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Prebiotic sodas -

Prebiotic sodas promise to aid digestion by feeding beneficial gut bacteria. These drinks often contain inulin, a dietary fiber. While popular, they can actually cause unpleasant side effects like gas and bloating.

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Millennial influence -

Valued at over US$150 billion and expected to exceed $200 billion soon, the functional beverage market is clearly booming. Millennials are twice as likely as other demographics to embrace these products, driving their demand globally.

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Expanding functions - Functional beverages now offer more than refreshment. Beyond traditional effects like energy boosts (from coffee), these drinks promise benefits like better skin, stronger immunity, improved sleep, enhanced digestion, and increased mental focus.

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Science -

Functional beverages include biologically active ingredients aimed at improving health. Popular drinks feature ingredients known for their benefits, such as calcium in milk for bones or probiotics in kombucha for digestion. Yet evidence for many claims remains speculative.

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Mixed evidence -

Some ingredients in functional beverages have shown potential in clinical trials, but drinking them in a bottled beverage may not necessarily reproduce the same results. The effects of consuming these ingredients in beverage form are often unproven.

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Untested -

Many of the ingredients in functional beverages haven’t been rigorously tested to see if what they claim is true. This is because testing is expensive and isn’t required in some markets.

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Selling out -

Despite the lack of evidence, these drinks are actually incredibly easy to sell. Many consumers appear to believe that they can drink as much as they want without feeling effects, especially since the products are marketed as superiorly healthy.

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Vagueness -

However, the key factor to understand is that marketing teams for these products deliberately maintain vagueness around exactly when functional beverages should be consumed.

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Marketing power -

Functional beverages aren't tied to specific times or social rituals like coffee or cocktails. This flexibility in consumption makes them especially marketable, allowing consumers to feel comfortable drinking them throughout the day without restrictions.

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In history -

Historically, beverages like tea, wine, and coffee have been used for medicinal purposes for a very long time. The connection between drinks and health isn't new, but the idea of food and beverages as medicine has evolved and intensified in recent decades.

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Nutrient-enriched food evolution -

In the early 20th century, scientists began adding nutrients to food to combat deficiencies, such as adding iodine to salt to address thyroid issues. This practice led consumers to associate certain nutrients with health improvements.

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Medicalization -

In the 20th century, many previously taboo conditions like depression and anxiety began to be treated medically. This unknowingly paved the way for the food industry.

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Pharmaceutical food -

The food industry capitalized on the demand for healthier products by incorporating pharmaceuticals (many of which came from the natural world) into food and beverage production.

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Regulatory shifts -

In 1980s America, deregulation from the newly-established Food and Drug Administration meant that companies were allowed to make unproven health claims about their products.

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No regulations -

In 1994, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act was passed, and a loophole was discovered: if a product was categorized as a dietary supplement, it didn’t need to be backed by evidence or approval from regulators.

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High-function foods -

Today, many consumers want more than basic nutrition from their food and drink. They seek products with added health benefits, and so many terms geared towards health have emerged in household lexicons.

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Growing consumer knowledge -

Terms like antioxidants, adaptogens, and nootropics are now widely understood by consumers. This awareness drives the demand for beverages that promise enhanced health effects.

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Fear of nutrient-depleted food -

As concerns grow about the nutrient quality of modern processed food, consumers increasingly turn to functional beverages for nutrients they fear are lacking in their diet.

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Mortality fears -

The desire to overcome aging fuels the market for functional beverages. Consumers are drawn to products that promise to stave off aging, providing an illusion of control over inevitable life processes like aging and health decline.

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Social media -

Social media heightens consumers' focus on aging and physical appearance. Influencers who share their consumption of functional beverages create aspirational images and lead consumers to believe that these drinks can help them attain similar lifestyles.

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Status symbols -

Consuming certain functional beverages can also signal participation in a healthy lifestyle or social movement, similar to the way wine once symbolized "wine mom" culture. People ultimately just want to feel included.

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Gatorade -

Drinks like Gatorade were also historically marketed for communal experiences, such as rehydrating sports teams. Today's functional beverages contrast with this, since they emphasize individuality.

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Individualistic consumption -

Some of today's functional beverages are primarily about individual self-improvement, rather than community bonding. They have become a sort of placebo effect for people to feel better and healthier about their bodies.

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American mythology -

The belief in self-reliance permeates many mindsets around the world, but mostly those of Americans. This ideology promotes the belief that people should focus on their own health and well-being, often by consuming health-boosting products.

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Avoidance -

Functional beverages offer an easy fix for health concerns, allowing consumers to avoid confronting more complex issues like aging or illness. This provides a temporary comfort, but does not address the underlying challenges of health.

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Escapism - For many, drinking functional beverages provides a way to momentarily escape the fear of aging and physical decline. However, the benefits are often short-lived, leaving consumers still grappling with long-term health realities.

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Fizz and fun as distraction -

The fun and fizzy appeal of functional beverages may distract consumers from the fact that they do little to address real health challenges, such as exercising or training.

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Exercise -

Exercising and training (even playing sports) has a far more meaningful impact on the human body than merely consuming beverages that promise health benefits.

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Confronting health realities -

The truth is that addressing issues like aging and disease requires deeper, more difficult lifestyle changes. Although it’s easy to pop open a can of something fizzy, it sadly isn’t the solution people think it is.

Sources: (Vox) (Bioethics) (Mayo Clinic) (WebMD) (Britannica)

See also: Simple ways to be healthier

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