If you've ever turned around a can of OLIPOP, you may have noticed an unfamiliar phrase on the ingredients panel, OLISmart, and thought to yourself, "What the heck is OLISmart?" Well, you've landed in the right place to find out! This unique blend of ingredients is what sets OLIPOP apart from other sodas, so let's dive into what OLISmart means, what's in it, and why we use it.

What Is OLIPOP?

Gone are the days when you had to gulp down over 40 grams of sugar if you wanted a can of cola. With OLIPOP, you can enjoy the crisp, satisfying taste of the soda you grew up sipping, but with a fraction of the sugar, and the added benefits of microbiome and digestive health support.

It may sound like magic (soda that's actually good for you?!), but this sorcery is actually science. OLIPOP is the result of years of working alongside leading human gut microbiome researchers to find ingredients backed by science that fuel your microbiomes and support digestive health.

And that's where OLISmart comes in. OLISmart is our proprietary blend of 7 unique botanicals, plant fibers, and prebiotics (the primo food source for beneficial bacteria), each hand-picked for their distinct biome-supporting benefits.

What Is OLISmart?

Think of OLISmart as our (not-so) secret sauce. Our OLISmart blend uses multiple sources of fiber, prebiotics, and botanicals to increase nutritional diversity and feed a broad spectrum of beneficial gut bacteria with every sip.

OLISmart is made up of three sources of prebiotic fibers:

• Chicory root inulin
• Cassava root fiber
• Jerusalem artichoke inulin

As well as four botanicals:

• Marshmallow root extract
• Calendula flower extract
• Kudzu root extract
• Nopal cactus extract

Why Are We Adding Fiber & Prebiotics to Soda?

Our diets are out of whack, and it's messing up our microbiomes. The average American consumes 10 times more sugar than we did 100 years ago, but 10 times less fiber than our hunter-gatherer ancestors. This massive shift in our diet—little fiber and a lot of refined sugars—is basically wiping out species of bacteria that call your gut microbiome home.

The gut microbiome is a collection of microorganisms, including living bacteria, that is located in your digestive system. This community of microbes directly impacts your health, from supporting mood and cognitive function to regulating your body's immune response, metabolism, and digestive health. Beneficial bacteria in your gut need food to survive (just like us), and their meal of choice is prebiotic fiber. The only way they can get that fiber is from you eating it (or drinking it!). So when you eat too much sugar and not enough fiber, your helpful bacteria go hungry and they can't do their jobs of supporting your overall health.

One of the factors behind the lack of fiber in our diets nowadays is the limited availability of high-fiber foods in contrast to refined foods. But an easy solution to alleviate this fiber shortage is by drinking OLIPOP, which has 9 grams of fiber per can.

OLISmart: Prebiotic Fibers

OLIPOP wants to help you increase your fiber intake, which is why we included three types of prebiotic fibers in OLISmart: chicory root inulin, cassava root fiber, and Jerusalem artichoke inulin. These well-researched ingredients can help feed your beneficial gut bacteria so these microbes can support your microbiome and digestive health.

Sure, we could have used just one prebiotic fiber in OLISmart, but the reason we use three is because different bacterial species in your gut like different foods, so OLISmart aims to feed a diverse population of microbes with these different prebiotics.

Chicory Root Inulin

A part of the dandelion family, chicory root is one of the oldest cultivated vegetables in human history, dating back to 300 BC, as well as one of the most well-researched sources of a type of prebiotic fiber called inulin.

Cassava Root Fiber

If you've seen cassava flour in your local grocery store, you've heard of this ingredient, but if you haven't: Cassava root is a starchy tuber—similar to a potato—with a slightly nutty, earthy taste. OLISmart uses cassava root fiber because it’s a good source of resistant dextrin—a type of prebiotic fiber that feeds your beneficial gut bacteria.

Jerusalem Artichoke Inulin

It's not the artichoke you're thinking of! Also called sunchoke, Jerusalem artichoke is a knobby tuber that is the root of a variety of sunflowers. The Jerusalem artichoke inulin that we use in OLISmart is another great source of soluble prebiotic fiber.

OLISmart: Botanicals

The four botanicals we use in OLISmart have been used medicinally for hundreds of years to soothe digestive issues, and they also add to OLIPOP’s nutrient diversity.

What's the importance of nutrient diversity, you ask? Well, the diversity of our diets plays one of the biggest roles in keeping our bodies happy and healthy, but right now we aren't getting enough variety in our diets. While our hunter-gatherer ancestors consumed hundreds of different plant foods, our modern diets only include a couple dozen types of food.

A diverse diet is important not only to consume different micronutrients required for optimal health but it also makes for a more resilient and healthy gut microbiome. One study of 11,300 people found that the factor most closely associated with a healthy gut microbiome was the diversity of plants in your diet. With a selected variety of four botanicals (plus those three prebiotic fibers we just talked about), OLISmart helps you take the first step to expand the diversity of your diet.

Marshmallow Root

Yes, it is related to that marshmallow! Traditionally, the confectionary was made using the nutritious, sticky extract that coats the marshmallow plant's roots. (Now, marshmallows are made with gelatin.) But that same sticky extract is used for more than just desserts. Marshmallow root, which is harvested from a flower that is commonly found in marshy areas, is used as an herbal remedy for its soothing mucilage—an antioxidant-rich, sap-like substance.

Calendula Flower

The petals of this golden Mediterranean flower are rich in beneficial plant compounds and antioxidants, such as lutein and beta-carotene, and are commonly used as an herbal remedy for their healing effects. Historically, calendula flower has been a go-to medicinal plant to reduce inflammation, heal wounds, and treat sore throats.

Kudzu Root

Kudzu is a vine native to Southeast Asia that has been harvested for its root. Kudzu root has been used in Chinese herbal medicine for over 2,000 years as a remedy for ailments, like stomach upset.

Nopal Cactus

Also known as prickly pear, this cactus contains soluble fibers, pectin, and mucilage, along with antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. Nopal cactus has been used as an herbal medicine to treat various ailments as it is thought to reduce inflammatory responses in the body. 

An OLISmart Choice: The Takeaway

There you have it, we’ve divulged our secret recipe. Use it wisely, and remember that like the Krabby Patty, OLISmart is made with love for you the drinker, which is the most essential ingredient of all. That special something, combined with our unique blend of prebiotic fiber and botanicals, are what make every sip of OLIPOP refreshing and delicious and great for your digestive health!