Prebiotic Soda, Anyone? Or Fresh Fruit?

Basket of Fruit

While you’re still trying to catch every bit of warm sunshine while it's still around in the Northern hemisphere, you get thirsty. You grab one of those prebiotic sodas your friend was telling you about. Perhaps you know all about prebiotics, but maybe you just know they are good for digestion. Well, prebiotics are the food for probiotics.  

What are Probiotics? 

They are the friendly bacteria that live in your gut. Yes, they pay nothing for board and lodge. But you need to give them a good living space and plenty of good food. They do repay you by extracting nutrients from the food you eat (actually, things they cannot use) and much more. Some of the friendly bacteria function like little vitamin manufacturing factories right within you—producing some of the B vitamins that you cannot live without and substances like butyrate that the cells of your colon subsist on.  

B vitamins are important for almost every bodily function, from red blood cell formation (for circulation and oxygenation) to neurotransmitter synthesis (for mood regulation and cognitive health).  

Butyrate, besides being crucial for a healthy colon, is also involved in immune system health, reducing inflammation, and even preventing diseases like cancer.  

Prebiotics are usually present in our food if we eat the right types of unprocessed foods. Supplemental prebiotics can play a role in intestinal health. But I wouldn’t suggest you eagerly guzzle cans of prebiotic drinks or add heaps of prebiotic powder to your yogurt to improve your health. You must first know the state of health of your microbiome.  

Oh dear, now what’s a microbiome? It is the community of good (and bad bacteria) that is within us. Actually, none of them are innately bad. Think of them as a community of us humans. There are saints among us—the good bacteria. Then, there are regular humans who try to do the best we can—we have our priorities right and we follow principles. We know how to rescue ourselves from the little traps of bad behavior we may fall into. And then there are some of us who do not believe in principles, but we are still good human beings overall. However, we can be easily influenced by the company that we keep. The “bad” bacteria actually fall into the last group. When there are too many of them around, their bad behavior multiplies, and it overwhelms our systems.  

Besides, consider the fact that most prebiotic sodas are carbonated or are in aluminum cans, or cans lined with plastics.  

Carbonated drinks can aggravate or cause heartburn. Over time, this can lead to esophageal cancer. Some sodas may contain phosphoric acid, which is damaging to the kidneys. Sodas in general, are acidic and can damage the enamel of teeth, if consumed regularly. 

The contents of the can being acidic, aluminum (which is used for the cans) can leach into the drink. Even if the can is lined with plastic, aluminum can leach through as there could be minor flaws in the manufacturing process, or when the can is dented or damaged in handling. And as we know, plastic is never good in close contact with our foods or drinks.

Learn about the dangers you are exposed to from plastics and the swaps you can make, here.  

So, do you want a can of soda or a juicy apple?  

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DISCLAIMER: The content I share is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. I may receive a percentage of the proceeds if you purchase products linked from these blog posts. These affiliations help to support my work.

References Carbonated Beverages and Chronic Kidney Disease

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