BOOST ENERGY, NOT ANXIETY: WHY THE 'CONSCIOUS CAFFEINE' MOVEMENT IS GAINING GROUND

When Karyn Mackay began practicing as a medical herbalist 20 years ago, she regularly saw people drinking 10 cups of poor-quality coffee a day. In recent years, however, she says she has witnessed a shift in awareness around how caffeine intake can impact people’s health, with people more interested in ‘how to make coffee work to benefit our health and wellbeing’.

It’s not that coffee is inherently bad; quite the opposite, actually. Full of antioxidants, moderate coffee intake has been associated with improved longevity and reduced risk of dementia, strokes and heart disease. It just ‘shouldn’t be relied on every day to get you going’, says Mackay. Cue: conscious caffeine consumption.

What is ‘conscious caffeine’ and why is it trending?

‘To me, “conscious caffeine” is all about knowledge. What does caffeine do to our brains and bodies? How much of it am I drinking? How can I use it to improve my energy levels, mood, focus and even sleep,’ says Helena Hills, who co-founded the UK’s first ‘caffeine controlled and consistent coffee brand’ 10 years ago. At the time, Hills said only a sporting niche really understood her and her husband Simon’s vision for healthy coffee and caffeine control – but now she’s ‘being interviewed on breakfast news about caffeine variability, and people care about what they are putting into their bodies’.

‘As wellness becomes more mainstream, there’s a growing demand for energy that feels good, lasts longer and aligns with our lifestyle and values. That’s why conscious caffeine is on the rise,’ says Hills. She’s not wrong. The market for ‘functional’ and ‘feel-good’ coffee – which we’ve seen multiple celebs capitalise on recently – is projected to grow 5.6% annually over the next five years. Also, 39% of UK coffee drinkers are actively trying to reduce caffeine intake – but still want the ritual and the energy coffee affords, according to a recent survey by Mintel.

Hills and her husband’s company – TrueStart – was born out of a personal experience. ‘Simon and I were training for a triathlon and in the habit of drinking coffee before every training session. Believe it or not, I’m quite sensitive to caffeine, and I started to really notice that my coffee was sometimes making me jittery and other times it seemed to do nothing,’ she says. ‘We were really into nutrition as part of our training and started to look into coffee and caffeine – what does it do to our brains and bodies? How much should we be drinking? That’s when we discovered the mad variation of caffeine levels from cup to cup.’

The importance of ‘clean’ coffee

Indeed, two years ago, consumer group Which? compared coffees from various high street chains, including Pret, Starbucks and Costa, and found that the caffeine content varied greatly. ‘So many people don’t realise just how much caffeine content varies between different coffees – you might have just 30mg in one cup, but another could contain over 600mg,’ says Hills. The NHS recommends no more than 400mg of caffeine per day (equivalent to around three cups of coffee) and 200mg for pregnant women, so you could be coming way over your recommended intake without even knowing.

All TrueStart products undergo ‘rigorous lab testing to ensure that, as well as delivering a consistent cup every time, it is also mycotoxin-free and packed full of antioxidants’. And now, business is booming. ‘The problem is, bog standard coffee doesn’t always deliver. One minute you’re buzzing, the next, you’re crashing or feeling wired and anxious. People still want that hit of energy, but they want it to feel good, too – clean, consistent, no weird side effects. That’s why functional coffee is booming,’ says Hills.

Why does caffeine affect people differently?

At the heart of the ‘conscious caffeine’ trend is taking back control. ‘As wellness becomes more mainstream, there’s a growing demand for energy that feels good, lasts longer and aligns with our lifestyle and values. That’s why conscious caffeine is on the rise,’ says Hills. She highlights other factors that can influence how caffeine affects you – ‘how your coffee is brewed, the time of day you drink it, and even your genetics’. ‘It’s really about understanding what works best for your unique brain and body,’ adds Hills.

For Hills, caffeine has been a ‘game changer’ for managing her ADHD, as it helps calm her brain and get into a rhythm, particularly in the mornings. ‘But the type of caffeine matters massively. Too much makes me feel overstimulated and anxious, which is obviously counterproductive. The same applies to synthetic caffeine, which the body absorbs faster than natural caffeine – I cannot drink traditional energy drinks,’ she explains.

How to become more caffeine-conscious

'Coffee is a healthy drink if you pick the correct type for you. It shouldn’t be relied on every day to get you going. If you can’t function without coffee, look at your lifestyle and make some improvements where you feel you need it. You might need more sleep or less stress, but coffee is a drink that has many health benefits,’ says Mackay. ‘It raises your mood and improves diversity in the gut microbiome. This isn’t just to do with coffee having caffeine, it’s because it contains polyphenols such as chlorogenic acid, which some researchers think has metabolic benefits.’

There are plenty of healthy ways to consume coffee, adds Mackay, but what’s important is understanding how your own body reacts to it. ‘If you are caffeine sensitive and find it keeps you awake, steer clear of late-night coffees after dinner and stick to a morning cup or switch to a half caf or decaf later in the day.’

Most importantly, says Mackay, is ensuring your coffee is free of mycotoxins – toxic compounds naturally produced by certain types of moulds (fungi) – and that you’re aware of how much caffeine is in your coffee. ‘If you are caffeine sensitive but enjoy the taste of coffee, then have a Swiss Water decaf coffee (a process which removes the caffeine until the coffee beans are 99.9% caffeine-free), which will give you the taste of coffee, but not the effects of caffeine,’ she notes.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m addicted to caffeine, but I do see coffee as an important part of my day – as much for the mindful ritual as the energy boost. While I’ve previously been sceptical about all the mushroom coffees popping up on the shelves, this has given me a nudge to check labels and ingredients more carefully, as I’ve certainly felt affected by some way more coffees than others. So, ultimately, being more caffeine-conscious and understanding what goes into my body is a nutrition trend I can definitely get behind.

2025-06-11T16:00:28Z