You’re walking past the beverage fridge at the store, and among the regular sodas, seltzers, and juices are drinks that are claimed to improve your health in all sorts of ways. This can mean easing stress, boosting immunity, or getting you energized or super-hydrated.
Functional beverages—as the drink industry likes to refer to them—often contain ingredients that were once found only in supplements or herbal teas: probiotics, prebiotics, hibiscus, ashwagandha, “medicinal” mushrooms, and more.
And they’re popular. These days, nearly 40 percent of adults seek out drinks with ingredients said to confer wellness, according to the research firm Packaged Facts. One possible reason: Consumers have “pill fatigue,” according to Howard Telford, senior industry manager for soft drinks research at Euromonitor International in Chicago. And beverages are seen as an easier, more enjoyable way to get herbs and other supplements into their diets, he says.
While some of these drinks are better for you (though pricier) than sugary sodas or alcohol, do they do all that’s claimed? We looked at the ingredients and tasted a number of the beverages. Here’s what’s actually good for you and how they taste too.
The Promise: A Healthier Gut
You’ve probably heard of probiotics and prebiotics, and that they can help keep your digestive system in good working order. (The former are beneficial bacteria that live in your gut, and the latter “feed” them.) You may also be familiar with the fermented tea kombucha—the original probiotic drink.
These days, though, probiotics and prebiotics are being added to a slew of cold drinks. Some are marketed as healthier versions of soda, like Culture Pop, Poppi, and Olipop (three of the five “good for your gut” drinks that CR tested).
“Probiotics can help populate the gut with the healthy bacteria that aid proper digestion and help reduce inflammation, which is at the root of heart disease and many other chronic conditions,” says Dalia Perelman, MS, a research dietitian at Stanford University.
But drinks with probiotics might not have the same benefits as foods with probiotics (such as yogurt and kimchi). They’re more akin to a supplement in drink form, Perelman says.
That’s because the drinks don’t have the variety of bacteria that those foods do. Plus, the foods are fermented, a process that creates other compounds that are good for us, according to Perelman. Raw (unpasteurized) kombucha and Spare Food tonic, a drink we tested that contains leftover whey from yogurt making, are fermented. But probiotic sodas are not.
As for prebiotic sodas, some contain added fiber, usually inulin or chicory root extracted from plants. “Here, you’re only getting the type of prebiotic that’s added in, while you’d likely benefit more from the variety of prebiotics in fiber-rich foods,” says Amy Keating, RD, a Consumer Reports nutritionist.
That said, these drinks are lower in calories and added sugars than traditional sodas, so they’re a healthier choice if you’re watching your intake of sweets. Good to know: Some drinks in our tests contain stevia. Recent research has raised concerns about the health effects of sugar alternatives, so consider limiting your consumption.
The Promise: Wellness and Stronger Immunity
From the labels on their containers to their ingredients lists, these drinks certainly seem to give off “I’m good for you” vibes.
Take, for instance, several of the wellness drinks that CR tested. The company that makes Aura Bora sparkling waters, which contain fragrant herbal extracts such as lavender and elderflower, describes its drinks as delivering “earthly tastes and heavenly feelings.” On its website, Ruby claims its Sparkling Hibiscus drinks, which typically contain unusual juices such as those made from blood oranges or Fuji apples, have “1,000+ benefits.”
Naked Juice’s Green Machine, one of the numerous “green” drinks you may come across in grocery and deli refrigerator cases, features ingredients such as kale and spirulina. And you can’t miss the images of broccoli, spinach leaves, green apple, and kiwifruit on its label.
Wellness waters like those from Aura Bora and Ruby can make a nice change from regular seltzer. Plus, they have no added sugars or sugar alternatives. And if you’re keeping an eye on calories, Aura Bora has none and Ruby has just 15 (from its juice).
As for those produce-packed green drinks, “they’re an easy and convenient way to get some vitamins and minerals in your diet,” says Tracey Brigman, RDN, a clinical associate professor of nutrition at the University of Georgia in Athens.
But keep in mind that green drinks shouldn’t be a replacement for eating vegetables, because they have little or none of the healthy fiber found in whole produce. Plus, some green drinks are actually mostly fruit (not vegetable) juice. Although it’s natural, the sugar in fruit juice does add calories and can even cause blood sugar spikes.
So if you like green drinks, it’s a smart move to opt for those that have vegetables high on their ingredients lists. Suja Organic Cold-Pressed Mighty Dozen, with very little fruit juice, has 80 calories in 12 ounces. Compare that with 270 calories in fruit-juice-laden Naked Juice Green Machine.
The Promise: Less Stress
Drinks that are meant to improve your mood are fast becoming the new cocktails. Instead of taking the edge off with alcohol, beverages like Recess and Droplet supposedly get their relaxing effects from “adaptogens” such as ashwagandha or mushrooms and nutrients like magnesium. All are said to help your brain and body cope with stress.
These drinks can make a flavorful, alcohol-free alternative to a glass of wine or a cocktail. But for now, there’s no way to know whether these products live up to their promises. Most of the research on adaptogens has been limited to animals, and the few human studies were very small, Brigman says.
Ashwagandha, for instance—an ingredient in Droplet’s Pretty Balanced—was found to reduce stressful feelings and levels of the stress hormone cortisol in people who took 250 to 600 mg daily for eight weeks. But that study, which was published in the journal Cureus in 2019, measured stress levels in just 58 people.
Plus, the “efficacy and potency of plant-based ingredients vary depending on where and how they were grown, when they were harvested, and what part of the plants were used,” Brigman says. Although some brands list the amount of adaptogens they contain, there’s little clarity on what an effective ‘dose’ of an adaptogen may be.
In addition, researchers have found that adaptogens may interact with some medications, such as those for autoimmune conditions, high blood pressure, and depression. For that reason, “you should always talk with your healthcare provider prior to adding these to your diet,” Brigman says.
The Truth About Energy and Sports Drinks
Energy and sports drinks aren’t as new to the market as the drinks we tested, but they have continued to evolve over the years, with claims for being a healthier pick-me-up or offering improved hydration.
On beverage labels, “energy” is a code word for caffeine. And this stimulant can make you feel more alert, says Tracey Brigman at the University of Georgia.
For healthy adults, sipping an energy drink in place of coffee or tea is probably fine, she says, but “you have to consider the caffeine in everything” you consume. (For context, energy drinks typically have 70 to 200 mg of caffeine in 12 ounces; an 8-ounce cup of coffee has 80 to 100 mg.) That’s because too much—the Food and Drug Administration considers 400 mg of caffeine a day an acceptable amount for most adults—can have negative effects. In a 2021 review of 32 studies, almost 25 percent of adults who consumed energy drinks said they experienced insomnia, and nearly 30 percent reported jitteriness, restlessness, or shaky hands.
But the makers of some newer energy drinks, such as Aspire, Celsius, and Clean, suggest that where the caffeine comes from may make a difference. They say ingredients that naturally contain caffeine—such as green tea, guarana seed, and yerba mate—are superior to synthetic caffeine that has been added. For example, the label on Aspire, with 80 mg of caffeine from guarana seed and green tea, says it has “healthy energy” and “natural caffeine,” and claims “no jitters, no crash” on its website. But there’s no chemical difference between natural caffeine and caffeine extracted in a lab.
Some beverages also contain other supposed energy boosters, such as B vitamins and chromium. These do help your body use carbohydrates from food for energy, but they won’t give you the immediate pep you may be seeking. (Plus, you can get what you need of them from a healthy diet.) And while caffeine and ingredients like L-carnitine and L-theanine may burn a few extra calories, one or two daily energy drinks aren’t going to help you lose weight, especially if they have added sugars.
As for hydration, most drinks can get the job done. But the promise of sports beverages is that they supply electrolytes (minerals like calcium, potassium, and sodium) or other nutrients that hydrate you faster and perhaps better. Gatorade’s Gatorlyte labels claim “rapid rehydration,” for example, and Liquid IV says it’s “more effective hydration than water alone” on its website.
Electrolytes, which can be lost in sweat, make muscles (including your heart) contract, and “help water and fluids get absorbed properly into your cells,” says Jason Machowsky, RD, a sports dietitian and exercise physiologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. But plain water is just as hydrating, and speed doesn’t usually matter, he says.
These drinks may have a lot of added sugars and sodium. Gatorade, for instance, has 21 grams of added sugars and 160 mg of sodium in 12 ounces. The American Heart Association’s limit for women is 25 grams of sugar per day; 2,300 mg is the sodium daily value.
Most people can get enough electrolytes from food. An exception: If you’re exercising for longer than an hour, especially if you sweat a lot or it’s a hot, humid day. You might also want to sip an electrolyte drink if you have diarrhea or have vomited, which can deplete electrolytes. Some doctors recommend these during colonoscopy prep for the same reason.
In addition to sports drinks, a number of beverages offer up blends of different nutrients, sometimes with electrolytes. Vitamin Water calls itself a “nutrient enhanced water beverage,” while Bai claims to be an “antioxidant infusion.”
“Having nutrients like these in drinks probably isn’t giving you any real benefit,” says CR’s Amy Keating, RD. In some cases, you aren’t getting very much of them. For example, Bai Ipanema Pomegranate has just 15 percent of the daily value for vitamin C. “You get far more in a cup of strawberries,” she says.
How Much Fluid Do You Need?
From the claims on various beverages to the large number of people carrying around supersized water bottles, it’s pretty clear that Americans are obsessed with hydration. But you might not need to drink as much as you think you do.
The “eight glasses of water a day” adage is reasonable but not a mandate for everyone. Individual needs vary based on weight, age, exercise habits, and even the weather.
Plus, seltzer, milk, fruit juice, and coffee and tea also provide fluids. Caffeine increases urine production, but the water in these drinks compensates for this effect.
Almost every food we eat has water in it as well, and that fluid also counts toward your daily needs. For example, a small wedge of watermelon provides 7 ounces of water.
Thirst is often a good indicator of fluid needs, though the mechanism that tells us to drink may diminish with age. And for everyone, it’s especially important to sip liquids when you exercise or if it’s hot and humid out, because you lose fluids when you sweat.
Checking the color of your urine is also a good idea. “A well-hydrated person generally has light-colored urine,” says Riana Pryor, PhD, an assistant professor of exercise and nutrition sciences at the University at Buffalo in New York.
If your urine is dark, you’re probably dehydrated and need to step up your fluid intake.
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