Prebiotic soda lowers postprandial glucose compared to traditional soda pop: a randomized controlled trial

Inadequate dietary fiber intake and excess added sugar intake are dietary factors attributed to the rise in obesity, type 2 diabetes, and associated cardiometabolic diseases. Until recently, consumers had limited options for finding similar tasting, yet highly approachable, solutions to meet intake recommendations for added sugars and dietary fiber. Modern sodas with lower sugar and supplemented with prebiotic fiber may serve as functionally beneficial alternatives to traditional sugar-sweetened beverages. The primary objective was to compare the acute effects of a prebiotic soda, (PREB: 3g sugar, 6g dietary fiber) versus traditional soda (SODA: 39g sugar, no dietary fiber), with or without a meal, on postprandial glucose in generally healthy adults. Thirty middle- aged men and women [19 F, 11 M; (mean ± standard deviation) 46.5 ± 10.4 y; 29.5 ± 2.6 kg/m ² ] consumed their assigned study product during the traditional lunch time in a free-living setting on 4-consecutive test days in a crossover design, counterbalanced by test sequence. Continuous glucose monitoring for blood glucose dynamics, visual analog scales for perceived hunger and alertness, and dietary logs for second meal behavior were all measured throughout the intervention. Glucose incremental area under the curve (iAUC) [mean difference (95% confidence interval); - 837 mg/min/dL (-1250, 188), p=0.032; -1690 mg/min/dL (-2790, -909), p<0.001; with and without meal, respectively] and maximum glucose concentration (Cmax) [-9 mg/dL (-27, 0), p=0.018; -36 mg/dL (-50, -22), p<0.001; with and without meal, respectively] were lower with PREB compared to SODA. PREB did not affect second meal timing nor energy intake compared to SODA. Perceived hunger or alertness were not altered by beverage type. In conclusion, a prebiotic soda is a favorable alternative to traditional soda formulations for managing postprandial blood glucose levels and maximal glucose excursion in generally healthy adults with overweight or obesity.