Coffee, hold the beans. The new wave of brews are made with mushrooms, date pits and more. Are they worth trying?
These days, you don't have to look too far for coffee alternatives: There are oodles of beverage brands, such as Atomo, that tout themselves as healthy alternatives to java, which has so-called upcycled ingredients and mimics the taste of coffee. Another popular alternative is mushroom coffee, made by brands such as Four Sigmatic and Ryze. There's also functional coffee, such as MUD\WTR's adaptogenic drink and Rasa's herbal mix with ashwagandha and chicory. Then there's Everyday Doze's functional coffee, which is infused with nootropics and superfoods in addition to Arabian coffee beans.
Should you try these new beverages, or even replace your regular cup of coffee with them? Here's what to know.
Do coffee alternatives contain caffeine?
Many coffee alternatives are low in caffeine or don't contain caffeine at all. Instead, their claims of boosting energy come from other ingredients, such as adaptogens.
This could benefit people who want to scale back on caffeine in general. The caffeine in coffee (about 95 mg per cup) may cause uncomfortable side effects, says Davis, especially for those who suffer from anxiety. Intolerance to caffeine, which varies greatly from person to person, may exacerbate anxiety symptoms, including rapid heartbeat, sweating and even shortness of breath.
Drinking caffeine too late in the day can disrupt sleep, which, over time, can lead to poor health outcomes like high blood pressure and weight gain. Those who are especially sensitive to caffeine can also experience other side effects like jitters, headaches and gut issues — and the more caffeine you drink, the more likely you'll experience them.
Some studies show a risk to drinking too much caffeine — a 2024 study found that drinking more than 400 mg of caffeine per day (a little more than four cups of coffee) could increase the likelihood of developing heart disease, for example — but a major reason people may consider scaling back is the risk of developing a dependence. When your body gets used to a regular caffeine fix, skipping it can trigger withdrawal symptoms like headaches, irritability and fatigue.
Are there health benefits to drinking coffee alternatives?
Many coffee alternatives boast ingredients like adaptogens, which are natural substances believed to help the body manage stress, or nootropics, which are compounds thought to enhance cognitive function — things you won't get in your average cup of coffee.
Dietitian Amy Davis tells Yahoo Life she's a big fan of mushroom coffee. 'With functional mushrooms, the more you take them on a daily basis, the more you feel the benefits of them,' Davis says. 'Lion's mane, for example, is the OG brain booster mushroom — it's going to support cognitive function and focus, which is one of the main reasons why people drink coffee.'
Davis also points to other ingredients common in these coffees, such as chaga, a type of mushroom that she says is 'great for immunity,' while another mushroom, cordyceps, may help provide energy. However, more research is needed to assess the actual benefits of these substances.
Other coffee alternatives promise similar benefits to java but promise fewer side effects. Atomo, for example, claims that their upcycled coffee is 'high in antioxidants' — similar to regular coffee, which is also rich in antioxidants — but with 'a clean caffeine experience giving consumers a superfood-based approach to your caffeine ritual that is easier on your stomach.' Davis says that date pits found in Atomo are a healthy coffee alternative because you'll get a 'really concentrated source of the nutrients that are found in dates,' such as potassium.
Are coffee alternatives more environmentally friendly?
One environmental problem connected to the coffee industry is deforestation: the demand for coffee, and specifically sun-grown coffee, means trees must be cleared out to build large plantations. Since this sun-grown method also leads to a loss of nutrients in the soil, coffee farmers must keep finding new land once they are unable to grow in that particular area. Plus, growing coffee requires a lot of water — around 140 liters are needed for a single cup.
These issues led Atomo to create a coffee-like beverage that is not only more sustainable than coffee production, but also uses parts of plants that would otherwise become garbage. It's made from so-called upcycled ingredients like chicory root, grapeskin, date pits, sunflower and lemon and mimics the taste of coffee.
The bottom line
Matthew Badgett, an internal medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic, doesn't think choosing a coffee alternative in lieu of a cup of joe will do much to improve your health. 'Maybe a coffee alternative provides benefits that are equally valuable, but we don't know,' Badgett tells Yahoo Life, referencing the lack of studies on these alternatives. 'But we know that coffee is good for you.'
So you don't necessarily need to give up coffee if you enjoy it. Coffee is rich in polyphenols, which help fight inflammation and protect against cell damage, and several studies show people who drink coffee regularly have lower rates of cancer and chronic disease.
Davis says that whether you opt for a coffee alternative comes down to how you feel about your coffee habit. 'If you're someone who is prone to feeling anxious or jittery after having coffee, this is going to be a good fit for you,' she explains. While Davis says that coffee alternatives like mushroom coffee provide energy and help improve cognitive function, so does the caffeine found in coffee.
Love coffee, but are sensitive to caffeine? Badgett says you can always go for decaf, which has similar health benefits but significantly less caffeine.
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