Willing to pay a premium for functional drinks? Here are 5 things you should know first

As for caffeine, the levels are generally low in functional drinks but can add up when consuming multiple cans.

Paul Tan, co-founder of beverage start-up Flojo, likened caffeine to a “blunt tool”, masking fatigue instead of providing true energy. Caffeine’s half-life could also affect sleep, “especially your deep sleep”, he added.

4. WHY ARE MUSHROOMS BEING ADDED TOO?

There is another ingredient that is part of the wellness trend: mushrooms. Increasingly considered a superfood, they are appearing in functional drinks and everything from coffee to hot chocolate.

Because of their bioactive compounds, lion’s mane and reishi are two of the varieties commonly seen on beverage labels. The way mushrooms are added varies, however: Some drinks use powder, others use extracts. Does the form matter?

“The extracts will be way better than the whole food and powdered form,” said Ryan Ong, co-founder of Fogo Fungi mushroom farm. Extraction means the active compounds are “bioavailable and in a concentrated form”, which the body can easily absorb.