Is it time to fall back in love with soda?

For some people, there’s nothing more satisfying than cracking open a can of soda. Roughly 50% of Americans indulge in these carbonated drinks each week, and a quarter of the population drinks them daily.

The problem is, drinking soda is bad for us. To the point these sugary beverages have been compared to cigarettes and the industry has been nicknamed “Big Soda.” And it’s not hard to see why people make these claims. High-sugar beverages have been linked to diabetes and many drinks have chemicals and dyes linked to cancer. Even diet drinks have given consumers reasons to be concerned.

But what if that wasn’t the case? A recent wave of alternative, “healthy” sodas is infiltrating the beverage market. Brands like Olipop, Poppi, and Culture Pop are trying to reinvent how we think about carbonated soft drinks. Not only do they strip away many of the undesirable ingredients, but they try to pack health benefits in the can.

As these “healthy” sodas surge in popularity, this could be a ray of hope for soda lovers. Or, are we just looking at the same chemicals wrapped in a different package?

The new wave of soda

There’s no denying that healthy soda brands are making a splash in the beverage industry. In 2023, Olipop earned an estimated $200 million while Poppi’s…