‘Functional’ coffee trend – including Lion’s Mane lattes and collagen cappuccinos, to go mainstream in 2026 (and they won’t be cheap)
Thought coffee shop add-ons were all about requesting an extra shot of espresso or a dash of caramel syrup?
Your regular order could become significantly more sophisticated – and health giving, in 2026, as ‘functional coffee’ looks set to go mainstream.
Coffee trends are all pointing in one direction – the prediction that high street chains will fully embrace ingredients that transcend far beyond the traditional caffeine hit, and charge you extra for them.
Lion’s Mane lattes and collagen cappuccinos will become the norm alongside the usual flat whites and filter coffees, as brands lean into consumers’ desire for supercharged brews.
‘Adaptogenic’ coffees are infused with plant and herbal ingredients, which health practitioners say can give the usual pick-me-up without the subsequent crash.
Those who enjoy them say the drinks can transform focus and energy levels throughout the day.
Caffeine has long been nature’s most prolific remedy for tiredness but it also sends cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, soaring.
Experts say adding a nip of mushroom, protein and collagen, in powder form, to drinks can prevent the slump and even be good for your overall health.
Coffee shop chains are leaning into ‘functional coffees’, which see regular lattes and flat whites infused with wellness ingredients including mushrooms, protein and collagen
Speaking to BBC News, coffee shop owner Zak Haddad said he’d been offering £1 additions of such ingredients to the drinks he serves at his cafe, Sipp, in Chorlton, in Greater Manchester, for two years.
The coffee aficionado told the news site drinking a Lion’s Mane-infused coffee left him with a ‘really clear, focused feeling’ and minus the ‘spike and crash you can sometimes get from strong coffee’.
Brands such as Naturya, which sells powdered ‘superfood’ drinks that can be added to smoothies or stirred into coffee are now sold in the likes of Waitrose, Ocado and Holland & Barrett.
A Naturya mushroom powder made from ‘a nourishing blend of lion’s mane, shiitake, maitake & reishi’ currently retails at around £8 for 100g.
It’s likely only a matter of time before such powders are on the menu at the likes of Starbucks, which already sells a protein hit in its US stores, Costa and Caffe Nero.
Emerging chain, Black Sheep Coffee, already has protein powder and CBD as extras -and earlier this year launched a functional coffee range, including a latte ‘packed with mushrooms, prebiotics, and Lion’s Mane’.
Three shots, a Gut Shot, Beauty Shot and Brain Shot, can be additionally added to any drink.
A beauty blend ‘get the glow’ latte, ‘boosted with a unique mushroom blend and collagen’ claims to support ‘radiant looking skin’ and retails at £4.89 in the group’s Liverpool store, and £5.19 in London branches.
Earlier this year, Dr Jamie McManus told the Daily Mail why it’s worth considering making your morning brew healthier.
‘While coffee feels like it’s giving you energy, it’s actually just stimulating your nervous system, often leading to a crash later on.
‘True energy comes from deep, cellular nourishment, stable blood sugar, and a well-regulated circadian rhythm,’ she said.
Emerging high street coffee chain Black Sheep has more than 80 branches in the UK – and introduced ‘functional’ coffees earlier this year, including a ‘get the glow’ latte, ‘boosted with a unique mushroom blend and collagen’ that claims to support ‘radiant looking skin’
She explained that if you experience extreme fatigue, difficulty concentrating, or irritability a few hours after having your morning cup of coffee, it might be time to consider switching to another source of energy.
This month, biohacker Bryan Johnson, who’s trying to live forever, says he’s back on coffee after swearing off it off years ago in a bid to improve his health.
A new study has caused the 48-year-old, who claims to be more than a decade younger biologically than his actual age, to rethink his stance on caffeine.
In a video, Johnson highlighted findings from Tulane University in Louisiana that showed coffee drinkers had a 16 percent lower risk of death from any cause and a 31 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to non-coffee drinkers.
However, Johnson went on to state that ‘there’s a catch [and] it matters when you drink the coffee.’
The study, which used data from 40,725 adults taking part in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2018, found that drinking coffee throughout the day did not show the same reduced mortality risk.
While the scientists said that more research is needed to explain why limiting coffee to the morning is linked to greater heart health benefits, they suggested that it is possibly because afternoon or evening consumption of caffeine may disrupt sleep and hormones.
Lead author Dr Lu Qi said at the time: ‘This is the first study testing coffee drinking timing patterns and health outcomes.
Bryan Johnson (shown here with his son) cited a study that found morning coffee drinkers had better health outcomes
‘Our findings indicate it’s not just whether you drink coffee or how much you drink, but the time of day when you drink coffee that’s important. We don’t typically give advice about timing in our dietary guidance, but perhaps we should be thinking about this in the future.’
In his video clip, Johnson warned viewers that if they are drinking coffee in the afternoon to keep yourself awake, ‘you may be losing out on the longevity benefits.’
He added: ‘Caffeine has a five to six hour half life in your body.
‘That means a cup of coffee at 3pm leaves half a cup of coffee in your body at 9pm.
‘That lingering caffeine in your system can wreck your sleep.
‘And if I haven’t said this enough, sleep is the number one thing you can do for your overall health.’
If you are drinking coffee in the morning and it is not interrupting your sleep, Johnson said that caffeine can have a multitude of health benefits and support longevity.
He revealed: ‘It can boost your metabolic rate and improve vascular function and blood flow.’
The longevity expert pointed out that caffeine and polyphenols in coffee can reduce inflammation and protect brain cells.
Polyphenols are natural compounds found in plants that act as antioxidants, helping to fight cell damage. Coffee contains over 100 polyphenols.
These substances can also trigger autophagy, your body’s natural process of cleaning up damaged or worn-out cells.
Johnson concluded: ‘So if you want the potential longevity benefits of coffee, focus on the earlier parts of the day, avoid the late afternoons, and also skip the sugar pumps, [or] things that are otherwise going to negate the benefits.
‘When you do caffeine right, it may also double as a longevity therapy.’
