WTR is ideal for people who want to kick the coffee-drinking habit.
About MUD\WTR
According to its description, MUD\WTR is a coffee alternative product that is made of “organic ingredients lauded by cultures old and young for their health and performance benefits.” While not free of caffeine, MUD\WTR only contains 1/7th of the caffeine in coffee. According to them, this allows MUD\WTR to provide you with natural energy and focus while not bringing in some side effects such as jitters and crashes.
Here are the main ingredients used in MUD\WTR (we will discuss more on it later):
- Cacao
- Masala Chai
- Turmeric
- Sea Salt
- Cinnamon
- Chaga
- Cordyceps
- Reishi
- Lions Mane
MUD\WTR is 100% organic, keto-friendly (it only contains 4 carbs), sugar-free, and it’s a low-calorie supplement (20 calories).
About Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee
Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee is a product from well-known supplement company, Four Sigmatic. They are focused on creating functional mushroom supplements with products including Four Sigmatic Adaptogen Shots, Four Sigmatic Chaga Elixir, Four Sigmatic Mushroom Cacao Mix, and Four Sigmatic 10 Mushroom Blend.
Like MUD\WTR, Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee was made in an attempt to reduce or even eliminate coffee dependency because of the side effects that coffees can cause. Here are some of the key features that you need to know:
- Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee is made with organic Arabica coffee beans. But instead of getting the caffeine amount of a regular cup of coffee, you’ll only get half the caffeine of a regular cup of coffee (50mg of caffeine).
- Contrary to expectations, Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee does not taste like a mushroom – many customers have reported that it still tasted like coffee or cacao.
Finally, Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee is vegan, organic, sugar-free, and lab-tested.
MUD\WTR vs. Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee: Ingredients
Now that we know the basics of the two coffee alternatives, let’s talk about their ingredients. By knowing their ingredients, we’ll get to know what we are getting from these supplements. We’ll also get to know if they can potentially deliver their promised benefits or not.
MUD\WTR Ingredients
As mentioned earlier, MUD\WTR has the following ingredients:
- Cacao
- Masala Chai
- Turmeric
- Sea Salt
- Cinnamon
- Chaga
- Cordyceps
- Reishi
- Lions Mane
Among the listed ingredients, I believe that the following are its key ingredients: cacao, turmeric, sea salt, Cordyceps, and Reishi mushroom. Let’s talk about them in detail.
Cacao
Cacao, especially raw cacao, can bring tons of health benefits such as the reduced risk of heart attack and stroke, improved blood flow to your brain, which results in improved brain function, better mood, and it can help you lose weight.
Turmeric
Turmeric is a very healthy spice, thanks to its active ingredient, curcumin. Curcumin is a very potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound. Aside from that, it can also reduce your risk of many diseases such as heart disease, depression, brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, and even cancer.
Sea Salt
Sea salt (and salt in general) aids in maintaining proper hydration and blood pressure levels in your body. If properly maintained, this can improve your energy levels. Also, sodium, a main component of salt, plays a crucial role in fluid balance. If your fluids are balanced properly, this allows you to exert more effort (e.g., high-intensity exercises) without getting dehydrated quickly.
Cordyceps
Cordyceps is a parasitic fungus that grows on larvae of insects. But there are also Cordyceps that are 100% vegan and do not depend on parasitic activities to thrive; hence no insects are hurt.
Despite being a parasitic fungus, Cordyceps does provide some great benefits to humans. Some of the benefits that we can get from it are improved exercise performance, potential anti-tumor properties, aid in managing type 2 diabetes, and potential benefits for our heart health.
Reishi Mushroom
Reishi Mushroom is one of the types of mushrooms that are well-known for their health benefits. Some of the health benefits that we can get from Reishi include immune system support, reducing fatigue, reducing depression, and blood sugar regulation.
Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee
Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee has 4 main ingredients. They are:
- Organic Instant Coffee
- Organic Chaga Mushroom
- Organic Cordyceps
- Organic Eleuthero
Organic Instant Coffee
Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee’s coffee beans come from Colombia. The amount of coffee that you’ll get from Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee per serving is only 50mg, which is around half of the caffeine amount of a regular cup of coffee.
Organic Chaga Mushroom
Chaga is mostly known for its benefits in our immune system. Aside from that, the Finns (makers of Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee are Finnish) had used this mushroom as a substitute for coffee in WWII whenever coffee beans were not available.
Organic Cordyceps
As already mentioned above, Cordyceps can aid in physical performance. Cordyceps is sometimes used amongst athletes to improve their physical performance in their sport. Aside from improving physical performance, Cordyceps also support overall endurance and energy levels.
Organic Eleuthero
Also known as the “Siberian ginseng,” eleuthero is an adaptogenic root that can be found in many parts of Asia and Russia. This adaptogenic root is known to support endurance, stamina, cognitive function, low blood pressure, and overall wellness.
MUD\WTR vs. Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee: Benefits
Benefits-wise, MUD/WTR, and Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee can bring about the same benefits since some of their ingredients, such as Cordyceps, are similar.
However, what differentiates the two is that MUD\WTR has more ingredients compared to Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee, allowing it to deliver more benefits than the latter.
Also, MUD/WTR’s caffeine comes from black tea leaves, whereas Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee comes from coffee beans. This allows MUD/WTR to bring in an energy boost in your body and mind while not potentially creating caffeine dependency. On the other hand, Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee’s caffeine amount is half less than a regular cup of coffee, so it’s still a low amount.
MUD\WTR vs. Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee: Customer Reviews
Based on their website’s reviews, both MUD/WTR and Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee had very positive reviews.
Customers reported that both of their respective products could indeed bring about the effects of coffee (i.e., energy boost) without giving them the side effects caused by coffee. For MUD\WTR, one even noted, “a second cup without anxiety.” For Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee, one claimed that it’s “the better way to energize.”
MUD\WTR vs. Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee: Price
MUD/WTR is usually priced at $60, but right now, you can get $20 off, making it $40 with refills every 30 days. On the other hand, Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee is usually priced at $40 for a one-time purchase, but right now you can get $4 off making it only $32. Or you can do a subscribe and save option bringing the price to $32.
Needless to say, MUD/WTR is more expensive than Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee. However, I believe that MUD/WTR’s price matches the potential value it gives, such as the amount and quality of ingredients offered. On the other hand, Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee is a big “discount,” though – the price is low despite the high value it offers.
MUD\WTR vs. Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee: Which is Better?
To conclude, both MUD\WTR and Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee are great coffee alternatives – each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.
That being said, we still need to decide which of them is better. For us, the better coffee alternative is – MUD\WTR. Despite being more pricey compared to Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee, MUD\WTR offers a lot of value that it’s worth a try!
Still undecided? Check out our full review of MUD\WTR here and our full review of Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee here to learn more about each option. Now go, get your coffee!