When Did Sodas, Teas, and Tonics Become Medicine?

September 13, 2024

bottles of kombucha drinks

(Vox) – From prebiotic sodas to collagen waters, beverages are trying to do the most. Consumers are drinking it up.

Consumer demand for drinks that offer added health benefits — known as functional beverages — is booming, and manufacturers are giving us what we demand. Olipop is just one of a growing group of “prebiotic” sodas, which claim to give a boost to the good bacteria in your gut microbiome. And prebiotic sodas are themselves just one of a cascade of these so-called functional beverages that are taking up increasing space in the global drink aisle.

Worldwide, the market for these products exceeds $150 billion, and it’s expected to top $200 billion in the next 4 years, with millennials twice as likely to consume them as any other age group in 2023. (Read More)