# Does Prebiotic Soda Affect Blood Sugar? One Trial Explained

> Does prebiotic soda affect blood sugar? One small trial found a lower short-term response than cola, but cannot show fiber caused it or predict long-term effects.

![Does Prebiotic Soda Affect Blood Sugar? One Trial Explained](https://functional-beverages.nicheflash.com/media/articles/2763-vesenr6zacpu-16x9.jpg)

- Source: https://functional-beverages.nicheflash.com/blogs/does-prebiotic-soda-affect-blood-sugar
- Author: [Functional Beverage Guide Editorial Team](https://functional-beverages.nicheflash.com/authors/functional-beverage-guide-editorial-team)
- Publisher: Functional Beverage Guide
- Published: 2026-10-19
- Updated: 2026-10-19

**Key takeaways**

 - Prebiotic soda can affect blood sugar. One small trial found lower two-hour glucose measures after one prebiotic soda than after one traditional soda, but that does not mean the prebiotic soda caused no glucose response.
- The trial’s reported comparison does not establish whether either drink’s glucose response rose above baseline, or by how much.
- The drinks differed in sugar and fiber, so the trial cannot show that prebiotic fiber caused the difference.
- Compare nutrition labels by the amount you will drink. Total sugars are included in total carbohydrate, and fiber does not erase the sugar amount.

 Does prebiotic soda affect blood sugar? It can. In a small, short-term trial, one prebiotic soda produced lower glucose measures over two hours than one traditional soda, with and without a meal. A lower response than regular soda does not mean the prebiotic soda had no glucose effect. The trial’s reported results establish a relative difference between drinks, not whether either drink’s glucose response rose above baseline or by how much.

 ## What did the prebiotic soda study actually compare?

 The randomized crossover trial included 30 generally healthy adults with overweight or obesity: 19 women and 11 men. Participants had a mean age of 46.5 years and a mean body mass index of 29.5 kg/m². Each participant tried both drinks, with and without a meal, and researchers assessed glucose responses over two hours.

 The trial compared one prebiotic soda with one traditional soda. As tested, the prebiotic soda contained 3 g of sugar and 6 g of fiber; the traditional soda contained 39 g of sugar and no fiber. The trial report does not specify the volume or serving size associated with those amounts. Treat them as nutrition amounts for the drinks in the trial, not as standard can-for-can values. They cannot be used to compare typical product portions unless serving sizes are matched.

 ## Did prebiotic soda produce lower short-term glucose readings?

 Yes, compared with traditional soda. The trial reported lower glucose measures during the two-hour period after the prebiotic soda, both with and without a meal. Incremental area under the curve (iAUC) summarizes the glucose rise above the starting level across the measurement period; a peak is the highest single glucose reading. The reported iAUC differences below are calculated as prebiotic soda minus traditional soda. The unit mg/dL·min represents area over time, not a glucose concentration or single reading.

 - **With a meal:** The median iAUC difference was −837 mg/dL·min (p = 0.032), and peak glucose was 9 mg/dL lower after the prebiotic soda.
- **Without a meal:** The median iAUC difference was −1,690 mg/dL·min (p < 0.001), and peak glucose was 36 mg/dL lower after the prebiotic soda.

 Those figures describe the difference between drinks, not the absolute response to either one. In particular, the reported comparison does not show whether glucose readings after either drink rose above baseline or quantify that rise. The p-values describe statistical results; they do not establish that the differences are clinically meaningful or a health benefit.

 ## What are the study’s limitations?

 The drinks differed in more than fiber. As tested, the prebiotic soda had much less sugar, and the carbohydrate amounts also differed. The trial therefore cannot isolate fiber’s effect. The trial report notes that the different carbohydrate loads likely contributed to the glucose results.

 The study was open-label and funded by OLIPOP. The report states that some authors worked for OLIPOP and others for Biofortis, a contract research organization funded by OLIPOP. These details are context for interpreting the trial; they do not, by themselves, determine whether its results are valid.

 The participants were described as generally healthy adults, and the trial did not present a diabetes-specific result. It also measured short-term responses, not what happens with repeated use over months or years. The study does not establish long-term blood-sugar control, diabetes prevention, or an advantage over diet soda or other low-sugar alternatives. People with diabetes or prediabetes should not change medication or treatment based on this trial and should follow their clinician’s guidance for individual glucose monitoring.

 ## How should you use this finding when choosing a prebiotic soda?

 Use the trial as a reason to inspect the full nutrition label, not as proof that prebiotic fiber independently lowers blood sugar. Compare the amount you plan to drink with the serving size on the package.

 1. **Normalize each label to the amount you will drink.** If a label lists nutrients per serving but you drink more or less than one serving, multiply or divide each listed amount by the same proportion. For example, if you drink one and a half labeled servings, multiply total carbohydrate, total sugars, added sugars, and fiber by one and a half.
2. **Compare carbohydrate and sugars without double-counting.** Total sugars are part of total carbohydrate; added sugars are included within total sugars. Fiber is also included in total carbohydrate. Check each field, but do not add sugars to total carbohydrate as if they were separate amounts.
3. **Keep fiber separate in your interpretation.** Note the fiber amount, but do not subtract it from the sugar amount or assume it cancels sugar’s effect on glucose.
4. **Keep the trial’s numbers in context.** The 3 g of sugar and 6 g of fiber in the prebiotic soda, and 39 g of sugar in the traditional soda, refer to the drinks as tested. The trial does not specify their serving sizes, so these figures cannot compare standard product portions unless you match the amounts consumed.

 A prebiotic soda with less sugar may be an option to compare with traditional soda. The trial supports only the narrow conclusion that one tested prebiotic soda produced lower short-term glucose measures than one tested traditional soda. It does not establish a clinical benefit or show that fiber caused the difference.

 ## Frequently asked questions

 ### Does a lower iAUC mean glucose was lower at every point?

 No. iAUC summarizes the glucose rise across the measurement period, while a peak identifies the highest single reading. Neither measure describes every reading along the way, and a lower result compared with another drink does not establish the absolute response to either drink.

## References

1. [sciencedirect.com](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949824426003800)
2. [medrxiv.org](https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.18.25326077v2.full.pdf)