SINGAPORE:  Walk into any supermarket, and you will find a shelf full of functional drinks — selling at a premium, as much as 345 per cent more than a regular soft drink.

Yet, this new market is growing, fuelled by a shift towards wellness and an alcohol-free lifestyle. Consumers willingly pay more, sold on a promise that these beverages will fix their gut, perk them up, relieve stress or sharpen their focus.

Talking Point host Steven Chia, who had not drunk them before, found that they could also be “really tasty” when he sampled a probiotic soda, one that smelt “nice … like lemonade”.

Do functional drinks work, though? Or are consumers just paying for the idea of better health?

Picking eight drinks in various categories, Talking Point had a nutritionist analyse their active ingredients to find out. Here are five things you should know before you hand over your money.

WATCH: Functional drinks — Are you paying for a placebo? (22:52)

1. WHAT EXACTLY IS A FUNCTIONAL DRINK?

A functional drink contains bioactive ingredients said to have beneficial effects on the human body.

One supermarket chain, Little Farms, began stocking these drinks only three years ago, generating about S$1 million in sales since then.

“We’ve got a wide range of different subcategories from around the world,” said its commercial director, Tom Gray. “We’ve got functional drinks to address … a range of different issues.”

Talking Point investigated four categories: gut health, stress relief, mental clarity and caffeine-free energy.

Each category relies on specific active ingredients, such as probiotics for gut health, ashwagandha and L-theanine to relieve stress, yerba mate to support mental clarity and paraxanthine to boost energy.

The science is only part of the appeal of functional drinks; the rest is cultural. “You’ve got customers who don’t want to drink (alcohol) sometimes, but they want a tasty beverage with their food,” said Gray.

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