I love all soda. It really is my guilty pleasure. I’ve discovered a brand that makes me feel less guilty about enjoying it so much, though.
I was strolling through the supermarket when I spotted these gorgeous pastel soda cans in a cooler. The prettily decorated packaging covered in fun fruits and aesthetically pleasing fonts did me in, so I purchased a few flavors of OLIPOP ($36 for a 12-pack) and headed home to crack one open.
It wasn’t until I sat down with the Classic Root Beer flavor (my favorite!) that I noticed, “supports digestive health” was written on the can near a stamp that read, “plant-powered, microbiome-approved.”
As it turns out, my tasty soda was actually a sparkling tonic that’s made to benefit gut health. OLIPOP’s website describes their formula as, “a deliciously fizzy tonic that combines the benefits of prebiotics, plant fiber, and botanicals to support your microbiome and benefit digestive health.”
The site breaks down their logic by explaining how everyone is made up of trillions of single-cell organisms that protect us against germs, break down our meals, release energy, and produce vitamins — this is called the microbiome.
“It’s our job to feed the little armies that live within us, so that they can continue to fight to keep us healthy. Lucky for you, bacteria has excellent taste,” the site says.
According to the brand, OLIPOP is made of natural ingredients (that’s where the plant fiber, prebiotics, and botanicals come into play) designed to feed the microbiome and promote healthy digestion.
OLIPOP even compared their Classic Root Beer tonic (which contains 2-5 grams of sugar, 9 grams of fiber, 3-8 grams of net carbs, and 45 calories) to average root beer sodas (which contain 39 grams of sugar, 0 grams of fiber, 39 grams of net carbs, and 153 calories) to further prove that their recipe is better for you.
The timing was too perfect, as I’ve been trying to curb my soda-drinking habit with kombucha. But I’ve found that kombucha’s vinegary flavor doesn’t offer the same satisfaction as soda does.
OLIPOP, on the other hand, really hit the spot for me — even in the Vintage Cola, Orange Squeeze, and Strawberry Vanilla flavors. All that’s left for me to try is the Ginger Lemon and Cherry Vanilla flavors, which I’m sure I’ll love, too.
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