Prebiotic sodas are one of the latest trends, but do they offer any real health benefits?
You've probably spotted the vibrant cans of Poppi and Olipop on store shelves. But now, Coke is getting in on the prebiotic drink craze with its "Simply Pop" brand.
Prebiotic drinks are the latest fizzy fad. Often, they sit next to the probiotic kombuchas in the store.
The drinks are often low in calories and sugar and high in fiber, claiming to support digestive health.
"There's a lot of ongoing research that has been suggestive that our gut microbiome and our gut health has a strong connection to our overall health," said Shelly Brogni, a registered dietitian at Allina Health. "Probiotic is a live microorganism that is thought to have some beneficial effects on our health. Prebiotics are essentially food for probiotics."
Brogni says prebiotic drinks are still being studied.
One of the popular prebiotic sodas packs 9 grams of fiber into each can. In general, it's recommended that adults get between 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day.
Brogni says prebiotic soda is still a better option than regular soda, but don't overdo it because there are also added sugars.
Certain foods can do the trick just as well if not better, Brogni says. Probiotics are found in fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut and kombucha. Prebiotics are in fiber-rich foods like garlic, onions, bananas, asparagus and beans.
"Diversity, variety, the more different types of plant foods you can consume, the more diversity you're going to get in your gut as well," Brogni said.
