Over the past few years, the beverage industry has exploded with so‑called “health drinks.” From probiotic sodas to wellness tonics, these products are often marketed as gut-healing, metabolism-boosting, or blood-sugar friendly alternatives to traditional soda.

While the marketing is convincing, I’m often asked in practice whether these drinks are actually healthy. My answer is usually: not as much as they’re made out to be.

The gut is also known as the “second brain",” and for good reason! Our gut microbiome consists of trillions of bacteria that regulate much of our hormone production, mood, sleep, energy levels, skin conditions, immune system, atopic conditions and so much more. The gut microbiome plays a vital role in our physiological and psychological health via its own neural network called the enteric nervous system (ENS), a system of nerves found in the lining of our gut. It arises from the same tissues as our central nervous system (CNS) during fetal development, so it has many structural and chemical parallels to the brain, thereby forming the “gut-brain connection.”