From probiotic to protein, we test three wellness drinks on the market
FROM kombucha to kefir and green tea to smoothies, the health drinks market has gone bonkers in recent years.
The so-called “functional wellness drink” market is now worth £240million a year, with shoppers willing to pay more than DOUBLE the average price of a normal soft drink for one with health benefit claims.
Jane Atkinson looks at the latest on the market . . .
PROBIOTIC DRINKS
I WAS never a huge fan of the original Yakult fermented probiotic drink because in each tiny bottle there was nearly 9g of sugar.
But now it has a new sidekick called Yakult Balance with 2.9g of sugar per bottle.
Probiotics are the friendly bacteria that keep your gut in good order, which in turn can help your immunity.
Yakult Balance contains skimmed milk, sweeteners, sugar substitutes, a thickener plus 20 billion L casei Shirota bacteria. This version contains vitamin D and E, too.
Vitamin D is the one supplement you really need to take because we can’t usually get enough through diet and sun exposure alone.
The product has a sharp lemon taste which I wasn’t keen on but it’s only 65ml so you can knock it back.
Eight-pack, £3.70, Tesco. See yakult.co.uk.
ENERGY DRINKS
THE C4 Smart Energy drink is new on the market.
It is an energy and nootropic (cognitive-enhancing) drink for mental focus and productivity.
The energy and alertness comes from 106mg per serving of caffeine from green coffee beans.
But the bit I really like is that it contains brainberry, which is extracted from Aronia melanocarpa berries, cultivated in the Baltic region of Europe.
They are said to improve brain health.
It also has vitamin B5 for mental performance, zinc for cognitive function and vitamin C for metabolism and energy-yielding metabolism.
It contains all natural ingredients and comes in three flavours. I tried the Watermelon Burst which is lovely.
It gave me a definite caffeine hit, too. Each can has 9kcal per 330ml.
£1.49 at WHSmith
PROTEIN DRINKS
EX-HOLLYOAKS star Davinia Taylor has transformed herself into a biohacking expert – where you improve your health, performance or wellbeing with changes in diet and lifestyle – and has set up her company WillPowders, so you can hack your own health.
Her latest product is a protein powder that comes in Madagascan Vanilla and the one I tried, Milk Chocolate with Celtic Sea Salt.
It contains just six ingredients: Scandinavian beef bone broth, MCT keto powder, cocoa powder, natural flavouring, sweetener and sea salt.
It has all the amino acids, tasted great and kept me full for hours.
With 65.9 per cent protein (16.5g per portion) and just 1.1 per cent sugar.
£28 for 300g, will powders.com