Mushrooms, turmeric, and ginger for breakfast? Those are just some of the ingredients in mud water, an alternative morning beverage that is gaining popularity in wellness circles. Marketed as a coffee replacement that is much lower in caffeine and higher in important nutrients, coffee lovers and non-coffee drinkers alike are putting mud water to the test.
Introducing Mud Water
Mud water is a powder that is composed of a combination of mushrooms, adaptogens, cacao, and spices that blend with water to make an energy-giving and nutritious beverage that is an alternative to traditional coffee or tea.
"Mud water claims to give you the energy and focus of coffee without the jitters and crash you might get from your usual morning brew," says Miranda Galati, MHSc, RD. "Mud water markets itself as a healthier coffee alternative and claims to have the same energetic benefits we love from coffee but without the same intensity and anxiety."
Mud water is a unique blend of a variety of ingredients inspired by ancient Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine practices. The creator of the sellable blend and founder of MUD/WTR, Shane Heath, was inspired to make a healthier version of coffee that wouldn't give him the anxious peak of jitters and then the tired crash.
Heath set out to find the ingredients that would blend into a substance that would give him the alertness and physical stamina and performance without the side effects of coffee. After experimenting with a number of different blends, he nailed the final product.
Ingredients, Flavor Profile, and Nutritional Content
The ingredients found in mud water include eight adaptogenic mushroom species, herbs, and spices. The recipe includes lion's mane for mental performance, cordyceps for physical performance, reishi for recovery and immunity, chaga for overall health, turmeric for inflammation, and cacao for mood.
The different medicinal mushrooms are also packed with potential health benefits.
Reishi, known as the "King of Mushrooms," is thought to support the body's ability to respond to stress and support the immune system.
Lion's mane is a fungus that often grows on trees. It is used in traditional Chinese medicine and is known for promoting cognition and focus.
Chaga is known for its medicinal properties, antioxidant properties, and is also believed to help support the immune system.
Cordyceps is popular in traditional Chinese medicine and is primarily used to support the immune system and provide antioxidant properties.
Turkey tail, which is named for its appearance, is a popular mushroom to cook with as well as use for medicinal properties. It offers antioxidant and immune-supporting benefits.
The king trumpet mushroom is packed with nutrients such as protein, fiber, B vitamins, and vitamin D as well as potassium, magnesium, and zinc.
In addition to adaptogenic mushrooms, mud water contains masala chai for energy as well as turmeric and cinnamon for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Mud water tastes like a more mild, earthier, and spicier version of coffee. The chai flavors are prominent with a hint of cacao and earthiness from the mushrooms balances out the spice flavors.
Potential Health Benefits
Mud water is attractive to many due to its reduced caffeine concentration. It contains 35 mg of caffeine in one cup compared to 90 mg to 100mg of caffeine in a typical cup of coffee. This can be beneficial to those who are looking to decrease their caffeine intake or are sensitive to caffeine.
Additionally, it contains herbal adaptogens which are natural substances that may help the body cope with stress. According to Malina Malkani, MS, RDN, CDN, several studies suggest that chaga mushrooms may have the capacity to protect against viruses, cancer, and diabetes. Meanwhile, research suggesting memory and learning benefits has only been studied in animals, she says. Additional studies are needed to determine the benefit to humans.
"It's important to note that there is limited specific research on mud water as a product, but many studies have investigated the individual ingredients used in its formulation," says Wan Na Chun, MPH, RD, CPT. "More comprehensive studies are needed to determine the specific effects of these herbs when combined in mud water."
Availability and Where to Buy Mud Water
Mud water can be purchased through the company's official website as well as specialty coffee shops, health food stores, organic eateries, and yoga studios. One can of the power, which contains about 30 servings, retails at $60. The MUD/WTF brand is committed to sourcing 100% organic ingredients and using sustainable and ethical sourcing practices.
Healthy drink alternatives are everywhere these days and I have to admit, I ignore most of them.
But when I saw a commercial for MUD\WTR (the cool way of depicting mud water), my curiosity got the better of me and I found myself ordering the starter kit within minutes.
Self-described as a healthy alternative to coffee, this chai tea/mushroom water hybrid is certainly unique, but is it really worth investing in (it’s certainly not cheap either)?
Well, that’s a personal question, but I’m more than happy to share my experience with the muddy concoction.
Let’s start from the beginning.
But How Does It Taste?
I’m not gonna lie, it took me a few times to start liking the flavor of mud water (and “like” might still be a strong word).
But, to be fair, it also took me a few tries to get the concoction right – turns out I was putting way too much powder in at first.
The instructions tell us to mix 1 tablespoon with 12 oz of hot water…
Well, with that first batch I probably had at least 2 tablespoons in 8 oz of water and it was a bit strong for my liking.
But when mixed correctly, I’ll admit it tases a lot better.
The chai tea flavor (black tea, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, black pepper) is most prominent and you get a nose full of the spices before the hot beverage ever touches your mouth.
There’s definitely a peppery aftertaste too, bordering on mildly spicy, but not in a bad way.
The cocoa adds a faint hint of bitter chocolate and the earthiness of the mushrooms helps keep the spices from becoming overpowering.
When trying to describe to my brother what it tastes like (before he tried it), I told him it’s a little like a spicy, unsweetened hot chocolate.
And after he tried it, he agreed that description made sense.
If you like chai tea, odds are you’ll probably like mud water.
Now I don’t care for the taste of coffee, so I can’t really speak to how mud water works as a coffee substitute, but my brother is an avid coffee drinker and he thought it worked quite well (flavor wise) as a substitute.
Mud water is certainly spicier than any black coffee I’ve had, but it’s got that whole bitter thing going on too.
In terms of color, it’s easy to see why the founder called it mud water, but it could also be mistaken for a blonde roast coffee in the right lighting.
Long-story-short, I think mud water has a very distinctive taste. I like matcha better, but mud water is starting to grow on me.
How Does Drinking It Make Me Feel
Ok, so the flavor is unique and definitely drinkable (even for a non-coffee drinker), but how does it feel to drink it?
I know most coffee drinkers drink coffee for the caffeine and the boost of energy that helps them wake up (or stay awake).
Which I believe was one of the motivating reasons for the founder to come up with this stuff in the first place – he wanted to get away from coffee and the caffeine crashes he experienced.
So, mud water doesn’t have much caffeine in it (less than a typical cup of black tea in fact), but I still feel more awake after drinking it.
Just drinking this spicy, bitter beverage instantly wakes me up a notch and I agree there’s no jittery, anxious energy associated with it.
I had mud water this morning because I stayed up too late last night (working, not playing) and it really does help.
Something else I like about mud water (and matcha and most teas in general) is that it helps regulate my stomach.
I don’t wanna go into too much detail here, but I have a mild case of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and drinking these hot drinks in the morning makes a significant difference with how my stomach feels.
Overall, I like the way mud makes me feel when I drink it and this has helped me continue trying it – so much so that I’m definitely liking it better than I did at first.
How to Prepare and Customize Mud Water
Making a cup of mud water is quite simple. Mix 1 tablespoon of powder with 12 ounces of water heated to 180 degrees Fahrenheit or milk of your choice and stir to combine.
You can use a milk frother if you have one handy to ensure everything is well combined. Customize the mud water to suit your individual preferences, such as adding any milk you like, sweeteners, or additional spices like cinnamon or nutmeg.
Mud water is suitable for gluten-free, kosher, vegan, and Whole 30 diets. While allergic reactions to ingredients in mud water are rare, individuals should assess their personal allergies and sensitivities and read the ingredient list carefully.
Potential Drawbacks and Considerations
Before trying mud water, there are some factors you may want to consider, Chun says. "Mud water has a distinct taste that may not appeal to everyone. It is often described as earthy, slightly bitter, and less robust compared to regular coffee."
Additionally, there is a lack of personalization when it comes to mud water since it is a pre-blended product, Galati adds. "It's an expensive alternative for sure at $60 per bag or $2 per serving."
Individuals with specific health conditions should consider their circumstances and speak to a healthcare professional before trying mud water, Chun says. "Some of the ingredients in mud water, such as adaptogens, may have potential interactions with certain medications or medical conditions. For example, individuals with autoimmune diseases, bleeding disorders, or hormonal imbalances may need to exercise caution when consuming adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha or reishi mushroom."
Further, because the caffeine content is considerably less than regular coffee, there may be an adjustment period if you are sensitive to caffeine and your body has become accustomed to consuming caffeine regularly.
What Is Caffeine Tolerance?
What Exactly is MUD\WTR?
I’m not a coffee drinker, so my interest in mud water (I’m tired of typing it out in its chic, proper form) was sparked more from a healthy hot beverage point of view.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve really gotten into drinking hot teas (mostly black teas) and even more recently, gone all in on matcha.
I never thought I really liked green tea, but I’ve come to love it and would probably drink it now even if it wasn’t so good for me.
But I’m really glad it is.
Anyway, when I saw the commercial for mud water on YouTube, I thought it could be a good alternative to my morning hot tea/matcha.
Plus, let’s be real – the idea of drinking mushroom water was too intriguing to pass up.
So, I went online, checked out their website for like 20 min, and ultimately ended up purchasing their “morning ritual starter kit” (more on that later).
But back to what this stuff really is.
Mud water is a powder you add to hot water.
Unlike tea, there’s no steeping or anything like that – instead, you mix the mud powder directly into hot water.
If you look at the ingredients, the most prominent one is the organic mushroom mix, which consists of chaga, reishi, Lion’s mane, and cordyceps.
I’m not gonna go into the possible health benefits of each because you can find all this info through mud water’s site (or elsewhere online), but the general take is that these mushrooms are really good for us.
Other than the mushrooms, mud water contains cacao (the raw precursor to cocoa), a spice blend (pretty much every healthy spice there is: cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, cardamom, black pepper, nutmeg, cloves), black tea powder, and a pinch of Himalayan pink salt.
All the ingredients listed above are organic and there isn’t any added sugar.
So, even if the health benefits from the spices and mushrooms are exaggerated (and I’m not saying they are), there’s really no way this stuff can be bad for ya.
Unless you’re allergic to mushrooms.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I consider my experiment with MUD/WTR to be a success.
I can now say that I’ve drank mud and survived. And I think my brother-in-law would be very proud of me for increasing the mushroom intake in my diet.
I’m still getting used to the taste, but the more I drink it, the more I like it.
It also helps that now I know how much powder to use.
I also have to say that I appreciate the way this stuff makes me feel after drinking it – it does help me wake up in the morning (as well as keep things moving in my gut).
Will I buy it again? Will I continue to drink mud water in the future?
Yup.
I don’t drink this stuff everyday, but I like having an alternative to my teas and matcha.
I also like having this stuff in the house so I can make other coffee-drinking family members try it.
Plus, if at least half the possible health benefits from all those mushrooms and spices is legit, that alone is enough reason for me to continue drinking this stuff.
So, if you’re curious about the new muddy sensation, I say go for it. And if you’re really trying to get off coffee, I could see this stuff helping.
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