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Ashley Han
Aug 95 min read

Bursting Your Bubble: Inspecting the Supposed Health Benefits of Prebiotic Sodas

Writer: Ashley Han 

Editor: Isabella Io


Every Sunday, it has become almost a ritual in my grocery shopping trips to go to the refrigerated section and choose a flavor of Olipop to enjoy that week. With flavors that emulate those of popular soda brands, such as “Doctor Goodwin” as Dr. Pepper and “Lemon Lime” as Sprite, it can seem beyond one’s grasp that someone would choose a name-brand soda over a prebiotic soda; a soft drink that is newer to the scene and advertised to be lower calorie, reduced in sugar, and aiding in gut health. Yet, of all these health benefits, how many are truly proven and beneficial, and how many are just for the mere purpose of marketability?

In an age where our daily outlets are constantly being bombarded by the promotion of diet culture, a concept often disguised as “health and wellness”, prebiotic sodas have inevitably risen in popularity in the soft drink market. In the last few years, people have been walking past the usual sodas on shelves and cracking open cans of “health sodas,” with the frontrunners in the market currently being Poppi and Olipop (Blum, et al., 2024). Sales of health sodas have risen by 210% from April of 2022 to April of 2023 in the United States. In addition, the sale of water-based soft drinks with prebiotics and probiotics was seen to have an 18% increase in just one year (Gelski, 2023). 



The Science in the Sodas 

Although they taste extremely similar to traditional soft drinks, healthy soft drinks have two major components that make them “healthier”. They are linked to the “gut microbiome” - the microbes that live in the intestines. One of them is probiotics, which are living bacteria or yeast that assist in digestion and immune health. They are commonly seen in kombucha, a drink made through the fermentation of tea. The second component is prebiotics, which are plant fibers that allow probiotics to function in the gut microbiome by feeding the healthy bacteria located within it. A majority of the prebiotics in health sodas have fibers of inulin, which is highly derived from chicory root. They also contain ingredients such as apple cider vinegar, herbs, and minerals (Amenabar, 2023). 

This aligns with health sodas’ other benefits regarding calories, amount of sugar, or the use of “cleaner” ingredients, often used as marketing points. For example, Olipop’s “Vintage Cola” soda flavor has 35 calories per 355 milliliter can, while one 330 milliliter can of Coca-Cola has 140 calories (Modern Market). Regarding sugar intake, the can of “Vintage Cola” has two grams of added sugar compared to the 39 grams in the can of Coca-Cola (MyNetDiary). The primary reason for this major difference in sugar levels is the high fructose corn syrup in Coca-Cola, which is known to be linked to health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity (Sayer, 2023). In addition to prebiotic sodas not containing high fructose corn syrup, the prebiotic fibers within them are converted to beneficial fatty acids in the large intestine after consumption, which is shown to have positive effects on appetite, blood sugar levels, and inflammation (Sayer, 2023). 


Gut Health Benefits Fizzle Out

The halo effect on these prebiotic sodas seemed to fade on May 29, 2024, when Poppi faced a class action lawsuit regarding false advertising of its prebiotic and health benefits (Lamour, 2024). Kristin Cobbs, a San Francisco resident, was the woman who filed the lawsuit. She had bought the sodas earlier that year in March, seeing them marketed as having numerous health and gut benefits, with Poppi’s slogan quite literally being “Be Gut Happy. Be Gut Healthy.” With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandating supplement-based products to clearly label health benefits to prevent misleading consumers, the lawsuit was taken to the United States District Court in the Northern District of California. (Lamour, 2024). But why?


Potential Exaggeration of Benefits

The core of the contention of the lawsuit is that the ingredients that are amplified as the brand’s main marketing points have only been found in trivial amounts. One main premise of the lawsuit was the amount of fiber, or more specifically, the lack of it. A single can of Poppi only contains a mere two grams of fiber, too negligible of an amount to be considered a significant health benefit (Sayer, 2023). There were also insignificant levels of agave inulin and apple cider vinegar, the ingredients acting as prebiotics and probiotics in the soft drink (Blum, et al. 2024). Although they seem to have health benefits, one can of Poppi only contains two grams of inulin and one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. This has been shown to not be a meaningful amount by a study conducted by Kelly Swanson, director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois, who found that the consumption of 7.5 grams of agave inulin daily for three weeks did not demonstrate any significant prebiotic benefit (Frost, 2024). 

To receive gut health benefits as advertised, an individual would have to drink more than four cans of Poppi to gain a significant amount of prebiotic fiber, as well as consume this serving for three weeks to see results (Lamour, 2024). However, even this would be counter-productive, as the sugar levels in four cans of Poppi are enough to neutralize the health benefits gained from them. In addition, this high intake of prebiotic soda could potentially lead to gas, bloating, or the exacerbation of conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease due to the fiber content (Sayer, 2023). This means that even if an adequate amount of fiber is consumed to gain benefits, at the same time, this amount of fiber can have negative effects on those with gastrointestinal conditions. 

Despite most people needing at least five grams of prebiotics to notice benefits, the significance of these supposed health benefits can also differentiate from person to person. Factors such as age, body weight, status of health, diet, and gut microbiota populations can influence how one’s body responds to supplements (Frost, 2024). Especially with circumstances that affect the impact of fiber or prebiotics on individuals, it is unknown what amount of prebiotics is considered valid enough to support the claim of having gut health benefits. 


Conclusion

Even with the controversy surrounding prebiotic sodas, there is no harm in enjoying a can in moderation; the harm would lie in thinking that a single can would meet all digestive needs. If looking for a boost in probiotics, consumers should reach for foods where they naturally exist, such as wheat, honey, banana, and tomato, as well as the probiotic-rich foods of yogurt or sauerkraut (Lamour, 2024). Rather than being glorified as having true medicinal properties, brands such as Olipop or Poppi should be viewed as a healthy swap for traditional sodas.


Sources & Works Cited


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