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, Bobby 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
Bobby prebiotic soda
Bobby prebiotic soda is a good all-round choice.
The specific ingredients are: carbonated water, natural sweeteners (erythritol, stevia), sugar, prebiotic fibre (0.5%), lemon juice (0.5%), lime juice (0.5%), food acid (citric acid) and natural flavour.
It’s good to see that it uses some real ingredients in the form of lemon and lime juice (along with natural flavour).
This drink includes 2g of dietary fibre and has 11 calories per 100ml. In terms of calories, this is much below regular soft drink, but significantly above Remedy and Nexba.
Flavour
The juices and the prebiotic fibre give the drink a decent mouthfeel - but not as thick as Nexba.
Personally I think the carbonation is a bit too high. I found myself burping after each sip which is never pleasant.
In terms of aroma, the only thing I can think of when smelling it is Sprite - sort of lemony but in an unnatural way.
And this comes through on the taste too. I was expecting a more natural lemon lime taste, however it comes across as more of the artificial lemon taste of Sprite. This is strange considering it does have real lemon and lime juice in it. Perhaps the natural flavouring they have added sways it more towards the unnatural Sprite-lemon taste.
But it is not too sweet and there is a moderate acidity to balance things out.
Overall, the taste if fine but I was expecting something better and more natural tasting. However, if you regularly drink Sprite and are looking for something healthier than this drink would be perfect for you!
Cost and availability
We bought a 330ml can in a health food store for $4.50.
Summary
4.25 stars out of 5.
A prebiotic soda with a decent amount of fibre and which uses some real ingredients. It isn’t as low calorie as other brands though.
Pros
much better for you than soft drink
fairly low in calories
contains prebiotic fibre
uses some real ingredients
Cons
taste is fine, but comes across as a bit unnatural
contains natural sweeteners (if that bothers you)
Best prebiotic soda with apple cider vinegar
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.
It does not have much dietary fibre though with less than 1g per 100ml.
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.
It also has very low calories with only 4 calories per can.
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
This is also used in some prebiotic sodas.
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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