Studies Show—You Should Definitely Follow Your Gut.
It’s no secret that 2024 consumers are dedicated to discovering new ways to enhance their overall health and wellbeing, and many have been expanding their health mindset far beyond calorie counts.1 Recent research has been revealing where the good stuff truly is—and surprise, it’s in the gut.
Even though we are just beginning to comprehend the connection between a healthy gut and overall well-being2, what we’ve learned so far has already led consumers to care more about the microbiome. They’re interested in how it not only affects their physical health, but their immune system and mental health, too. This new gut-health awareness brings back the age old saying: we are what we eat.
Did you know?
- The gut is now understood to contain more than 70% of our immune system.3
- The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional communication system between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system. It has demonstrated the importance of good gut health on good brain health.3
As consumers continue to grasp the importance of gut-health, they are increasingly prioritizing pro-digestion diets, and the beverage market has quickly followed to capitalize on this demand bottling up creative ways to cater to this consumer consciousness and capitalize on this health-forward movement.2
What really is gut health?
Let’s break things down to make the topic itself more digestible. Shall we?
Here are some important key words defined:
- Microbiome: The trillions of microbes (or bacteria) living in our gut are collectively called the microbiome. Maintaining a healthy balance between the helpful (good) bacteria and unhelpful (bad) bacteria is fundamental in supporting a healthy digestive system.2
- Prebiotics: Prebiotics in food are compounds which support the beneficial microorganisms or good bacteria in the gut. Daily prebiotics are typically nondigestible fiber compounds that pass undigested through the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract, supporting the growth of the ‘good’ bacteria in the colon.2
- Probiotics: Probiotics in foods are live microorganisms often described as helpful or ‘good’ bacteria because they help keep your gut healthy.2 - The success of the gut health trend has in part been fueled by social media, with prebiotics and probiotics getting a lot of attention from health food and fitness influencers. In fact, #Gut Tok has more than 40k posts on TikTok. 4
Better-for-You Beverages Are Top-of-Mind for Us.
As the topic of gut health stays in the mainstream, consumers are increasingly expecting gut-friendly beverages, and our PepsiCo portfolio is stocked with selections. Operators looking to attract these health-conscious consumers can turn to KeVita. KeVita offers a Master Brew Kombucha®, Sparkling Probiotic Refresher, Sparkling Probiotic Lemonade, Herbal Spritzer, and Apple Cider Vinegar Tonic all in a variety of refreshing flavors featuring on-trend fruits, botanicals, and herbs. New to the KeVita lineup are new Sparkling Refresher Slim cans (12 oz). These are a more approachable format and are available in four classic flavors: Strawberry Acai Coconut, Lemon Ginger, Lemon Cayenne & Mojita Lime Mint Coconut.
Click here to discover how our full portfolio of products can benefit your operation today.
Sources:
1 Datassential 2024 Food Trends (December 2023)
2 Beverage Industry, Consumers Dig Digestive Health, April 2024
3 Food Navigator Europe, Gut health: Why this consumer trend is here to stay, May 2024
4 Food Navigator Europe, Gut health business is booming: What's next for this unstoppable health trend?, March 2024
