Probiotic & Prebiotic Sodas: Healthy or Hype?

It seems like there's always a new healthy diet trend out there.

The latest one? Prebiotic and probiotic sodas.

Alluring with their cute names, poppy marketing and brightly-colored cans, these drinks make big claims to improve gut health, boost fiber intake and even help you lose weight. But are those benefits real and if so, are these sodas a healthy and effective way to add these important nutrients to your diet?

We turned to EvergreenHealth registered dietician Amy Reuter to find out.

Prebiotic, Probiotic – What's the Difference?

First, what are prebiotics and probiotics, and why do we need them?

"Prebiotics are select plant fibers that feed probiotics," Amy said. "And probiotics are the active, live bacterial microorganisms that line our intestinal tract. Together, they're working to help support a balance in the intestinal lining."

According to The National Institutes of Health, probiotics occur naturally in many fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut and miso. Amy added that bananas, apples, oats, ground flax seeds, onions and garlic are good natural sources of both prebiotics and probiotics. But when it comes to food products, you should look closely at the label: "It's the ones that contain active live culture that are helpful, and it would need to say that on the label, as well as what strains of probiotics are in those products."

However, even for their wide range of benefits for our gut health, probiotics aren't for everyone.

"There are some groups I would steer away from probiotic sodas," she said. "I wouldn't recommend them for women who are pregnant, people who have a compromised immune system, a sensitive digestive system or irritable bowel syndrome or if you have an allergy to some of the prebiotic fibers in the sodas."

"I Always Advocate for Food First"

Probiotic and prebiotic sodas can be part of a well-rounded diet, Amy said, but they should not be viewed as the sole source of prebiotics, probiotics or fiber. But there are other benefits – if you're drinking these sodas in place of regular sodas, your sugar intake per serving would go from 40 or more grams to three to five. "If you're trying to cut down on added sugars, these sodas would be a great way to do that," Amy said.

The fiber content in the sodas is helpful too. According to Amy, fiber will help not only with your gut microflora but also help you feel full faster and could contribute to some weight loss that way.

"I always advocate for food first. In a whole food, fiber-rich eating plan, I would go for rich sources of prebiotics like oats, ground flax seeds, bananas, apples, onions, and for probiotics I'd recommend yogurt, kimchi and kefir because they not only have the prebiotics and probiotics, but a lot of other nutrients your body needs for optimal health," Amy said. "Adding a prebiotic or probiotic soda on top of that would enhance that eating plan, but I wouldn't advocate for them in place of a fiber that we can get from food."

For more information on prebiotics, probiotics and gut health, talk to your primary care physician or schedule an appointment with EvergreenHealth Nutrition Services in Kirkland or EvergreenHealth Monroe Nutrition Counseling, where dieticians can work with you to discuss your health goals and design personalized plans to improve your nutrition. You can also listen to the full Check-Up Chat podcast episode featuring Amy Reuter or click to watch the vodcast.