Lawsuit claims Poppi soda not as gut-healthy as company says

The popular prebiotic sodas known as Poppi may not be quite as good for your gut as the company claims.

In a class-action lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Kristin Cobbs said she bought Poppi drinks because of their labels, which say they are prebiotic sodas and feature the slogan, "Be Gut Happy. Be Gut Healthy."

But, Cobbs said she later found the drinks contain only around 2 grams of the prebiotic agave inulin fiber, which she said isn't enough to make any difference in gut health. To back that claim up, her lawsuit pointed to research that showed drinking 7.5 grams of agave inulin daily for three weeks did not confer any meaningful prebiotic benefit.

"Accordingly, a consumer would need to drink more than four Poppi sodas in a day to realize any potential health benefits from its prebiotic fiber," the lawsuit claims. "However, even if a consumer were to do this, Poppi's high sugar content would offset most, if not all, of these purported gut health benefits."

"In addition, consuming too much inulin can lead to adverse health results," the lawsuit alleged. "Studies show that taking as little as 2.5 grams of prebiotic supplements, including agave inulin, can lead to a build-up of gas, causing abdominal discomfort, while higher doses [40-50 grams per day] can lead to diarrhea. This is particularly problematic for people with existing digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome or dietary sensitivities."

In a statement issued Monday, Austin, Texas-based Poppi disputed the claims of the lawsuit.

"We are on a mission to revolutionize soda for the next generation of soda drinkers, and we have diligently innovated to provide a tasting experience that millions of people have come to enjoy," the company said in a statement, NBC News reported. "We believe the lawsuit is baseless, and we will vigorously defend against these allegations."

Poppi is one of many new beverages on the market that claim to improve health and wellness. U.S. sales of prebiotic and probiotic drinks more than tripled last year, according to data compiled by the consulting firm AlixPartners, NBC News reported.

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