Because of my penchant for nutrition and health, yet my undeniable sweet tooth, I’m always on the lookout for a good protein powder that has a great health profile yet is low on actual sugar.
The allure of Four Sigmatic organic protein is great: not only does it check those marks, but it also has mushrooms and adaptogens that are meant to help with stress. So I bought two of these (vanilla and chocolate) to see how I liked them and if I’d like to continue to use this product.
Let’s take a closer look at Four Sigmatic Organic Protein, its components, and if it is a product that you might like! Here’s my review.
Four Sigmatic Company
Four Sigmatic is a company founded and owned by Tero Isokauppila. He grew up in Finland foraging for mushrooms and I suppose that became his life’s work. He has two books about mushrooms and adaptogens.
Four Sigmatic specializes in supplements and food products that use mushrooms and adaptogens for ideal health. If you’re wondering where the name “Four Sigmatic” comes from, they explain it on their website:
Based on the 100 most-studied, most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, each “sigma” represents how far a food is from an average nutritional value.
So essentially, if these foods are “four sigmatic,” then they have 4 times the nutritional value of the average food.
Ordering from Four Sigmatic
I got these at a steal because they were running a deal through a Facebook ad. One canister is usually $47, but I got them at Buy One, Get One free at $42. With shipping, it cost me just over $50 for the two.
Ordering was smooth and easy (as ordering should be in the 2020s).
Shipping and Delivery
Shipping and delivery was super smooth. I ordered directly from their website (not through a third party platform like Amazon) because of the discount they offered me.
It arrived about 5 business days after I placed the order and there were no hiccups or worries during the ordering process.
Now let’s get to the good part: the products themselves.
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Four Sigmatic Organic Protein Ingredients
Organic Protein Blend
This plant-based protein blend includes pea protein, coconut protein, pumpkin protein, hemp protein, and chia protein.
The big reason for needing a blend when making a plant-based protein is that most plants and grains don’t offer a complete protein profile. There are a total of nine amino-acids that our bodies need from external sources. (Quinoa is the only grain that has a complete protein profile, but it is not included in this blend.)
So when looking for a plant-based protein, it’s important to have a variety of sources to make sure all 9 of those amino-acids are covered. This protein powder does just that with its 5 different plant-based proteins.
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Organic Ashwagandha
Ashwangandha is known as Indian Ginseng. It helps with inflammation, boosts energy and focus, and helps manage stress. It also has been known to help with nervous system diseases such as Parkinson’s and demetia.
Organic Eleuthero
Known as Siberian Ginseng, Eleuthero is an herb that improves endurance and memory, and boosts immunity. It is commonly used in supplements like adaptogenic coffees, teas, and even pill form supplements.
Organic Chaga
The first mushroom listed on the back of the cannister, chaga is a mushroom that can help with lowering bad cholesterol, preventing and slowing cancer, and boosting energy, as well as reducing stress.
Oragnic Cordyceps
Cordyceps is another adaptogenic mushroom that is a part of the Four Sigmatic plant-based protein. It has benefits such as boosting exercise performance, protect against cancer and diabetes, and can help fight inflammation.
Organic Reishi
Reishi is a mushroom that pretty much everyone knows. It helps to reduce fatigue, level out blood-sugar, and has lots of antioxidants.
Organic Turkey Tail
Honestly, any product that has turkey tail in it, I find that I will like it. I am often sensitive to different stimulants, herbs, and other products, so I’m always happy to find one that works for me!
Turkey Tail is a mushroom that, you guessed it, looks like the tail of a turkey. It is especially good for the immune system, with benefits like enhances gut health and has tons of antioxidants.
Organic Lion’s Mane
The last mushroom on our list, Lion’s Mane is a mushroom that can help with depression and anxiety, protect against dementia, protects against ulcers, and reduces the risk of heart disease.
Monk Fruit Extract
While this product does contain a small amount of maple syrup extract, most of the sweetness from this product comes from organic monk fruit extract. I didn’t know a lot about monk fruit extract, to be honest, so I did some digging.
It turns out that monk fruit’s sweetness doesn’t come from glucose (sugar), but instead from a compound called mogrosides. However, some monk fruit sweeteners contain erythritol. Erythritol is better known by its brand name, Splenda.
While Splenda used to be thought of as a healthy substitute for sugar, it’s now understood to cause elevated risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.
The Four Sigmatic website has a chat box for questions, so I decided to take advantage and ask about the monk fruit extract in this protein.
Here was our conversation:
So, no, the Four Sigmatic Protein powder does not contain erythritol. (Thank goodness!)
Four Sigmatic Protein Taste & Texture Review
My primary concern and complaint is that this protein powder is very sweet. There isn’t a lot of sugar, so the sweetness comes from the monk fruit extract (detailed above).
The other strange thing about this protein is that the blend isn’t very smooth. I typically blend my shakes in the blender, which gives it a smoother texture. (This is my recommended method.)
But when I just shook the protein in a shaker cup, the texture was chunky. It didn’t separate all the way, so there were bubbles of dry protein. On top of that, the actual protein itself had pieces of what I assume were the mushrooms. Essentially, there were little bits that I had to chew.
If you’re going to choose this protein, I highly suggest blending it to make it less chunky… unless, of course, you enjoy your protein chunky. In which case, enjoy!
Is Four Sigmatic Protein filling?
Simply, no. After having just a scoop in some almond milk, I found myself getting hungry again after about an hour. To be fair, I have a high metabolism, but it just didn’t hold me over like I hoped it would.
When I started adding other ingredients, like peanut or almond butter, avocado, and frozen fruit, I felt a lot more full. Added ingredients made the shake that much sweeter, however. Almost too sweet.
When you want something quick to fill you up, this protein by itself isn’t the way to go.
I would not recommend this protein powder as a meal replacement.
Four Sigmatic Protein While Doing Intense Work
If you are a creative person who needs a lot of focus to do your work, this protein might be perfect for you.
I found that if I had this as a snack in the afternoons, when I had already been working all morning, this fueled me and kept my brain going longer. I was able to continue writing, drafting, planning social media, and doing all kinds of other tasks that required my brain to be sharp and focused.
Four Sigmatic Protein After a Workout
If you’re looking for a good protein powder to use before or after a workout, this is a great option. The mushroom blend in it will help your workouts, and the protein will help build your muscles.
Also, if you’re the kind of person who feels tired or wiped out after a workout, drinking this protein shake after a workout will give you a little boost. Granted, it’s not like caffeine’s jolt. It’s more like a gentle energy with some extra focus. That boost takes about 30 minutes to set in (at least for my body and metabolism).
Conclusion: My Four Sigmatic Organic Protein Review
I very much like this protein! I give it a good 4/5 stars.
My only two complaints were that it didn’t keep my full as long as I’d like, and it’s just a little too sweet for me.
Other than that, this is a high quality, excellent plant-based protein that offers many benefits! It helped keep me focused in the afternoon while I was working and kept my stress levels down.
I might even try to make protein balls with this protein and see how they turn out!
What do you think? Have you tried Four Sigmatic?
Share your thoughts in the comments below!
