Jun 11, 2024
Prebiotic sodas are all the rage right now. And unfortunately for their makers, so are class-action lawsuits in the “healthier alternative” food and beverage industry.
Take poppi, an all-lowercase brand of brightly colored soda cans that promise “it’s better for you.” Specifically, it claims to offer prebiotics – – plant fibers that support gut health. In late May 2024, a faithful poppi customer filed a class action against the brand, saying the soft drink’s claims were hardly truthful.
What do the facts say, though? Per registered dietician Emily Lewis, RD, there is “little evidence to support the many health claims associated with these drinks.” Other researchers and studies seem to agree. The plaintiff’s suit also suggests that too much agave inulin – – poppi’s fiber of choice – – “can lead to adverse health results” and that poppi provides little more prebiotics than a standard diet drink.
The most common praise of poppi is that it contains significantly less sugar than its typical soda counterparts. Sure, one can still has as much as 83% of your daily recommended sugar intake, but it’s certainly a safer way to satisfy your sweet teeth.
Better for you? Yes. Good for you? Well, as Dr. Lewis said, “More studies are definitely needed.”
