Updated: 1 minute agoCans of Olipop, a drink containing botanicals, plant fibers, and prebiotics, displayed at a Kroger supermarket in Georgia. The frenzy of functional beverages – drinks designed to do more than just taste good or hydrate - has grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry.
Companies are able to use unregulated descriptors such as “clean,” “green” and “gut healthy,” and many use appealing labels such as “naturally sweetened,” “made with live probiotics,” “non-GMO” and “all-natural flavoring.” Several of these claims are not based on vigorous research, and it’s usually unclear whether these products have enough of any particular “healthy” ingredient to truly yield a positive effect, Nestle and Schwartz said.
Nestle said she “doesn’t see anything in the ingredients list” of Olipop beverages that is going to benefit “the microbiome, digestive function or metabolic health.” It’s also not clear how much of each ingredient is in any given can. Federal dietary guidelines recommend that U.S. adults consume no more than 10 percent of their daily calories from sugar, and the American Heart Association suggests no more than 25 grams per day for women and 36 grams for men.
“Almost all sweeteners have research in the last two years that show them to be potentially harmful,” she said. She added that many sugar alternatives require a complex chemical extraction process.