Life Cykel is a mushroom supplement brand that sells oral tinctures. The company claims to offer products for "biohackers," to support energy, brain health, stress and more.
But are mushroom extracts shown to have these effects in clinical studies, or are these just marketing claims? Does the brand use any questionable additive ingredients? Which retailer sells Life Ckyel for the best price? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Life Cykel supplements?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in two of Life Cykel's best sellers (Cordyceps+ and Lion's Mane+) based on clinical studies to give our take on whether or not they're likely to be effective, and whether or not they're healthy.
We'll feature unsponsored customer reviews, discuss the potential for side effects, and document which retailer sells Life Cykel for the best prices.
Ingredient Analysis — Cordyceps+
The ingredients in Life Cykel Cordyceps+ are shown above.
We consider it to be a sign of a high-quality mushroom supplement when both the mycelia and fruiting body are included, because these compounds have differing levels of health-promoting nutrients and phytonutrients, according to a medical review published in the Antioxidants journal.
Mycelium is essentially the "roots" of the mushroom, and the fruiting body is the "head" of the plant that appears above the soil.
Cordyceps is clinically shown to improve learning and memory in animal studies, as we documented in our Genius Mushrooms review article.
The mushroom was also described as having "remarkable clinical health effects" including anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activity, in a 2014 medical review.
Kakadu plum is also a potent antioxidant according to a 2019 clinical trial, although we can't find any studies proving its benefits in humans.
Natural flavor is an inactive ingredient we recommend avoiding, because it's a broad categorical descriptor that may include solvents and preservatives according to a medical review published in the Food and Chemical Toxicology journal.
Overall, we consider Cordyceps+ likely to promote health and potentially likely to have a nootropic effect, however we don't currently recommend this supplement due to the inclusion of natural flavor.
We Tried Life Cykel Ourselves
One of our product testers named Joshua Martinez tried Life Cykel for 30 days. Here's his experience:
Opening and using the Lyfe Cykel Mushroom extract was extremely easy.
The extract calls for 2 milliliter (mL) serving sizes and the product comes with a pipette bulb attached to the lid and markings on the dropper to show how much volume is being served.
I added the extract to different kinds of drinks and only needed to swirl the cup for the extract to fully blend in.
The taste really depends on what the extract was being mixed with.
Surprisingly, with water there was little to no harsh flavor of the extract. Mixing with orange juice on the other hand, tasted as if I brushed my teeth before hand with every sip.
I do think this product followed through with the effects it advertised.
I got the Lion’s Mane extract which advertised increased focus and energy during the day while also helping improve sleep quality at night. During the day I felt more focused and determined to finish work that I had been pushing off for days. At night I felt like I slept more soundly, and tend to track my sleep with my Garmin watch.
The few nights I drank some extract I slept a lot longer than usual!
I did have a weird tingly sensation on my teeth after drinking the extract and the Celsius. I don’t recommend drinking it with extra stimulants.
I didn't notice any side effects while using the extract daily.
I would definitely buy this product regularly, and would even dry the other mushroom extracts to see what my body prefers more.
Overall, I would rate Life Cykel a 9/10.
Ingredient Analysis — Lion's Mane+
The ingredients in Life Cykel Lion's Mane+ are shown above.
Lion's mane is clinically shown to support optimal cognitive function, as we discussed in our Four Sigmatic reviews article.
Beyond its nootropic effects, lion's mane may also support mental health.
A medical review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences described lion's mane as possessing "therapeutic potential" for depression, because it's been shown in clinical trials to significantly reduce depression scores.
Our comments about this formulation in regard to natural flavor and Kakadu plum are the same as those in the previous Ingredient Analysis section.
Overall, we consider Life Cykel Lion's Mane+ likely to have a nootropic effect and somewhat likely to have a nootropic effect, but we don't currently recommend this supplement due to the inclusion of natural flavor.
Real People Try Life Cykel
A YouTube creator named Jhori tried three different Life Cykel supplements and a shared his experience in a video with over 10,000 views:
A TikTok creator named Claire Brannen claims that Life Cykel helped her fall asleep:
@clairebrannenn I use the brand life cykel! Works like a CHARM it’s actually insane (i have a code if ya want it you can DM me!!) #mushrooms #wellness #reishi #foryou ♬ Jiggle Jiggle - Duke & Jones & Louis Theroux
Joe Rogan on Life Cykel
Life Cykel's supplements were discussed in a short segment on the Joe Rogan Experience with MMA fighter Rashad Evans:
Does Life Cykel Cause Side Effects?
Life Cykel's supplements don't appear to have been studied in any clinical trials, which makes it more challenging to determine whether or not they're likely to cause side effects.
However, we can make an educated guess based on the ingredients used.
Functional mushrooms like those used in Life Cykel have favorable safety profiles, and we do not consider effectively-dosed mushroom extracts likely to cause side effects, as we discussed in our Alpha Brain reviews article.
While we consider natural flavors to be unhealthy, we haven't seen any clinical evidence that this ingredient causes acute side effects.
Overall, we consider Life Cykel supplements unlikely to cause side effects in otherwise healthy adults.
We can't find any information about potential side effects on the Life Cykel website at the time of publishing this article.
Where to Get the Best Price
Life Cykel supplements are sold at a wide variety of online retailers. Here's a price breakdown for a one-time purchase of the two formulations reviewed in this article at the time of publication:
Cordyceps+ (60 mL)
Brand website: $34.95 (plus shipping, link)
Amazon: $34.95 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)
Lion's Mane+
Brand website: $34.95 (plus shipping, link)
Amazon: $34.95 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)
Life Cykel is sold at other online retailers, but Amazon and the brand's website appear to be the only official retailers at the time of publishing this article.
When factoring in shipping fees, Life Cykel is around 15% cheaper on Amazon than the brand's website.
Real Customers Review Life Cykel
Amazon is a better resource for unbiased customer reviews than a brand's website in our opinion.
Life Cykel Lion's Mane+ has been reviewed over 500 times on Amazon, with an average review rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars at the time of publishing this article.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named "Grnberyl" who gives the product a 5/5 rating, and claims it helped with sleep:
"I've experienced a very distinct improvement in my sleep quality since I began using this product about a week ago. I had previously been struggling to stay asleep for more than three or four hours at a time...When I take the dose of Lion's Mane, I have no trouble staying asleep, and if I do wake up, I'm able to fall back asleep without any problems."
The top negative review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named "The Airbender" who gives the product a 1/5 rating, and claims it had no noticeable effects:
"This thing does NOTHING for me other than drained my wallet. It did not help with my sleep whatsoever. What a waste of money."
Life Cykel Lion's Mane+ currently has an average review rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google.
Pros and Cons of Life Cykel
Here are the pros and cons of Life Cykel in our opinion:
Pros:
- Uses mycelia and fruiting body
- Likely effective doses
- Formulations we reviewed should support overall health
- Unlikely to cause side effects
- Mostly positive online customer reviews
- Brand publishes test results
- Informed Sport Certified
- Glass packaging
Cons:
- Both supplements reviewed contain natural flavor
- Doesn't appear clinically tested
- Brand website charges for shipping
