What’s driving functional coffee’s growth?
- Functional coffee market now worth $4.5bn globally and growing fast
- Ashwagandha helps reduce stress and sleeplessness in clinical studies
- Cordyceps linked to stamina and heart health despite limited human trials
- Lion’s Mane supports brain function and mental clarity in mushroom blends
- Maca and l-theanine aid hormonal balance and relaxation in adaptogenic brews
The functional coffee market is now worth $4.5bn globally, as consumers look to blend their daily caffeine boost with added benefits across sleep, stress, stamina and even sexual function.
As a result, the demand for natural adaptogenic ingredients to infuse through coffee blends has soared.
Spanning mushrooms, plants and herbs, here are five of the core ingredients fuelling functional coffee’s current rise – and the touted benefits that consumers seem increasingly willing to pay for.
Ashwagandha
An evergreen shrub cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates across Asia, Africa and Europe, Withania Somnifera is most commonly known by its Sanskrit name ashwagandha because its roots are said to smell like a wet horse (“ashwa” for horse and “gandha” for smell).
Rich in phytochemicals, the shrub is a traditional ingredient in Indian Ayurvedic medicine and has more recently gained traction in Western functional food and drink due its reputation as a powerful stress reliever and sleep aid.
It’s a claim backed up by some clinical evidence too. One systematic review in 2021, identified seven studies that found ashwagandha could reduce stress and anxiety, for example, whether extracted from the leaf, root or taken as a dried root powder turned into granules. Participants reported a decrease in sleeplessness and fatigue, and reduced serum cortisol levels when compared with a placebo.
The shrub has become a common addition in contemporary functional coffees as a result.
Free Soul’s Wake Blend, for example, pairs ashwagandha with Lion’s Mane, Himalayan Pink Salt and Maca to create an “elevated” brew. The Super Blend from Dirtea Coffee meanwhile claims its ashwagandha-rich blend (along with Lion’s Mane, chaga and tremella mushrooms, as well as Maca powder) delivers “increased energy levels without a caffeine crash”.
And both brands insist their use of rich Arabica coffee beans helps mask the earthy, slightly bitter taste that can accompany concentrated extracts of the plant.
Cordyceps
Its starring role in US TV show One of US as a killer fungi doesn’t seem to have damaged the growing popularity of cordyceps.
A kind of parasitic fungi grown all over the world, there are more than 750 species of cordyceps – around 35 of which have been associated with potential health benefits.
Perhaps the best known, and most sought-after, of those is Cordyceps sinensis and Cordyceps militaris, the former found at the highest altitudes of the Himalayan regions, and the latter suited to more tropical climates, across Asia, Europe and North America. Both have been long-used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Said to have a savoury nutty flavour akin to chestnut mushrooms, the numerous health benefits associated with Cordyceps include improved athletic performance, anti-ageing properties for the skin and more resilient heart health. One 2019 study found it reduced oxidative stress, for example, the build-up of which can contribute to cardiac conditions. However, this study, and many others, have been animal studies, with more limited research on its impact on humans.
That hasn’t stopped functional coffee brands adding it into their blends though. UK brand Freshly Fermented, for example, says its Organic Cordyceps Coffee can enhance energy and stamina, promote mental clarity and boost immune function, making “this coffee the perfect choice for those seeking a natural way to fuel their day.”
Lion’s Mane
Hailed by supermarket chain Tesco as “the next big trend in mushrooms” in June, Lion’s Mane mushrooms and their apoptogenic qualities are already making waves across European food and drink, buoyed by some high-profile fans. Google Searches for the ingredient spiked 450% overnight in May, for example, after a brief mention on Amazon show Clarkson’s Farm.
Known for their white, shaggy appearance and hair-like strands, Lion’s Mane mushrooms are edible fungi that grow on the trunks of dead hardwood trees across North America, Asia and Europe, and have long been lauded for their health-boosting benefits. Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates supposedly used them as part of his wellness toolkit as far back as 450 BCE.
They’re said to help improve mood and ease anxiety as well as boost cognitive function, thanks to two compounds, hericenones and erinacines, which – some research has suggested - help protect the brain from the cognitive effects of the ageing. Though again, many experts are calling for far more research to be done to back up these claims.
And alongside Lion’s Mane supplements, a category with volume growth of more than 1,300% as of April 2025, according to Nielsen data, many consumers are opting to ingest their daily dose via coffee.
Dirtea say its Super Blend coffee contains more than 1,000mg of Lion’s Mane per serving alongside B vitamins “which work together to support mental clarity, nervous system health, and energy metabolism.”
London Nootropics meanwhile infuses its Flow Adaptogenic Coffee with Hifas da Terra Lion’s Mane mushroom “for those seeking focus and clarity in their day.”
Maca
Said to have a naturally creamy, malty taste, it’s easy to see why Maca makes a natural addition to the growing roster of functional coffees hitting shelves.
Also known as Peruvian ginseng, the ingredient is grown exclusively in the central Andes, with its root blending fibre, protein, carbohydrates and amino acids, as well as vitamins, such as iron and calcium. All which makes it a “potent superfood,” say UK health store Holland & Barrett , that’s been used by indigenous populations in South America for centuries to treat stamina and sexual dysfunction.
More recently studies have focused on its role within hormonal regulation, with one Chinese study reporting a significant decrease in depression among postmenopausal women that took 3.3g of Maca daily. With only 29 participants though, there’s much more research needed to substantiate these findings.
Major functional foods brands like The Protein Works have embraced this South American superfood. Its Mushroom Coffee, for example, contains a 368mg blend of adaptogenic herbs that combines Maca Root alongside Ashwagandha and Siberian Ginseng. It also contains half the caffeine of regular coffee, and is intended to “support focus, energy and overall wellness.”
L-Theanine
An amino acid found in abundance in green and black tea leaves, l-theanine is another functional ingredient gaining plenty of attention.
Said to promote relaxation and balance out the stimulating effects of caffeine, some studies suggest l-theanine increases the alpha waves in the brain associated with relaxation, reducing stress and anxiety and improving sleep quality. Though these findings are “often inconsistent,” say researchers.
Though globally most l-theanine is produced synthetically by triggering a reaction between glutamic acid and ethylamine, the ingredient in this form isn’t currently permitted to be used or sold within the EU, say the Nutraceuticals Group. L-theanine extracted naturally however, obtained by soaking tea leaves in a solvent to extract the theanine compound, is. This process can be costly however, costing up to 20x the price per active unit.
This is perhaps what makes l-theanine a slightly less common addition to functional coffee rights now, though there are some exceptions. London Brand Nootropics, for example, say the l-theanine used in its Zen Coffee is “meticulously extracted for purity and high bioavailability.”