Soda was the beverage of choice in the late 1800s and early to mid-1900s. But as people became more health-conscious, its appeal started to wane. This decline became even more evident when people's health-related beliefs, shopping habits, and consumption habits dramatically changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The use of high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and the lack of any nutritional additives made traditional soda beverages an unhealthy alternative for people. With consumers becoming overly concerned about their health after the pandemic, the high sugar and artificial sweetener content of regular carbonated soft drinks has put pressure on the market for non-alcoholic beverages. Consumers nowadays are incredibly interested in lower-sugar alternatives that don't sacrifice flavour and offer functional advantages like the improved gut and immunological health. More than ever, today, consumers want value-added beverages that provide hydration, appetite, energy, and cognitive support. And they are drawn to beverages that provide numerous health advantages.

So, after realising that existing soda choices weren't exactly healthy but that consumers still needed their carbonated dose, the producers have now introduced healthier soda alternatives while also balancing the sugar level. The beverage that for many years was predominately made of highly refined sugar and artificial components is now being innovated into a healthy and delightful experience. Market players are now capitalising on the trends for naturally sweetened and premium ingredients. Science-backed ingredients are being used to encourage a healthy lifestyle and the industry participants are experimenting with unique combinations of fruits, spices, and herbs.

The brand-new, healthy soda substitutes can lower inflammation and enhance gut health. They come in various flavours from classic to contemporary such as tart and tangy cold-pressed lemon, cola, ginger ale, grape, raspberry lime, etc. These are all prepared by using fresh fruit juices instead of artificial sweeteners. Some companies also include a mixture of electrolytes to prevent any adverse consequences of dehydration.

Now, functional soda alternatives are also available in the market, offering additional health advantages such as an energy boost, mental clarity, necessary vitamins and minerals, or enhancement of the diversity and health of the gut flora. Collagen, nootropics, adaptogens, and botanicals are a few ingredients that dominate this market for functional beverages. Collagen offers cosmetic health benefits, nootropics boost and invigorate cognitive function, adaptogens serve as natural remedies, and botanicals are all-natural substances that offer a variety of health benefits in addition to flavour enhancement.

The grocery shelves are now lined with cold-pressed juices, milk-based, and flavour-infused drinks, luring shoppers to explore healthy alternatives to regular soda. Consumers can now access a variety of functional, organic and nutrition-filled soda beverages that promote microbiome and digestive health. By utilising the proper blend of advantages, consumer education, demonstrated efficacy, and pleasant taste, products containing these compounds have the potential to become more widely available.

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CONCLUSION

The beverage industry's future is here, and it is not only excellent in taste, but also healthy for consumers. Soda is becoming healthier thanks to the addition of botanicals, prebiotics, and plant fibre. This innovation was also much required to capture the Gen Z and Millennials market as innovations on the health front have become inevitable in this conscious consumer market. Although these recently introduced drinks are viewed as healthier alternatives, producers will still need to defend their high prices and enhance consumer awareness to boost sales, before they can become the beverage of choice again.