Gut health, mental clarity, radiant skin, better sleep. These days, the drinks fridge is starting to look more like the supplement aisle. From brain-boosting tonics to sodas that claim to soothe your digestion, so-called functional drinks are everywhere – and Kiwis are lapping them up.
But what makes a drink functional, and do they actually do anything? According to the New Zealand Food Standards Code, unless a brand has jumped through some fairly complex regulatory hoops, it can’t make health claims outright. But that hasn’t stopped a surge of beverages designed with specific wellness aims in mind.
Some, such as Auckland-based Good Sh*t, focus on gut health. Others, like Ārepa, target mental performance. And then there are brands such as No Ugly and Kombucha Bros, which take a broader lifestyle approach to looking and feeling better. For consumers, the line between health product and soft drink has never been blurrier.
Smart soda for your second brain
“It’s soda, but smarter and genuinely good for your insides,” says Rebecca Caughey, co-founder of Good Sh*t, billed as the world’s first synbiotic soda. It combines prebiotics and probiotics in a single can – a fizzy delivery system for gut support.
Each can contains 1 billion CFUs (colony-forming units) of live probiotics, plus 39% of your daily fibre intake in the form of prebiotics from natural plant sources. The result, Caughey says, is a “fizzy little love bomb for your gut” that can help with digestion, reduce bloating and support everything from immunity to sleep.
“The gut doesn’t just run your digestion – it’s connected to everything: your mood, sleep, immunity, energy and even how your brain works,” she says. “So when your gut’s in a good place, the rest of you follows. It’s like a party for your gut microbiome and everyone’s invited.”
Unlike many probiotic drinks, the strains used in Good Sh*t are shelf-stable and remain active throughout the product’s lifespan. “Doesn’t matter if you drink it on day one or month nine – you’re still getting the full gut-loving benefits,” says Caughey.
Flavour wasn’t an afterthought, either. “Fibre and probiotics don’t always play nice with flavour, but we refused to compromise,” she says. Good Sh*t comes in bold, nostalgic profiles such as Cola, Tropical and Ginger. “The kind of drink you actually look forward to, not just ‘put up with’ because it’s good for you.”
Brain food in a bottle
If Good Sh*t is a gut health party, then Ārepa is the beverage equivalent of a mental training session. The blackcurrant-based drink, created in 2017, is designed to support cognitive performance through clinically studied ingredients rather than caffeine or sugar.
“Our mission and reason for existence is to make brains work better through nutrition,” says co-founder Angus Brown. With a background in neuroscience and a suite of published human clinical studies, Ārepa positions itself as a research-backed alternative to energy drinks.
“We can’t talk about the time points in the studies that found those effects or share consumer testimonies under the food code,” Brown says. “But we have five double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical studies on this formula.”
Though effects differ depending on the individual, some people report feeling the difference within 10 to 20 minutes, with benefits lasting up to four hours.
Brown says taste was initially a challenge, but the brand has since expanded to include products like a ginger beer that “tastes amazing” while still delivering the brand’s neuroscience-based formulations. A new wave of drinks is on the way, along with supplements and an ambitious commercial goal: to become a billion-dollar exporter of New Zealand-developed brain health products.
Lifestyle tonics with attitude
While Good Sh*t and Ārepa are targeted at gut and brain health respectively, other functional brands aim for a broader wellness profile. Auckland-based No Ugly, for example, produces drinks with names like No Ugly Sleep, No Ugly Skin and No Ugly Focus – each formulated with specific ingredients for their respective benefits.
According to the brand’s website, its Sleep tonic includes magnesium, tart cherry and passionflower to help promote rest and recovery, while the Skin blend uses marine collagen, vitamin C and zinc. The brand uses the tagline “restore your balance” and positions itself as an antidote to modern life’s visible and invisible stresses.
Another local name in the mix is Kombucha Bros, a New Zealand brand known for its commitment to traditionally fermented kombucha using only whole-food ingredients. According to the company, its drinks are made with 100% real fruit, without sweeteners or artificial additives, and brewed through slow fermentation. The result is a probiotic-rich drink packed with organic acids to support digestive health and overall wellbeing. Flavours range from slow-pressed ginger with sencha green tea to yuzu blueberry with marine collagen, all with minimal sugar – around 3g per 330ml bottle.
Are they actually good for you?
While interest in functional beverages is booming, experts caution that these drinks aren’t miracle cures. Clinical studies vary in quality and quantity, and even the best formulations are unlikely to replace a balanced diet or medical care.
Still, for consumers seeking alternatives to sugar-laden soft drinks or caffeine-heavy energy beverages, they may offer a smarter choice. And for the brands behind them, functionality is only part of the appeal. “We’re functional and fun because gut health shouldn’t be boring or clinical,” says Caughey. “It should taste good, feel good and look good in your hand.”
Herald contributor Nikki Birrell has worked in food and travel publishing for nearly 20 years. From managing your kitchen to cutting costs, she’s shared some helpful advice recently, including how to prep your barbecue for summer grilling, gourmet hacks for elevating budget ingredients and what toppings to choose for different crackers.