Three coffee alternatives that could be healthier, including low-acid beans and a mainly mushroom low-caffeine drink

Mud\Wtr’s coffee alternative includes mushrooms and adaptogens and is low-caffeine; Bulletproof coffee with added butter and fats is designed for keto dieters

Lifeboost offers ‘clean’ low-acid coffee for those with sensitive stomachs. A dietitian weighs in, and explains why she still starts her day with regular coffee

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If regular coffee upsets your stomach or gives you the jitters, try an alternative: low-acid, low-caffeine or Bulletproof keto coffee.

Published: 6:45pm, 9 Aug 2022Updated: 2:43pm, 18 Jan 2023

Coffee is among the most consumed drinks in the world, with an estimated two billion cups served up every day. That’s big business: the global coffee market was valued at US$102 billion in 2020.

The health implications of drinking coffee have always been under vigorous scrutiny. The list of studies of coffee’s potential health benefits is long: its consumption has been linked to increased longevity, protection against type 2 diabetes and liver cancer, and increased energy levels, among others.

Coffee, or its key ingredient, caffeine, doesn’t work for everyone, though. For some it causes anxiety and jitters; for others it can cause digestive complications and upset stomach.

Innovators are taking fresh approaches to traditional brews, with potentially healthier takes on the cup of joe. We look at three companies that are brewing things differently.

Mud\Wtr offers coffee alternatives made mostly from mushrooms. Photo: @drinkmudwtr

Mud\Wtr – less caffeine, more mushrooms

“I liked coffee: the smell, the taste, and, most importantly, I liked the ritual. There was something about a freshly brewed cup that made me feel like I could take on more and do it better,” says Shane Heath, co-founder of US drink maker Mud\Wtr.