We Tried 9 Prebiotic & Probiotic Sodas and You Can Buy Our Top Pick at Costco

Kellye Fox

Sun, March 30, 2025 at 2:00 PM UTC

11 min read

The prebiotic soda market is projected to reach $245 million in sales by 2033, with drinks claiming to improve digestion and immune health.
Probiotic sodas contain live bacterial cultures like Lactobacillus to help balance the gut microbiome and may aid in digestion and immunity.
Prebiotics feed the bacteria in your gut, while probiotics are live bacteria that support digestive health, with postbiotics being the byproduct of a well-fed colony of bacteria.

I drink soda (aka “pop” in my region) on rare occasions. When I do, I stick to the lemon lime, fruity and ginger varieties. If the soda happens to maybe improve my health , all the better. It’s been a few years since functional (meaning, they do something) drinks like prebiotic and prebiotic drinks hit the market. And the carbonated tide is rising.

In fact, the prebiotic soda market is poised to reach about $245 million in sales by 2033. These drinks gained popularity because of their marketed benefits to improve digestion. Those claims have been called into question , but we are as curious about the flavor of these fizzy drinks as we are about their potential health benefits.

To get a taste of this trendy drink and find the best probiotic and prebiotic sodas, I went to stores near me in the Chicago area and picked up a mix of 9 popular and under-the-radar brands. As a food writer, this assignment was especially fun because when I always pass the massive, colorful, brightly lit, refrigerated healthy drink case at my grocery store, I also wondered if they were really worth buying.

If you’ve always wanted to try one of these healthy drinks, but haven’t taken the plunge yet, take a look at the results of our taste test. If you're confused about prebiotics vs. probiotics, what they mean when it comes to soda and if this stuff is good for you after all, we've got you covered there, too. We reached out to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and chatted with an expert who helped break down all the terms that come along with these better-for-you beverages.

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What is Probiotic Soda?

Probiotic sodas are carbonated drinks that have gut-friendly, live bacterial cultures, like Lactobacillus. The idea is that the bacteria can help the gut microbiome by restoring balance to the digestive system over time and adding to the good bacteria. These drinks claim that they may help with constipation and immune health. Probiotic sodas typically contain carbonated filtered water, a juice blend, natural flavors and some sort of live probiotic.

What's the Difference Between Probiotics and Prebiotics?

The terms may sound alike, but probiotics and prebiotics have different gut functions.

“Probiotics are yeasts and live bacteria that play an important role in our digestive system. They help strengthen and balance the community of healthy microbes in our gut, which helps support our immune system,” explains Amy Bragagnini, MS, RD, CSO, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

In contrast, prebiotics feed the bacteria that’s already in your gut. “Probiotics need fuel to survive, and prebiotics are the food that help nourish them! Prebiotics are the carbohydrates that your body can’t digest, so they end up in our colon, where they are an excellent food source for the hungry microbes,” says Bragagnini.

Postbiotics are another digestive ingredient gaining popularity in drinks. Bragagnini notes that “postbiotics are essentially the after product of a well-fed colony of bacteria. Healthy postbiotics contain a variety of nutrients, such as short-chain fatty acids, enzymes, and B vitamins, and they also help support a healthy immune system. You can create more postbiotics by eating a diet rich in both prebiotics and probiotics.”

Is Probiotic & Prebiotic Soda Good For You?

Generally speaking, yes, with some caveats. These fizzy gut helpers may improve digestion and enhance immunity, but some sodas are still loaded with sugar (defeating the “healthy” aspect). And, with all of that fiber and carbonation, bloating and general digestive discomfort may be unwelcome downsides.

What do the experts say? Bragagnini says that we should look for natural sources before relying on sodas.

“Before starting a prebiotic soda, I would first recommend that you try to consume whole foods that are rich in fiber. Moving towards a plant-based diet will not only provide you with excellent fiber sources but will also deliver other essential nutrients to help optimize your health. Examples of gut-friendly prebiotic fiber include bananas, onions, asparagus , apples, artichokes, oats, cherries and garlic. But in addition to a balanced diet, these beverages may be an additional way to effectively add some prebiotic fiber to your diet. And for those consistently drinking regular soda, prebiotic soda may be a good alternative, helping you reduce intake of added sugars throughout the day.”

How We Tested These Prebiotic & Probiotic Sodas

Just like the orange soda taste test that I did, I enlisted the help of my husband and two adolescent kids. With all 9 sodas on our living room table, a set of plastic cups and my notebook, we opened one can at a time.

I took notes on the smell, color and flavor profile of each contender. I also compared the type of sweetener, carbonation level and function type (i.e., probiotic, prebiotic, etc.). We didn’t think it was feasible to taste every flavor in each brand’s line, so we tested one flavor for each brand. Granted, there could have been more flavorful options than what was selected, but I chose a variety (fruity, cola, herbal) to form a sufficient opinion. At the end of the tasting, I tallied the results and ranked the cans from least to most favorite.

9 Prebiotic & Probiotic Sodas, Ranked from Least Favorite to Most Favorite

After popping and sipping our way through this refreshing lineup, we had our final list. Keep in mind this is the ranking that my family of four came up with. Depending on your taste preferences, your results may differ (or they might align with ours), but this list gives you a good place to start.

9. Culture Pop Probiotic Soda

When I was compiling my test list, there weren’t any probiotic sodas that were easy to find or fit the “soda” profile (not just fizzy water). Culture Pop is available at stores like Target, Walmart and most grocery stores. I actually ranked it in the top ten of my orange soda taste test.

We tested Culture Pop’s Ginger, Lemon and Turmeric flavor. The brand prides itself as being “fizzy and gutsy” with live probiotics, organic fruit juice and organic spices. This particular flavor would be something to buy if you’re sick or want a healthier ginger ale. The spice of the ginger was, at times, overpowering, so it drowned out any lemon and turmeric notes.

Culture Pop has a bit more sugar (8 grams, but no added sugar) and more calories (45) than some of the others, but if you’re looking for a soda with a live probiotic (Bacillus Subtilis), this is a good option. Don’t worry, there are lots more exciting flavors to choose from, especially in their Jazzy and Juicy or Zesty and Tarty variety packs.

Other Flavors:Strawberry & Rhubarb, Black Cherry, Wild Berries & Lime, Watermelon & Lime, Lemon Lime, Orange Mango & Lime, Pink Grapefruit & Ginger

8. Olipop Prebiotic Soda

I’m sure you’ve seen these prebiotic sodas nearly everywhere. Watermelon Lime was our flavor of choice, and there was an immediate watermelon smell (almost teetering on cucumber/kiwi). I loved that there’s actually watermelon juice, but we struggled to find the lime. The carbonation was on the medium level. One bonus was the whopping 9 grams of fiber and just 5 grams of sugar. Overall, the flavor profile didn’t quite match the promise.

Other Flavors:Vintage Cola, Classic Root Beer, Class Grape, Crisp Apple, Cream Soda, Peaches & Cream, Cherry Cola, Ridge Rush, Strawberry Vanilla, Orange Squeeze, Ginger Ale, Lemon Lime, Doctor Goodwin, Ginger Lemon, Tropical Punch, Cherry Vanilla, Banana Cream

7. Wild Wonder Prebiotic & Probiotic Soda

We tested Wild Wonder's mango flavor (1 of 6 available). It smelled like a freshly cut mango and had a sparkling bright yellow tone with minimal carbonation. Despite shaking it to redistribute the contents, the mango flavor faded last. After a few sips, the excitement was over.

Other Flavors:Strawberry Passion, Peach Ginger, Guava Rose

6. Evolution Fresh Prebiotic & Probiotic Soda

Evolutions Fresh’s Berry Burst really was a symphony of fresh fruit, courtesy of the blueberry and strawberry puree, apple and lemon. Other than being very berry-forward, it wasn’t sweet (even with Stevia), had low carbonation and included 5 grams of fiber. My husband picked up a slight probiotic aftertaste, but the three of us didn’t notice that. FYI, their chosen probiotic is Bacillus Coagulans GBI-30 6086.

Other Flavors:Tropical Mango, Strawberry Vanilla, Orange Squeeze, Lemon Lime

5. Pop Jones Prebiotic Craft Soda

I was fortunate enough to have a box of samples to choose from, so we picked Cucumber Watermelon. This soda reminded me of a drink that I’d have during the summer. The watermelon flavor really popped and remained consistent after a few sips. The downfall was the faint cucumber smell and taste and lack of fizz. It only has 4 grams of sugar , which is less than other brands, so it was the perfect sweetness.

Other Flavors:Orange & Cream, Mixed Berry & Kiwi, Strawberry Passion Fruit, Pineapple Ginger

4. Simply Pop Prebiotic Soda

This is one of a few prebiotic sodas (other than Poppi) that don’t need to be refrigerated. You may recognize this brand from their line of lemonade. Citrus Punch was our chosen flavor, and it impressively smelled like a freshly cut orange.

It ranked lower because the prominent orange flavor diminished rather quickly, and it lacked the multidimensional flavor profile since pear, apple, peach and lemon juices were primary ingredients. The sweetness level was okay, but it could have been elevated to bring some balance

Other Flavors:Pineapple Mango, Lime, Strawberry, Fruit Punch

3. Sun Sip Prebiotic Soda

This soda stood out because as soon as I popped the can, it was bursting with foamy carbonation—just like a traditional soda. We tested Lemon Lime, and it smelled fresh and was the perfect balance of these two flavors. I found it interesting that despite having agave, cane sugar and monk fruit juice concentrate, it lacked the sweetness needed to balance the tartness of the lemon and lime. Otherwise, this was just a really refreshing lemon-lime seltzer water.

Other Flavors:Raspberry Lemonade, Cherry Cola, Strawberry Vanilla, Root Beer, Peach, Dr. Bubbles, Cream Soda

2. Poppi Prebiotic Soda

Yes, Poppi is one of the most recognizable healthy soda brands on the market, but out of the 5 drinks in the prebiotic category, this one tasted the best. We tested their Cherry Cola soda, and we were very pleased with how well the taste matched the name. My kids thought this flavor smelled like maraschino cherries.

It lacked the high carbonation that we kind of expected from soda, but it made up for it with the balance of traditional cola and cherry flavor. What surprised me is that despite the many forms of sugar – organic cane sugar, agave , apple juice, Stevia – it wasn’t overly sweet and only had 5 total grams of sugar.

Compared to other brands, Poppi may be a bit shorter on the dietary fiber list with just 2 grams, but it had the least calories (25) than others in this category. Overall, this flavor would be a great substitute for cherry Pepsi or Coca-Cola .

Other Flavors:Cream Soda, Strawberry Lemon, Orange, Doc Pop, Grape, Cherry Limeade, Watermelon, Orange Cream, Wild Berry, Lemon Lime, Ginger Lime, Strawberry Rose, Classic Cola, Root Beer

1. Slice Prebiotic & Probiotic Soda

As Parade reported in January, Slice soda is making a triumphant comeback and has landed in Costco ! The fruit-flavored 80s soda was originally manufactured by PepsiCo and was discontinued in the mid-2000s. Wellness brand Suja Life bought Slice in 2024 and relaunched it as a better-for-you beverage.

In our test, Slice ranked highest for taste, look and function. The brand’s “Slice Gutsy Blend” has prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics. That “blend” includes 5 grams of soluble vegetable prebiotic fiber, Bacillus subtilis de111 and Bifidobacterium longum es1. Plus, there’s only 40 calories per can and 5 grams of sugar, courtesy of organic cane sugar and Stevia. Bonus: there’s no high fructose corn syrup either. And despite having two sweeteners, it didn’t taste that way.

What really stood out to us was the rich purple color and carbonation. We like a bit of fizz, but nothing overpowering. There was a strong and lasting grape smell that reminded us of grape bubble gum or grape jelly (in a good way). What sold us was the dominant grape flavor, thanks to Slice’s grape juice concentrate.

Overall, it didn’t taste “healthy,” and this is a soda that we would drink again. I’d recommend this if you want to cover your bases with a trio of gut ingredients and want a fruity, carbonated soda that just tastes great. Plus, it’s under $3 per can.

Other Flavors:Orange, Lemon Lime, Classic Cola, Grapefruit Spritz, Strawberry, Ginger Ale

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