An overview of coffee alternatives

You have an early morning and while the mind is fully aware of the needed action, the body doesn’t cooperate. You force it anyway, and second to freshening up, all you can think of is the smell and taste of your usual beverage that will soon rev up your day.

A majority of you would automatically assume the above-mentioned choice of beverage is coffee. However, it turns out that it’s not everyone’s default morning (or any other time) cup of tea.

Several reasons could drive someone away from its consumption:

• Being a sweet tooth whose palette doesn't align with coffee’s bitter and acidic taste
• General dietary preference for other beverages
• Health related concerns, especially anxiety¹
• Desire to add range to your healthy beverage catalogue

Depending on what purpose you need your beverage to fulfil, there exist several other interesting options you could use as coffee alternatives.

The most significant coffee attributes

Stimulatory action from caffeine 

Depending on the dosage, caffeine intake could either be harmful or beneficial. It acts by increasing dopamine activity, positively impacting mood and energy.² This is especially beneficial for those in depressive and low-energy states. On the contrary, when taken in excess, the same caffeine that improves mood would present a negative response to those with panic, anxiety and bipolar disorders.

Other than behavioural, a reported limitation of excessive caffeine intake is reduced nutritional activity of calcium and Vitamin D absorption, posing a risk of osteoporosis and fracture issues, especially among the elderly.²

So, while some may want to experience similar effects because of their ability to manage and prevent the negative manifestations, others want to cut off or reduce caffeine from their diet. Therefore, for those interested in minimal negative effects from caffeine intake, moderate caffeine intake of around 300 mg per day - 400mg  (2-3 cups of coffee) is advised for a healthy individual.^3,4

Functional and nutritional properties 

Coffee has beneficial properties mostly stemming from the presence of Chlorogenic acids, a group of phenolic compounds.⁵ The phenols possess remarkable antioxidant activity, which protects the body from cardiovascular, liver and diabetic conditions.⁶

Its action on diabetes management is further supported by the available magnesium which acts by increasing insulin sensitivity.⁷

Coffee therefore has properties that contribute significantly to good human health, providing a challenge to those seeking alternatives to look out for beverages with some notable nutritive qualities.

Top five coffee alternatives you should consider

With the above understanding of coffee attributes and depending on your reasons for seeking alternatives, the below options have been selected as the best alternatives as they can be grouped further into caffeinated or caffeine-free options:

Caffeinated alternatives

Yerba mate

Native to the South American countries, Yerba Mate, a type of tea, is the closest counterpart to coffee.⁸

Its caffeine content in a 150ml cup is 78mg, which is less, but close to 85 mg per 150ml cup of coffee.⁹

Additionally, other than some flavonoid compounds, Yerba Mate also has phenolic acids similar to coffee, with chlorogenic acid as the dominant one.⁸

Its nutritional profile could be richer because of the presence of more nutrients: Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus and water soluble Vitamins (Vitamin C, B1, B2 and B6).⁸

As a result of all those bio-actives  and nutrients, Yerba Mate  possesses pharmacological activity within the scope of what coffee does and beyond:

• Stimulating the mind and body functions⁸
• Cardioprotective function by its action on serum lipid profile and oxidative stress⁸
• Antidiabetic effects due to its ability to increase insulin sensitivity, decrease glucose levels and regulate lipid metabolism⁸
• Weight reduction by reducing lipid accumulation, cholesterol and glucose levels¹⁰
• Promotion of bone health as seen in a study of postmenopausal women whose bone mineral density increased by  6.2 - 9.7% after its consumption¹¹

Other than all the benefits mentioned, care should be taken to not consume too much of Yerba Mate because of its potential to cause certain types of cancers. Although contradictory, the presence of other contributing factors like smoking, alcohol, hot temperatures of the drink, and contamination with compounds like Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAHs¹³ from burning of the leaves during roasting, poses a risk to cancer development.¹⁰

Green tea and matcha

What separates green tea from the usual black tea is the total polyphenol compounds, at 30% whereas for black tea it's 5% of the dry weight.¹³

The dominant bioactive compounds in green tea include Catechins, Caffeine, L. theanine and polyphenols.¹⁴

Epigallocatechin gallate(EGCG)¹⁵ is the most abundant Catechin, with commendable antioxidant properties.

EGCG and other catechins present, have been shown to regulate blood glucose levels by either increasing insulin sensitivity or by regulating the release of glucose into the bloodstream hence preventing blood sugar spikes.¹⁴

This effect on blood glucose consequently also helps in weight management and eventually prevents the development of coronary heart diseases.¹³

Unique to teas, L-theanine, the most abundant amino acid, is more concentrated in green tea than in black tea. It has proven to improve cognitive function by enhancing memory and attention,¹⁷  and still offers notable relaxing and calming effects.¹⁶

In green tea, caffeine acts as a mild stimulant with.a 2-4% capacity of dry weight, less than that in coffee,¹⁴ making it a good substitute for those who want to reduce their caffeine intake. The mood-enhancing benefit of high caffeine levels in coffee is compensated by L-theanine in green tea, which has been shown to improve emotional wellness.¹⁷

When it comes to matcha, although it's a form of green tea, it was found to have more caffeine, l-theanine and Vitamin C compared to other green teas.¹⁹

Additionally, as part of its polyphenols, it has exceptionally high levels of Rutin and Chlorophyll which are commendable sources of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.²⁰

While green teas possess so many beneficial attributes, it is advisable to not over-consume since EGCG could be cytotoxic to liver cells, as observed in a study on rat liver cells.²¹

Cocoa

Beyond its elite application in confectionary, cocoa as a beverage has historically been used for medical solutions,  which included stimulation of the nervous system for weak patients and those experiencing mental fatigue.²²

This function is highly attributed to the presence of theobromine and caffeine, both of which contribute to the bitter taste, and the mildly stimulatory effect, mostly from the former.²³

They are more concentrated in the cocoa powder from cocoa seed with a caffeine content of 0.06-0.4% dry weight and theobromine at 1.0-2.5% dry weight.²⁴

Additionally, their rich phenolic antioxidant content, mainly in the form of catechins and epicatechins, greatly contributes to their protective cardiovascular effects, insulin resistance, improved immune function and improved mood.

However, some of these beneficial attributes, like antioxidant capacity, could be affected by a few factors such as roasting time of the beans and other manufacturing conditions. 

Another drawback would be the possibility of weight gain especially from the byproducts consumption.^22,

Caffeine-free alternatives

Chicory root coffee

This caffeine-free tap root is well known for its fibre content, with a high concentration of a soluble fibre compound called inulin. 

In addition to the inulin, other properties prompting its use as a coffee substitute are its bitter taste and lack of caffeine.

While the roasting process causes some alterations in the levels of inulin, some of it usually remains available for use by the body.

This inulin has several benefits adding to its nutritive value, namely;  prebiotic effects,  improved gut, and digestive health and mineral absorption

While some take roasted Chicory coffee alone, others blend it with other ingredients either to reduce its bitterness or to achieve a desired low-caffeine beverage. This could be by using:

• Chicory in hot milk
• Chicory with coffee
• Chicory with dates and baobab powder

Chamomile tea

As one of the ancient herbs still put to use to date, chamomile is now well-reputed as a therapeutic effector.

While coffee is focused on alerting and activating the body and mind to stay in “motion”, chamomile does the complete opposite. Thanks to a flavonoid called apigenin, it calms the nerves to reduce anxiety and creates a sedating action, making it the best herbal tea alternative to coffee, for those not interested in any stimulatory action.

Similarly, in terms of nutritional properties, chamomile in combination with other components, has proven a positive influence on cardiovascular function and other metabolic disorders due to its inflammatory factors, and antioxidant properties, which also offer protective benefits to more cells and organs such as the liver and kidneys.

Summary

While some people have grown dependent or would prefer a daily dose of coffee to jump-start their day, some are looking for alternative options.

This could be due to a variety of reasons including health concerns, attempts to break monotony or general dietary preferences. Either way, this calls for knowledge of what else can be consumed in place of coffee.

Therefore, to know what to look for, we understand that the alternatives would be those with more, similar or less of the dominant attributes - in terms of stimulating and nutrition properties. However, more often than not, their selection always revolves around caffeine content, hence the grouping herein.

Yerba Mate, Green tea, Cocoa, Chicory root, and Chamomile, happen to cover the base and can be considered as some of the alternatives to coffee. 

If interested in exploring more healthy coffee substitutes, you may look up mushroom coffee.