by Mila McManus, MD
As more people move away from classic sugary sodas, the beverage industry is flooding the marketplace with prebiotic soda pop and promoting it as a “healthy” choice for gut health. These popular beverages include brands such as Olipop, Culture Pop, Poppi, Wildwonder, and Turveda, to name a few. But are these soft drinks truly good for your gut?
Prebiotic soft drinks contain a kind of fiber called inulin, which is very good for your gut health. It helps you to maintain a healthy digestive system by supporting the growth of beneficial bacteria called probiotics. Fibers like inulin act like Miracle Grow for your favorable gut bacteria. In simple terms, prebiotic fibers nourish probiotics.
Here’s the catch. The amount of inulin needed daily to achieve gut health benefits would need to be eight or more grams, making it necessary to drink four or more of these beverages daily. In addition, that would significantly increase sugar intake, which would cancel out all the potential benefits of the prebiotic inulin. Soda is not your best option for optimizing gut health.
If you really want to improve and optimize your gut health, you need a high quality source of prebiotics and probiotics. The easiest way to get prebiotic fiber is to eat the foods that contain it. Prebiotic fibers that feed your favorable gut bacteria include whole foods such as greens, kiwi, onions, jicama, avocado, leeks, apples, bananas, and flaxseeds. Another affordable and practical way to increase prebiotic fiber is to use a quality product such as Heather’s Organic Prebiotic Acacia Senegal Fiber.
As for probiotics, high quality fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and yogurt, can all support a healthy digestive system. We also recommend that our patients take a quality probiotic as a routine supplement to ensure a strong population of good, favorable gut bacteria. In addition, we recommend rotating your probiotics every once in a while, e.g., every 3 to 6 months. For instance, take a broad spectrum probiotic for a few months, and then switch to, or add, S. boulardii for a few months. Then switch to a spore biotic for a few months, and so on. The beneficial microbes in your gut support your immune system and contribute directly to overall physical and mental health.
Ditch the soda pop. Eat real. Be Well.
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