This article about GoodBelly Probiotics contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
News Flash: There’s sugar in GoodBelly Probiotic beverages. In fact, these probiotic drinks are loaded with gut-inflaming sugar.
I looked at the nutrition label of GoodBelly Probiotics and got sick thinking about it. People are drinking this stuff, thinking it’s a healthy beverage, but indeed it is not.
Yet, the drinks are is being marketed as health food, with healthy names such as “Blueberry Acai” and “Tropical Green.” Even the tagline on its website insinuates it’s a health food: “The tasty way to set your health in motion.”
Let me assure you, though, this drink is far from healthy because there’s a lot of sugar in Goodbelly probiotics.
Why Is Sugar Bad for the Belly?
Probiotics contain good bacteria that repopulate the gut with good bacteria. This helps to restore the bacteria balance in the gut and relieve painful and embarrassing GI symptoms such as bloating, gas, constipation, and more.
However, that icky yeast and bacteria in your belly actually feed on sugar. This means excess sugar will make the bad bacteria proliferate and make you feel worse. In other words, sugar is fanning the flames of yeast and indigestion!
If someone is drinking GoodBelly probiotic drinks to achieve better gut health, they may not realize they could be making their gut issues worse.
Even though the sugars in GoodBelly are “natural sugars from fruit juices,” and GoodBelly says on its website that sugar is important to “keeping the probiotics stable”, it’s still sugar and that’s bad news for your gut and your overall health.
Here’s more about the role of sugar in Goodbelly drinks (I took this screenshot from the Goodbelly website).
Here’s how GoodBelly probiotics stack up in the sugar lane:
- Tropical Orange: 26 grams of sugar
- Cranberry Watermelon: 26 grams of sugar
- Coconut Water: 13 grams of sugar
- Mango: 22 grams of sugar
- Blueberry Acai: 24 grams of sugar
- Pomegranate Blueberry: 22 grams of sugar
- Tropical Green: 20 grams of sugar
Did you know that the Tropical Orange GoodBelly flavor contains 26 grams of sugar per 8 oz? In contrast, a glass of Coke contains 24 grams of sugar per 8 oz. Looks like GoodBelly is on par with Coke.
The Blueberry Acai GoodBelly contains 24 grams of sugar per 8 oz, and a donut contains 11 grams of sugar. This means you could eat two donuts instead of a glass of GoodBelly.
The main difference, however, is that Coke and donuts aren’t marketed as health foods, while GoodBelly is. At least when you drink a Coke or down a donut, you know you’re not consuming what you think is a healthy beverage.
Is GoodBelly Gluten-Free?
I’m so fired up about the sugar load inside GoodBelly probiotic drinks that I almost forgot to share that most GoodBelly drinks are NOT gluten-free because some contain oat flour, and others contain barley malt. Remember, products containing oats are only gluten-free if the company uses gluten-free oats and labels their product “gluten-free.”
That said, some GoodBelly varieties are gluten-free (look for the green caps), including Tropical Orange and Cultured Probiotic Coconut Water.
The Bottom Line on GoodBelly
Instead of drinking this sugary beverage that will make you fat and feed the bad bacteria in your gut, opt for a probiotic supplement and down the supplement with an 8 oz glass of fresh H2O.
If you want something sweet to drink that is full of beneficial bacteria without all the sugar, try kombucha. I’ll show you how to make your own kombucha too.