Coffee has become part of the British way of life. Many of us can’t even leave the house without having a cup of joe first. In the UK alone, we drink approximately 95 million cups of coffee per day. Long gone are the days of having to rely on instant graduals for an energy boost; from trends like TikTok’s protein coffee and Instagram’s whipped Dalgona, to espresso martinis and flavoured iced coffees, there’s a caffeine-fix for every season and occasion.

And, sans the mountains of sugar and whipped cream, coffee’s really good for us – meaning there’s always an excuse to drink up. But, as with anything, you can have too much of a good thing. If you find yourself reaching for four or five cups a day, or that you’re a bit too reliant on your office’s espresso machine, then this guide’s for you. We’ve roped in a couple of nutritional experts to find out how much coffee is too much, and what healthy alternatives can help us reduce our intake.

Coffee’s most famous – and sought-after property – is its ability to make us feel more awake. It does that by triggering our body’s fight or flight mode and releasing cortisol and adrenaline, according to holistic nutritionist and health coach Cheryl Telfer. She suggests that constant coffee drinking can, in the long-term, lead to us feeling more tired due to “raised blood pressure, hormone imbalances, anxiety, stress and disrupted sleep.”

And, of course, coffee can be habit-forming. That’s not a problem in and of itself – coffee is a fantastic gut health drink, and a couple of daily cups can encourage the growth of helpful bacteria. But we’re talking about relying on coffee to get out of bed in the morning, something that certified health education specialist Brielle Merchant warns against. 

“When we consume caffeine, it halts the production of adenosine – a neurotransmitter that has a calming effect and can help promote sleepiness. Over time, our brains may produce more adenosine receptors in response to this,” registered nutritionist Clarissa Lenherr previously told Strong Women. “And the more receptors we have, the more caffeine we need to get the same alert, energised feeling. Over time this increased need for caffeine can seem like an addiction.”

But coffee isn’t addictive in and of itself; we form attachments to the way coffee can make us feel. As well as halting adenosine, caffeine causes us to produce more dopamine – a chemical that helps us feel motivated, awake and alert.

Studies suggest that up to three cups a day can boast big health benefits. The NHS warns that over four cups of coffee may start to increase your blood pressure.

Firstly, it’s important to stress how healthy coffee really is. Decaf or fully caffeinated, instant or ground – it all has serious benefits to offer. And if you enjoy two or three cups a day, then crack on. But if you feel like coffee makes you feel more anxious, you’re unable to get through the day without a pot or you habitually drink over four cups of the stuff a day, then it might be worth looking into some alternatives. 

Merchant tells us that supplementing or replacing coffee can help to undo “the reliance on caffeine that some people experience when drinking coffee regularly.” And, if you find the right sorts of drinks, they might even “provide nutritional benefits beyond boosting your energy.”

Telfer explains that “some of the benefits of drinking coffee come from the polyphenols in it, which are an antioxidant with known health benefits that include preventing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases”. However, there are plenty of other energising food and drink options that also contain polyphenols, so it’s not just coffee that might have those inflammation-reducing properties. Coffee is also packed with fibre, but again, you can get fibre from other drinks too. 

In terms of boosting energy, Telfer suggests that fresh vegetable and fruit juices can be quickly energising because they don’t contain fibre – meaning that the natural sugars enter the bloodstream quicker. They also tend to be full of vitamins and minerals. Looking for a slower energy-boost and a more gut-friendly alternative? Try making smoothies with the whole plant.

“You can also try adaptogenic herbs such as ginseng and rhodiola rosea, which help increase energy, boost stamina and enhance mental functions,” she claims.

Merchant also recommends “apples, bananas, carb-rich foods like oatmeal, protein-rich food like beans, and nuts such as walnuts” as energising alternatives to coffee. Having a diverse diet full of whole foods such as these, she says, “will aid in helping overall energy throughout the day.”

But as we say, caffeine isn’t bad for you and for most of us, simply replacing one fully-caffeinated cup of coffee a day would probably make a difference to sleep and mood. So, with that in mind, we’ve had a look for lower-caffeine alternatives, rather than caffeine-free drinks. 

These natural alternatives have up to 50% less caffeine than coffee, taste great and will give you the boost you crave. 

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