Once upon a time, when we looked for a drink, all we wanted was some hydration. Now people want hydration and more. On the market, you know have beverages with collagen in it to enhance beauty, cinnamon extracts to tackle diabetes, and even Omega-3s for heart health. Functional drinks are exciting, but you still have to keep a close eye on the product despite its health claims.

Whether you’re in need of an energy boost, post-workout recovery, focus and concentration, or quality shut-eye, there’s a drink for that.

Here are 5 hyper-functional beverages, that dominate the market as the newest and greatest health tonics.

Bone Broth Protein Drinks. Protein drinks are making a huge leap this year, as more and more people become aware of the metabolism boosting, anti-aging, and appetite suppressant effects of protein. You can find all sorts of protein drinks for every moment of your day. From pre-workout to post-workout, to pre-bedtime recovery protein drinks.

In particular, bone broth protein has exploded this year and with good reason. Bone broth is full of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur, and others, in the best form that your body can easily absorb.  Bone broth also contains chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine, the very same compounds sold as pricey supplements to reduce inflammation, arthritis and joint pain.

As a bonus, bone broth is full of collagen. As we age, we lose collagen. Collagen is a super functional ingredient for beautiful skin, fewer wrinkles, and healthy joints. Sounds like the perfect protein drink!

Mushroom Drinks.  From mushroom coffee to teas to even hot cocoa, mushrooms are IN! Sipping on mushroom drinks for health reasons, is a practice that has been done for thousands of years in the East, and recently, us Western folks have hopped on the fungi drinking train!

Medicinal mushrooms such as cordyceps, reishi, chaga, and lion’s mane (to name a few) promote stress-reduction, immunity, and an extensive list of health benefits. (FYI, none of these mushrooms are associated with the hallucinogenic variety that we know of)

Since our immune systems is constantly under siege, drinking these mushroom based drinks is an excellent way to boost your immune system and protect your body. These mushrooms are classified as “adaptogens,” which help your body to adapt and better handle daily stress.

When purchasing medicinal mushroom drinks, it’s important to know what extraction process the company uses. We are not able to absorb the mushroom’s nutrients because the fungi lock their immune activating beta-glucans and polysaccharides in chitin cell walls. This is indigestible to humans. Look for hot water extractions from companies such as Four Sigmatic and Rebbl drinks.

Macaccino. Organic macaccino is a maca based energy drink. Maca is a powerful adaptogen, increases energy, endurance, strength, and the libido. It contains more than 10% protein, nearly 20 amino acids, including 7 essential amino acids.

According to the founders of Macaccino, “Maca root has been used for thousands of years as a natural stimulant for long lasting energy, improved mood, and to treat illnesses. It’s also well-known for its libido-enhancing properties for both men and women as it improves blood flow and overall well-being. It balances the body’s muscular, lymphatic, nervous, and cardiovascular systems, and gives the user internal balance and strength known to those familiar with a superfood rich diet.”

The beautiful part about this natural stimulant is that you don’t feel like you are taking a stimulant.  Maca is a perfect balance of well-being, energy, and superfood nutrition that leaves you feeling young and refreshed. This is an excellent choice for anyone that has a caffeine sensitivity, or just wants a boost of energy without having it interfere with their sleep.

Golden Milk. If you’re looking to reduce inflammation, boost your health and increase recovery, then consuming turmeric is for you. And a delicious way to get it? Golden milk. Ordering golden milk at a coffee shop is becoming more and more popular and accessible. The primary ingredient and most health-boosting property of golden milk is turmeric. Turmeric is a relative of ginger and an absolute powerhouse when it comes to health.

Turmeric contains the potent antioxidant called curcumin, which is responsible for giving turmeric that bright yellow color.

Golden milk is very popular right now, not just because it tastes delicious, but because consuming it on a regular basis, will help you reap the many health benefits of turmeric.

According to scientific research at the University of Maryland Medical Center, turmeric may help with the following health conditions:

•    Bacterial infections

•    Cancer

•    Heart disease

•    Digestive issues

•    Neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease

•    Arthritis

•    Stomach ulcers

•    Ulcerative colitis

Golden milk makes it easy and delicious to incorporate turmeric into your diet regularly.

Amino Acid Drinks.  Amino acid drinks are being targeted to the rising health, fitness and wellness conscious demographic. These drinks are full of L-carnitine or Taurine the two amino acids that most of you are already familiar with. But these drinks are also filled with BCAAs – branched amino acids. These drinks combine three amino acids valine, leucine, and isoleucine, to beneficially influence your muscles. This functional beverage helps to build muscle and reduce soreness and recovery time after workouts. Be aware that most of the times, BCAAs are mixed with caffeine and l-carnitine, taurine or vitamins to make them even more effective.

What to look for: No matter what hyper-functional drink you’re into, always read your labels. Stay clear of high sugary drinks, and anything with artificial flavors and colors. Many herbal based drinks that promote alertness contain high levels of caffeine so know your tolerance.