In recent years, the soda industry has experienced a shift in customer preferences as consumers increasingly seek healthier alternatives to traditional sodas. Popular brands like poppi and OLIPOP are seen more frequently in most grocery stores in the United States after being a known substitution for more sugary options.
“As Americans, we consume a lot of soda, so helping people realize they can make that healthy switch and make the healthy choice and that they have that option is great.” – Leigh Coles, nutritionist in Covington, GA
The initial start of these healthy sodas date back to the year 2018, when both companies first launched their products.
poppi was founded by Allison and Stephen Ellsworth. After Allison experienced health issues, she decided to make a healthier alternative to soda. The project started in a small kitchen, where she experimented with apple cider vinegar to promote gut health. The sodas first appeared on Shark Tank in 2018 and were later rebranded into Poppi. The Ellsworths sold Poppi to PepsiCo for $1.95 billion this year.
OLIPOP was founded by David Lester and Ben Goodwin, with the same focus as poppi. This brand focused on making a drink that helped with gut health and could still taste like flavorful soda. The first three flavors were ginger lemon, strawberry vanilla and cinnamon cola which emphasized low sugar, high fiber and prebiotics to help support digestive health. The company’s value is currently standing at $1.85 billion. Goodwin has recently considered selling OLIPOP to a larger company.
Leigh Coles, a nutritionist in Covingtion, GA, explains the importance of the healthier soda option, saying that these sodas have cleaner ingredients. “I personally drink OLIPOP and it is overall metabolically better for you. Plus, prebiotics are good for gut health which is a better and healthier switch in comparison to Coke products.”
For most healthy individuals, poppi and OLIPOP seem to be a better option than regular sodas. But for individuals struggling with high blood pressure, the agave inulin, a type of prebiotic fiber which is claimed to support gut health found in the soda, can cause digestive discomfort.
“Everybody metabolizes differently,” Coles said. “The downside could be the way they put the fibers in the soda. For a normal healthy person there isn’t a downside. Inulin, which is a type of fiber from plants, is okay to most people. Although, when some have too much of it, it can lead people to have upset stomachs because there is too much inulin. These sodas are still the better option for everyone in the long run compared to regular sodas.”
