Are Prebiotic Drinks Healthy?

Move Over, Probiotics: Prebiotics are the new gut-friendly ingredient of the moment. They’re front and center in all sorts of snacks lately, including “healthy” sodas Olipop and Poppi, cookies, and even lollipops for kids. Brands claim these are better-for-you alternatives that can improve gut health. 

The Trend: By now, you’re familiar with probiotics. They’re the good bacteria that make up our gut microbiome. Prebiotics are the food for those beneficial bugs. Prebiotics are non-digestible fibers present in many fruits, veggies, legumes, and whole grains. In the case of prebiotic snacks and beverages, plant fibers are added. Cassava root, chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, and tapioca are common ones.

What People Are Saying: It’s not totally conclusive, but research does support the potential benefits of prebiotics for digestive, immune, and metabolic health. Even so, the addition of prebiotic fiber doesn’t automatically make a drink or a snack food healthy, especially if it also contains a lot of sugar, saturated fat, or sodium. Because the fiber count in these products tends to be higher than their traditional counterparts, they can help you inch closer to your daily fiber goal. But adding too much fiber at once can cause some GI trouble, like bloating or gas.

The Takeaway: These snacks are probably fine in moderation, but check their labels to get the whole nutritional picture. If you want to get more prebiotics in your diet, start by eating more of the plants that provide them naturally.