Trendy 'intestinal health' soft drinks can lead to digestive issues and cancer, experts warn.
Praised by Paris Hilton, Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian and Billie Eilish, Prebiotic soft drinks such as Poppi and Olipop have followed a widespread claims that they are healthy alternatives to traditional soft drinks that can reduce harmful inflammations and stimulate good intestinal bacteries.
Costs around $ 2.60 per can, the drinks each contain about 50 calories and use natural sugar substitutes such as stevia or agave.
They also contain inulin, a kind of prebiotic fibers that helps to 'feed' healthy bacteria in the intestinal microbiome – collecting good bacteria in the intestine – by producing fatty acids with short chains.
Increased amounts of fatty acids have been shown to improve digestion by regulating intestinal movements and preventing constipation.
However, emerging research suggests that fatty acids with short chains that are linked to inulin can increase the risk of certain cancers in the liver or colon by increasing inflammation and promoting tumor growth.
Doctors now warn of regular consumption of inulin, although they have also warned that more research is needed.
The warning comes a few months after the prebiotic soft drink brand Poppi was hit with a $ 5 million lawsuit on claims that the company 'misled' consumers and that the fiber content was too low to offer benefits.
Olipop is one of the most popular prebiotic soft drink brands and generates $ 500 million in turnover last year
Paris Hilton is one of the controversial fans of Poppi. As a paid partner, she participated in a LA -Lancing event last year
Andrew Gewirtz, a professor in biomedical science at Georgia State University, told Axios: 'It is unlikely that the occasional Can will cause major damage.
“It is a regular consumption that I am not convinced is safe.”
Inulin is a form of dietary fibers that are naturally found in some plants chicory root, garlic, onions and artichoke from Jerusalem. It is also considered a fructan, a kind of prebiotic, which means it can help feed 'good' bacteria in the intestine.
Intestinal bacteria convert inulin and other prebiotics into fatty acids with short chains, which can help strengthen the protective lining of the intestine and reduce inflammation.
Poppi and Olipop are two of the most popular prebiotic soft drink brands, which generate around $ 500 million on sale last year.
One can of Poppi contains three grams of dietary fiber, while olipop can have a maximum of nine grams, depending on the taste.
Although inulin has been advertised because of its digestive benefits, Gewirtz claims: “Regularly consumption grams of inulin in supplements, drinks and inulin-enriched food can increase the risk of cancer, possibly by dampening anti-tumor immunity.”
Gewirtz and a team from the University of Toledo published a study in 2018 and looked at the effects of 'very refined' fibers such as inulin on mice.
Several of the mice that had added inulin to their diet, developed jaundice, a sign of liver failure. After six months they developed liver cancer.
A case study from 2024 written by the same team suggested that inulin “can be carcinogenic.”
The man in the Case Study had his first colonoscopy to screen on colon cancer at the age of 56, who normally returned.
But seven years later, another routine cancer screening showed a malignant tumor at the start of his colon. The disease had also spread to its lymph nodes.
Now in his 60s, the man had no known risk factors of colon cancer such as obesity, alcohol consumption or family history, and his diet was rich in organic, home -grown vegetables.
His only change in the lifestyle in the time between impressions was to add four grams of inulin powder to his diet every day.
Researchers have proposed that prebiotic soft drinks with inulin can increase the risk of certain cancers such as colon cancer (stock image)
Researcher Dr. Matam Vijay-Kumar from the University of Toledo said that the patient had contacted him after reading his earlier research into Inulin.
Dr. Vijar-Kumar said last year: 'My first thought was how he can indicate that inuline bowel cancer caused? It is incredibly difficult to identify a single cause of illness, especially with cancer.
“After extensive communication with him about his medical history and lifestyle, combined with what we know from studies at mice, we were convinced that there was a plausible link.”
Gewirtz suggested that fatty acids with short chains can be responsible for this increased risk by activating inflammation and increased cell production and department. This increases the risk of cancer cell production and the formation of tumors.
However, he noted: 'Further studies are needed to help identify who could benefit [inulin] And who should avoid it. '
To stimulate healthy intestinal bacteria, he proposed instead to increase fiber intake by foods such as artichokes, broccoli, lentils, seeds, oatmeal, brown rice, avocado and raspberries.
Olipop and Poppi did not immediately respond to the request from DailyMail.com for comments.
