When the temperature drops below 79 degrees here in Arizona, it’s hot cocoa weather. While it is quite tasty, it’s not always the most nutritious and can be loaded with added sugar. Getting around that at home can require you to make it from scratch or opt for a store-bought option like the Ryze Hot Chocolate.
In this post, I’ll review the taste, nutrition, and cost of this unique low-sugar hot chocolate, so keep reading!
About the Products
Ryze is a company that offers a line of delicious, mushroom-infused, cozy beverages, including hot chocolate. Each product has its own flavor and is designed to boost both taste and wellness.
Their line of products includes a few that complement hot cocoa, like mushroom coffee, matcha, and a plant-based creamer.
Whether you want to unwind, focus, or cuddle up with a hot drink and a book, Ryze has many options.
Ryze Hot Chocolate is an exciting twist on the classic cozy drink. It blends rich, smooth cocoa with functional mushrooms to give you a little extra boost.
Aside from the chocolatey flavor, each cup adds benefits from mushrooms like reishi, known for their calming and relaxing effects.
Is Ryze Hot Chocolate Vegan?
Ryze Hot Chocolate is vegan and doesn’t contain animal-based ingredients. The company itself does not have any vegan certification at the time of writing this. Still, it does indicate that the products are vegan and use no animal products or products tested on animals.
It’s important to note that smaller companies don’t always have a large budget to purchase a vegan certification from accrediting bodies. These certifications often have to be renewed yearly, which is costly for new and smaller companies.
Review of Ryze Hot Chocolate | Does Ryze Sleep Cocoa work?
The main draw of their hot cocoa is the potential benefits for better sleep. I took a deep dive into the ingredients used that may help support sleep, and this is what the most recent research says as of today.
Glycine: 1,000mg (1 gram)
Glycine is an amino acid that plays a key role in the body’s central nervous system. It may help in improving sleep because of its ability to lower core body temperature and enhance feelings of tranquility, which can make it easier to fall and stay asleep.
Most studies find that taking 3-5 grams of glycine before bedtime can improve sleep quality and reduce daytime sleepiness and fatigue, especially in people experiencing sleeping difficulties (1).
Ryze does have glycine, but not quite the amount that most research shows for good sleep. However, it does have other sleep-promoting ingredients that may help with better overall sleep quality.
Reishi Extract: 300mg
Reishi is a medicinal mushroom known for its calming properties. It's been studied to improve sleep due to the potential ability to reduce stress and promote relaxation.
Much of the research on Reishi and sleep has been conducted on rats, and the results are promising but inconclusive for humans.
One animal study found that a dose of ~80mg/kg of Reishi significantly increased total sleep duration and non-rapid eye movement in rats. Because rats are so small, it’s hard to say if that would translate or be safe for human consumption as the dose would be incredibly high.
This suggests that Reishi may help enhance sleep quality by promoting deeper, more restful sleep, but the amounts haven’t been set or determined for humans.
More research, particularly in humans, is needed to confirm these findings and better understand how Reishi could support sleep in people.
L-theanine: 200mg
L-theanine is an amino acid commonly found in tea leaves, especially green tea. It is known for its calming effects on the brain and has been implicated in sleep because it promotes relaxation.
Studies have shown that taking 200 mg of L-theanine before bed may improve sleep quality not by putting you to sleep directly but by calming your mind and reducing nighttime anxiety (3). The exact amount you'll find in the Ryze Hot Chocolate.
Zinc (Zinc Citrate): 15mg
Zinc is an essential mineral that plays a key role in many bodily functions. It’s also linked to sleep because it regulates neurotransmitters and hormones influencing sleep patterns.
A systematic review concluded that the evidence is mixed—while some studies found that zinc supplementation improved sleep, others showed no significant effects (4).
There is potential, but more research is needed to confirm whether zinc truly provides consistent sleep benefits.
Melatonin: 3mg
Melatonin is a hormone that naturally occurs in the body. It’s been connected to sleep for a long time, with research supporting its use to help manage sleep disorders, jet lag, and other sleep-related issues.
Many studies suggest that melatonin can improve sleep quality, but the dosages used in research vary widely, ranging from as low as 0.1 mg to 10 mg.
Because the FDA doesn’t regulate melatonin as a drug, there’s no universally agreed-upon dosage (5). Therefore, more research is needed; however, it seems promising in aiding sleep.
What are the benefits of mushroom hot cocoa?
Ryze Hot Chocolate offers ingredients that may help promote better sleep. Glycine, L-theanine, and melatonin seem to be the real stars, with solid research backing their ability to improve sleep quality and relaxation.
Reishi and Zinc show potential, but more research is needed before we can fully trust them for a restful night’s sleep.
Besides possibly benefiting sleep, Ryze Hot Chocolate is low in calories, has no added sugar, and provides 1mg of plant-based iron along with antioxidants from cocoa and functional mushrooms.
Ryze Hot Chocolate Ingredients List
Are you curious about what other ingredients you'll find? Here is the full ingredient list, which is rather simple compared to most hot chocolates.
Coconut Milk Powder, Coconut Water Powder, Organic Cacao Powder, RYZE Sleep blend (Glycine, Organic Reishi extract, L-theanine, Zinc (Zinc Citrate), Melatonin), Chicory Root.
As a dietitian, I appreciate the transparency in the list of supplement facts for the sleep blend. Although it is a signature blend, they still list the exact amount of each ingredient, as highlighted above.
Is Mushroom Hot Chocolate Good for You?
Most hot chocolates are basically sugar bombs in a cup. One serving of "regular" hot chocolate has 28 grams of sugar, nearly seven teaspoons.
The general recommendation is to consume no more than six teaspoons of added sugar per day. Sugar can be enjoyed on occasion, but it should not be consumed every day.
The Ryze hot chocolate has 0 grams of added sugar but tastes sweet and delicious, making it a great low-sugar hot chocolate option. Because the sugar is lower, you can drink it daily without exceeding your sugar limits.
Taste
Although the Ryze Hot Chocolate does not contain added sugar, it still has a rich cocoa flavor. The flavor of the Reishi mushrooms isn't strong and is easily masked or covered by the hot chocolate flavor, so it's not too "shroomy."
If you prefer a sweeter hot chocolate, add a dash of maple syrup or date syrup and still get much less added sugar than most other store brands.
Cost Breakdown
Each bag contains about 20 servings, roughly $1.80 per serving. Ryze is slightly more expensive than other hot chocolate options on the market. However, you are paying for no added sugar and good-quality ingredients.
My Overall Review of Ryze Hot Chocolate
TLDR; Ryze hot chocolate is a great low-sugar hot chocolate that may aid in restful sleep or a lovely nightcap.
Pros
- 0g added sugar
- 1mg iron
- Taste ⅘
- Texture 5/5 (not thick/chalky or "weird")
- Free shipping
- 30- day money back guarantee
- 1% of profit goes to nonprofits to teach kids mindfulness
- Organic ingredients
Cons
- It may help with sleep, but additional research is needed.
- Usually, I say the price. But honestly, you get what you pay for with this one, and there aren’t any other products like it. Plus, per serving, it’s relativity close to “higher end” sugar-loaded hot cocoas.
Once you give it a try, let me know what you think! I've been drinking this weekly for the last few months and love it!
