Compare soda & prebiotic soda

Research · Soda & prebiotic soda

What our research found about soda & prebiotic soda

Soda labels split into three camps: classic sugar-sweetened sodas, zero-sugar sodas sweetened with stevia, monk fruit or artificial sweeteners, and “prebiotic” or “gut-health” sodas that cut sugar to a few grams and add fiber. Harvard’s Nutrition Source advises avoiding sugary drinks such as soda, and the WHO advises against using non-sugar sweeteners for weight control, so the best soda is a matter of what you want to cut.

Prebiotic sodas typically list added fibers such as chicory-root inulin, cassava or other soluble fibers, and fruit juices. Fiber from added sources can cause gas in some people at high intakes, and the sugar figure on the can may be low compared with a classic soda but is not zero. Compare sugar, sweetener type and fiber per can, and check caffeine in colas.

Products

242 brands

Full labels recorded

1250% of the shelf

Maker says organic

0maker’s claim

List an added sweetener

0of 12 labels

List a seed oil

0of 12 labels

Typical label length

4ingredients (median)

Counts use complete, current ingredient labels only. Records without a published label stay unknown and are never counted as clean.

What to compare

• Sugar per can. A classic 12-ounce soda has roughly nine to ten teaspoons of sugar; prebiotic and zero-sugar sodas cut it sharply.
• Sweetener type. Stevia, monk fruit, erythritol, sucralose and cane sugar all appear.
• Fiber additions. Prebiotic sodas add soluble fibers; compare grams of fiber.
• Caffeine. Cola styles may include caffeine; check the label.

References

1. Sugary drinks Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
2. WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control World Health Organization
3. Added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label U.S. Food and Drug Administration
4. Healthy drinks Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health