by Chris Shugart
Are “Healthy” Sodas Worth Buying?
They claim to be gut-healthy and good for you. Are they? Let’s ask science.
Have you heard the term “security theater?” It refers to security measures that create the illusion of safety to make the public feel better without significantly improving actual security. You see it in airports, and the pandemic was practically a master class. I think it’s time we coin a related term: health theater.
Health theater refers to products that create the illusion of health benefits without delivering results. Just as security theater gives the impression of safety without real protection, health theater makes consumers feel like they’re making healthier choices – often through misleading labels or superficial ingredients – without substantial physiological impact.
Think: organic junk food, detox teas that are just laxatives, calling a sugary breakfast cereal “heart healthy” because it has a smidge of fiber, or a company adding a trace amount of an effective ingredient to a product so they can claim its benefits on the label.
The most recent trend? “Functional” sodas, usually with an emphasis on gut health. Do they work or is this another example of health theater aimed to swindle low-information consumers?
How is a Soda Functional?
Poppi is a popular prebiotic soda. The Pepsi folks just bought it for two billion. They even ran Superbowl commercials. Coke countered by launching its own competing product: Simply Pop. Another brand, Olipop, is valued at $1.85 billion.
While their formulas vary, their selling points are similar. They’re marketed as functional sodas, usually with less added sugar or naturally sweetened. Some are organic, and one contains apple cider vinegar. Commonly, they all contain a prebiotic fiber, usually a form of inulin. Inulin is a naturally occurring soluble fiber found in chicory root, artichoke, and agave.
This fructan is indigestible by human enzymes, so it reaches the colon intact. Gut bacteria ferment inulin into short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which support overall gut health. Inulin promotes beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacteria, aids digestion, and may improve metabolic markers like blood sugar and cholesterol. In short, inulin is a pretty good prebiotic.
So, some questions: Do these functional sodas contain enough inulin to have an effect? Are they worth the price? Do their other ingredients (sugar) counter any possible benefits?
How Much Inulin Do You Need?
Depending on the benefit you’re after, an effective dose of inulin is generally 3-20 grams per day, with 10 grams being the sweet spot. Here’s a breakdown:
- 3-5 grams/day: Often used as a starting point to assess tolerability and modest prebiotic effects. One study in Nutrients found that 3 grams of inulin daily increased Bifidobacteria in healthy adults, though effects were subtle compared to higher doses.
- 5-10 grams/day: This is the most commonly studied range for noticeable gut health benefits. A meta-analysis in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that 5-8 grams daily of inulin-type fructans significantly boosted Bifidobacteria and improved stool frequency in healthy adults. A study in Gut Microbes used 10 grams daily to demonstrate improved gut barrier function and reduced inflammation markers in adults with mild digestive issues.
- 10-20 grams/day: Used for more pronounced effects, especially in therapeutic contexts. A study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition tested 12 grams of inulin daily in overweight adults, finding enhanced satiety and better glucose regulation alongside microbiome shifts. Doses up to 20 grams have been explored for constipation relief, with one trial showing 15-20 grams daily improved bowel movements in elderly patients, though some experienced bloating.
Let’s call 10 grams a healthy dose: enough to get some benefits and avoid most drawbacks. So, how much do these functional sodas contain per can?
- Poppi: 2 grams of prebiotic fiber, specifically from organic agave inulin
- Olipop: 9 grams of prebiotic fiber, derived from a blend of inulin sources
- Simply Pop: 6 grams of prebiotic fiber (appears to be corn fiber, which contains small amounts of fructans, including inulin-like compounds)
Are Functional Sodas Worth the Price?
Factoring in individual and bulk purchases, the average cost per can lands roughly between $1.75 and $3.00. Some, like Poppi, only contain 2 grams of inulin, so you’d need five cans daily for a therapeutic dose. At roughly $2.50 per can, you’d spend over $12 daily to get your prebiotic fiber. Olipop has 9 grams, so it’s the better buy. Given Simply Pop’s questionable source of fiber (corn), it doesn’t seem like a smart choice.
You can, of course, buy bulk inulin powder. We looked at several brands, organic and non-organic, and the ballpark cost per 10-gram serving is between 30 and 71 cents. Just mix it into water or protein shakes, or add it to foods like oatmeal.
So, are the sodas worth the price? Not if you’re after the actual benefits of prebiotic fiber. Of course, if you just enjoy the flavor of these sodas, that’s fine, but don’t expect huge health benefits without a fat monthly bill.
Are the Other Ingredients Counterproductive?
Sugar can indirectly favor harmful bacteria by reducing microbial diversity. Functional sodas contain 2 to 8 grams of sugar from added cane sugar, fruit juice, or a combo. The average non-functional soda (Coke, Mountain Dew, etc.) contains 39 to 46 grams of sugar. So, the amount of sugar in these alternative sodas probably isn’t enough to ruin the effects of the prebiotics.
Still, Poppi is currently involved in a class action lawsuit. The lawsuit claims there isn’t enough inulin in the product to back its health claims and the added sugar might counter the benefits.
So, What’s the Verdict?
- Functional sodas are generally healthier than full-sugar soft drinks.
- Some don’t contain enough prebiotic fiber to reap its benefits.
- They’re very expensive compared to just buying inulin powder.
- You’re still drinking sugar, but not that much.
Better than Inulin
Inulin is an okay, old-school prebiotic. A more advanced, more versatile prebiotic is beta glucan, a water-soluble fiber derived from Euglena Gracilis algae. Along with all the gut health benefits, beta glucan...
- Fights sugar cravings.
- Prevents the overgrowth of testosterone-lowering bad gut bacteria.
- Boost overall disease immunity.
- Promotes fat loss.
Biotest uses this form of algal beta glucan in its Beta Glucan Immune-Boosting Fiber (Buy at Amazon) formula.
