Are 'Healthy' Drinks Actually Good For You?

The U.S. healthy drinks market is valued at $9.2 billion, which is 10% of the overall drinks industry. This market hasn't always been so prominent; it has ballooned by 50% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we become more health-conscious as a society, these drinks are gaining popularity. But are they actually healthy for you? And are they worth the extra dollars?

Business Insider defines functional drinks as beverages offering an added benefit beyond just quenching thirst. Think about coffee, energy drinks, alcohol, and soda – these all provide a kind of buzz from ingredients like caffeine, sugar, or alcohol. However, we're seeing a shift towards a new type of functional drink: those marketed as healthier replacements for the above.

The term "functional drinks" is often used interchangeably with "healthy drinks." The ingredients in these might include probiotics (supposed to aid gut health), adaptogens (claimed to promote calmness), nootropics (purported to boost brain function), and CBD (said to have relaxing properties). While functional drinks in the sense of buzz-inducing beverages like tea and coffee have been around for centuries, the modern functional drink industry really took off in the 1980s with the creation of Red Bull by an Austrian entrepreneur.

In the early 1980s, an enterprising toothpaste salesman from Austria traveled to Thailand. While there, he discovered a popular energy drink among truck drivers who swore it helped them stay alert on long hauls. The salesman saw an opportunity – he believed this energy-boosting elixir could be marketed not just to blue-collar workers in Thailand, but to white-collar professionals in Europe as a complement to their fast-paced lifestyle. Returning to Austria, he created Red Bull. The drink was a massive hit, with its now-famous "gives you wings" slogan cementing its status as the poster child for functional drinks. Red Bull contains caffeine, sugar, B vitamins, and taurine – a potent mix designed to combat fatigue and boost energy.

Red Bull was very cleverly marketed as a drink that would enhance endurance, reaction speed, and concentration. However, there was little scientific evidence to back these claims. Fast forward 40 years, and the appetite for functional drinks persists, but consumer priorities have shifted. People are far more aware of the health downsides of ultra-processed foods and the pervasive pollution that's hard to avoid. There's a growing desire for simple changes that can offer a health boost amidst it all. This is when the functional beverage market truly started to explode, with drinks marketed as not just "not bad" for you, but actively beneficial – potentially detoxifying and conferring positive health effects. The market is growing rapidly, and brands are scrambling to keep up.

Companies are racing to create drinks that tap into our desire to optimize the gut-brain connection. The idea is that nourishing gut health can lead to improved mental well-being and overall health. A telltale sign of the excitement in this corner of the beverage industry is the influx of celebrities launching their own functional drink lines – think Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Katy Perry, and Bella Hadid. Everyone wants in on the trend. Yet, there's limited scientific evidence that the added functional ingredients truly confer benefits when consumed in a drink. Celebrities are also flocking to Kombucha, a type of probiotic drink. The probiotic drink market is massive and rapidly expanding, valued at $40 billion worldwide and projected to keep growing through 2033. The probiotic drink market is projected to balloon to $99 billion by 2033. This booming sector essentially comprises two types of beverages: prebiotic sodas, designed to prepare the gut to better absorb nutrients, and probiotic drinks, intended to populate the gut with healthy bacteria to enhance overall well-being. While both theoretically support gut health, the question of whether these drinks are truly beneficial is complex. Firstly, none of these drinks are regulated by the FDA, allowing them to make substantial health claims without scientific substantiation. Packaging plays a huge role, with brands capitalizing on consumer interest in ingredients like probiotics, nootropics, adaptogens, and CBD. However, they face minimal requirements regarding the specific strains, concentrations, and labeling details. Perhaps most importantly, our understanding of how to effectively influence gut health is still in its infancy. These drinks make bold claims about improving gut and brain health, and calming the nervous system, despite a dearth of research on both the gut micro-biome and the long-term effects of these ingredients. So, there's a lot of uncertainty surrounding functional drinks that command prices three times that of soda. Here's how to make an informed decision when navigating the supermarket aisle: Firstly, scrutinize the label. Be wary of drinks making vague claims like "supports skin elasticity" or "enhances brain health" – these terms are meaningless without scientific backing. If a probiotic drink is appealing, opt for one that specifically names the probiotic strain used, and research its potential benefits before consumption. If health is your goal, ensure the drink is low in sugar; soda is a notorious sugar trap. While the hard science behind functional drinks may be lacking, many do contain ingredients like green tea, ashwagandha, and ginseng that have been utilized for centuries in various cultures. The key is awareness that brands may exploit our health concerns by making claims that far exceed the current state of knowledge.