On this month’s Socially Transmitted, KBIA's Rebecca Smith and Najifa Farhat take a look at pre- and probiotic sodas, such as Olipop, Poppi and Simply Pop, which claim to make you and your gut healthier, but what does the science actually show?
Smith spoke with Olivia Rees, a registered dietician at Hannibal Regional Hospital to find out more.
Socially Transmitted is a series where KBIA looks into the science behind online health advice and trends.
Have you seen or heard something online that’s left you puzzled? Or something you want to know more about? If so, give us a call or shoot us an email at news@kbia.org.
Najifa Farhat : Before we get into the actual health questions, Becky, what are these probiotics and prebiotics?
Rebecca Smith: Yeah, so basically, it all comes down to gut health and what's called the microbiome. That's essentially the community of microorganisms that are living inside you –bacteria, yeasts and more that are working to keep your body healthy.
So, probiotics are additional microorganisms that we consume in foods that basically add to the body's natural microbiome to make you healthier and even potentially like increase your immunity.
And then prebiotics are basically just food for those probiotics.
I actually spoke with Olivia Reese, she's a registered dietitian at Hannibal Regional Hospital, and she explained it this way,
Olivia Reese: Unfortunately, we don't know a lot about the gut microbiome, but we do know that it has a really big impact on what's going on.
One of my favorite studies that I heard about in college, actually, was there were two mice – they had an overweight mouse and then a normal weight mouse.
And what they did was they transferred the gut microbiome from the normal weight mouse to the overweight one – no other changes in food, exercise – and the overweight one started losing weight.
So, we know it impacts our metabolism, right? But we're not quite sure, like, we can't just be transferring people's gut microbiome from one to the next.
Najifa Farhat: Now, getting into the sodas. What did she say about these? I really like having a soda after a meal. If I choose a probiotic [soda], am I getting any health benefits?
Rebecca Smith: I guess kind of. Rees says it's a much better option than traditional sodas, which can have like 25 milligrams of added sugar or more per can. And Rees says the probiotics aren't bad for your gut, there's just not enough in these sodas to rely on them alone.
Olivia Rees: If I were to give this a grade, where would I grade it? So, I would probably say more of like a B+.
I don't think it's a magic cure all. I don't think, you know, if you struggled with constipation or diarrhea, this isn't going to be like the magic fix for you to where your gut microbiome is like, “Whoa. I'm so improved.”
But I do feel like it's a great alternative if you're trying to find something that's maybe a little bit lower calorie or a little bit lower in added sugars with it.
"We're becoming more aware of what we're eating. I think there are more options out there now. If you would have told me back when I was in high school that prebiotic sodas would have been a thing. I've been like, 'Oh my gosh, who would even want that?' But they're very popular."Olivia Rees, Registered Dietitian
And yeah, you know, it's still hydrating, it still tastes good. I always say, like, “I'm an adult, but I do like to have my fun foods and my fun drinks,” you know?
I think nutrition is such a big part of what I talk about with food, but I also know there needs to be enjoyment from food, so that's where I like some of these fun things
Najifa Farhat: I saw on TikTok some people saying this pre- and probiotic sodas are as good as eating vegetables. Is that really true?
Rebecca Smith: No. I mean, simple answer -- no. Rees says they're not a bad supplement, but they're not as good as whole foods, and they're just a lot more expensive, right?
I mean, you know this from buying them – a can of probiotic soda or prebiotic soda can run on average $2, $3 or more per can.
And Rees says good probiotic and prebiotic foods, such as yogurt, kombucha, pickles, whole grains, beans are all much more cost efficient.
Olivia Rees: Seriously, one of the best things you can do, I think, beans or flax seed or chia seed every day, or hemp seed, anything like that because we just, we don't get enough fiber, unfortunately.
I actually was just telling one of the other dietitians, I'm like, “I know you we can't do this, but if I could just have 10 years where every single person in the world gets adequate fiber, I would love to see what happened.”
Najifa Farhat: Becky, thank you so much for looking into this.
Becky: Of course.
Najifa Farhat: Have you seen or heard something online that's left you puzzled or something you want to know more about? If so, give us a call or shoot us an email at news@kbia.org.
