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14 Coffee Alternatives for Steady Energy Without the Jitters
Coffee is linked to a number of health benefits, such as a reduced risk of heart disease, liver disease, and type 2 diabetes. However, caffeinated coffee can cause symptoms like anxiety, jitteriness, and headaches in people who are sensitive to caffeine. Some people may also want to stop drinking coffee to get better sleep, reduce stress, or for other health reasons.
Fortunately, you can enjoy many caffeinated and non-caffeinated drinks instead of coffee.
Matcha is a concentrated green tea powder with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Matcha contains 38-178 milligrams (mg) of caffeine, depending on the amount of matcha used. For comparison, a cup of brewed coffee contains around 92 milligrams of caffeine.
Matcha is high in L-theanine, an amino acid with calming and stress-relieving properties. Therefore, it may be helpful for people who want a caffeinated beverage that’s less stimulating than coffee.
Yerba mate is a beverage made from the leaves of the yerba mate tree. It’s commonly consumed in South American countries like Argentina, Brazil, and Chile.
A cup of yerba mate contains about 80 milligrams of caffeine, a bit less than what’s found in a cup of coffee. However, studies show it can help boost energy levels and alertness. Yerba mate is also less likely to cause nervousness, which some people experience after drinking coffee.
Green tea is packed with plant compounds like the catechin epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Green tea contains around 29.4 milligrams of caffeine per cup, much less than what’s found in coffee. It also contains L-theanine, so it gives you a more calming energy than coffee. For this reason, it may be a better choice for those who experience anxiety after drinking coffee.
Black tea contains an average of 47 milligrams of caffeine per cup, a little more than half of what’s found in a cup of coffee. Like green tea, black tea contains L-theanine, making it more calming than coffee.
Black tea is linked to many health benefits, including potentially reducing your risk of neurodegenerative (brain-related) diseases like dementia and decreasing heart disease risk factors like hypertension (high blood pressure).
Kombucha is often made with black tea, but it has the added benefits of probiotics.
Chai tea is a blend of black tea and spices like ginger, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon, that’s commonly enjoyed with milk and a sweetener.
Chai tea contains some caffeine from black tea but is a much less concentrated source than coffee. It can be a valuable replacement for people who enjoy lattes and cappuccinos but want to reduce their caffeine intake.
Some chai tea drinks can be high in added sugar, so it’s best to make your own at home to control the amount of added sugar in your beverage.
Chicory coffee is a caffeine-free coffee alternative made from chicory root. Its nutty, coffee-like flavor makes it a good replacement for those looking for a caffeine-free coffee replacement.
Chicory root coffee contains small amounts of a prebiotic compound called inulin. Prebiotics fuel and promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in your large intestine. Bacteria in your digestive tract break down or ferment prebiotics, which release compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
These compounds provide energy for cells that line your intestinal tract, reduce inflammation, and regulate intestinal pH, which are essential to gut health.
Hot cocoa can be a healthy alternative to coffee. Cocoa is an excellent source of antioxidants, including flavonoid compounds such as catechins, anthocyanins, and proanthocyanidins, which have potent cellular-protective properties. Cocoa products have the highest flavonoid content by weight of any other food.
Hot cocoa is much lower in caffeine than coffee, containing around 5 milligrams per cup. Try making your own unsweetened hot cocoa at home using healthy ingredients like cocoa powder, unsweetened milk, a dash of cinnamon, and a blood sugar-friendly sweetener like monk fruit. Cacao can also be used with or instead of cocoa powder, as it has more nutrients than cocoa powder.
Sipping on a hot cup of bone broth in the morning instead of coffee can help boost your protein and collagen intake. A cup of chicken bone broth contains about three times more protein than the same serving of regular chicken stock.
Bone broth is naturally caffeine-free and provides several minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Golden milk is a drink made with milk, ground turmeric, and other spices like ginger and black pepper.
Turmeric is packed with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, including the polyphenol curcumin. Turmeric has been linked with several health benefits, such as potentially improving symptoms of medical conditions like osteoarthritis, liver disease, and ulcerative colitis (UC), and protecting against cognitive decline in older adults.
You can make golden milk at home by mixing a teaspoon of ground turmeric into heated milk, then adding ingredients like black pepper, ginger, and maple syrup to taste.
Mushroom coffee is a blend of coffee beans and ground medicinal mushrooms or mushroom extracts. Mushroom coffee usually contains several medicinal mushrooms, such as chaga, turkey tail, reishi, lion’s mane, and cordyceps.
Though studies show that supplementing with medicinal mushrooms may reduce stress and benefit heart health and cognitive function, there’s no research investigating the health effects of mushroom coffee specifically. Still, some people report that switching to mushroom coffee helps reduce the jitteriness associated with drinking regular coffee.
Hibiscus tea is a tart drink made from the hibiscus plant.
Also known as sour tea, hibiscus tea is rich in antioxidants, including vitamin C, carotenoids, and anthocyanins. These protect cells from damage that may otherwise lead to disease. Studies show that drinking hibiscus tea could help lower blood pressure, decrease inflammation, and reduce blood sugar.
Hibiscus tea is caffeine-free, so it can be used as a coffee replacement day or night.
Dandelion coffee is a caffeine-free coffee alternative made from the root of the dandelion plant. Dandelion coffee tastes and looks similar to regular coffee, so it’s a good option for coffee lovers who need to cut coffee from their diets.
Though there’s no research on the effects of dandelion coffee specifically, dandelion is contains antioxidants, such as chicoric acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, and terpenes, all of which have cellular-protective effects.
If you have frequent digestive symptoms, like nausea, inhaling the aroma of peppermint tea can help soothe your stomach. Peppermint tea may be an especially good choice for pregnant women who want a caffeine-free coffee alternative to ease pregnancy-induced morning sickness.
During pregnancy, limiting your caffeine intake to less than 200 milligrams per day is recommended. The limit for non-pregnant people is 400 milligrams per day.
Lemon water is a simple, hydrating replacement for coffee.
Increasing your water intake can benefit overall health, including the health of your kidneys, brain, and heart. Lemon juice boosts vitamin C, which is required for immune function, collagen synthesis, neurotransmitter production, and many other important processes.
Staying hydrated can also reduce symptoms related to caffeine withdrawal, like headaches. This is why increasing your water intake is important when cutting out caffeine.
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