Best prebiotic sodas in Australia reviewed
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of some of Australia’s most popular prebiotic sodas, including Remedy Sodaly and Nexba Better Soda.
We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition and flavour of these popular prebiotic sodas and see where each stands above the competition.
What is a prebiotic soda?
Prebiotic sodas are essentially very low-calorie carbonated drinks which include prebiotics to feed the good microbes in our guts.
They often rely on natural flavourings and sweeteners for taste - which is how they can be very low or no sugar.
Many people prefer prebiotic soda to soft drink because of their low calories.
Are sweeteners bad for you?
Regular readers will know that I don’t love sweeteners - whether they are natural or artificial. This is because artificial sweeteners have been shown to negatively affect gut microbe composition - and so it could be that natural sweeteners also have a negative affect on your gut. There are other potential side effects of these natural sweeteners (especially around signalling to your body that sugar is coming when it isn’t), but more research is needed.
In any case, I’d prefer to avoid sweeteners altogether to be on the safe side. This is a personal choice though and essentially a trade off between sugar (which is not good) and natural sweeteners (which may or may not be shown to be unhealthy in future).
Read more about the current research done on stevia and erythritol - the two most common natural sweeteners.
Best prebiotic soda in Australia overall
Remedy Sodaly
Remedy Sodaly stands out because it includes apple cider vinegar which can help with blood sugar control, weight loss, heart health and more. It is also classified as a prebiotic which means it is beneficial to the good microbes in our gut.
It’s ingredients are: carbonated water, apple cider vinegar, plant-based sweeteners (erythritol & steviol glycosides), natural flavours, black carrot extract (colour).
As you can see, there’s no actual guava in this drink (eg juice, concentrate or puree), just natural guava flavouring. And the colour even comes from black carrots.
This soda has zero sugar and only 3 calories per 100ml. So it is far superior than a normal soft drink from a health perspective.
Flavour
The aroma is a strongly of guava and a touch of lemon. The aroma is so strong - stronger than actual guava juice would be - that it seems artificial (even though it only contains natural flavourings).
The taste is quite subtle guava fruitiness and it lacks any real depth. However, it is pleasant enough and refreshing.
Also, you can’t taste any apple cider vinegar which I was expecting to and the carbonation is quite high.
Cost and availability
You can buy a cold 330ml bottle for $4 in Coles or Woolworths supermarkets in Australia. Or you can buy a warm 4 pack of 250ml cans for $8.
Summary
4 stars out of 5.
A low-calorie drink with some health benefits - but not as many as kombucha or kefir. Most importantly though, it is a great alternative to soft drink (which is what it is ultimately trying to be).
Pros
far superior to soft drink from a health perspective
very low calories
contains prebiotics
contains apple cider vinegar
Cons
no real guava ingredients (eg juice or puree)
carbonation is too high
contains natural sweeteners (if that bothers you)
Best prebiotic soda for fibre
Nexba Better Soda
The main benefit of this prebiotic soda is the high prebiotic content from the corn fibre. It has an impressive 4g of dietary fibre in each can.
The specific ingredients are: purified sparkling water, corn fibre (prebiotics), Nexba GoodSweet® Blend (erythritol, stevia), citric acid, natural flavours, vitamin C and natural colours (lutein).
Similar to Remedy, there’s no actual passionfruit in this drink, just natural flavouring.
Flavour
The aroma is of sweet passionfruit and not particularly strong.
Like many Nexba products, the taste is quite sweet (a bit too sweet in my opinion). There’s a general sweet fruity flavour which I guess is sort of like passionfruit. However, there is very little acidity as a I was expecting in a passionfruit drink.
In summary, the taste if fine, but a little underwhelming.
Because of the corn fibre it has a thick mouthfeel for a carbonated drink which is not unpleasant. And it has a good moderate level of carbonation.
Cost and availability
You can buy a 4 pack of 330ml cans in Coles or Woolworths for $8.75.
Summary
3.75 stars out of 5.
A low-calorie drink with lots of fibre. The taste won’t win any awards and it’s not perfect, but at the end of the day it’s a much better choice than soft drink from a health perspective.
Pros
much better for you than soft drink
very low calories
contains prebiotics
added vitamin C
Cons
no real passionfruit ingredients
taste is fine, but has no real depth
contains natural sweeteners
Health benefits of prebiotic sodas
Prebiotic sodas can have a few health benefits. Please note that not all the things listed below will be in every soda as their ingredients vary.
Prebiotics
Prebiotics promote the growth of beneficial microbes in the gut. This can be in the form of a fibre like corn fibre or apple cider vinegar.
Read more about the benefits of prebiotics.
Low in calories
Prebiotic sodas often only have around 3-4 calories per 100ml. For context, a typical, non-diet soft drink would have 10x that amount!
Vitamin C
This is added to some prebiotic sodas.
Vitamin C boosts the immune system, aids iron absorption and supports skin and joint health.
It is also a strong antioxidant which helps your body fight off harmful free radicals and reduce inflammation.
Read more about the benefits of antioxidants.
Apple cider vinegar
Blood sugar control: May improve insulin sensitivity and help lower blood sugar responses after meals.
Weight loss: Can increase feelings of fullness, leading to eating fewer calories and potentially losing weight.
Heart health: May help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, although more research is needed.
Read more about the evidence supporting apple cider vinegar’s health benefits.
Your reviewer
This article was reviewed by Travis, the founder of this website, long-time gut enthusiast and passionate kombucha maker!
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