Let’s be honest: most “healthy” drinks still feel like chores disguised in cans. You buy them, wait for something miraculous to happen, then forget they exist somewhere behind the squash bottles.
So when two new canned drinks landed on my desk — one promising gut support and the other a grown-up sparkling tea — I wasn’t expecting much. Then I drank them.
One even worked fine with breakfast, which in theory shouldn’t make sense… but totally did. Welcome to a quieter kind of wellness — where taste comes first, benefits come second, and neither feels like an apology.
A.Vogel Molkosan Gut Health Sparkling
The fizzy gut support drink that doesn’t taste like medicine
At first glance, the name Molkosan Gut Health Sparkling from A.Vogel looks like classic supplement territory: fermented whey, friendly bacteria, L(+) lactic acid and postbiotics. Read the website and you get all the science-y stuff about supporting digestion and balancing gut pH.
But here’s the twist: the drink itself doesn’t taste like a lab experiment.
Instead, it’s light, gently tart and softly fruity — thanks to aronia berry and pomegranate juice — and refreshing rather than heavy. Sweetness comes from stevia, so calories stay low. It’s gluten-free, lactose-free and vegetarian, ticking all the sensible boxes without tasting overly “healthy.”
On the science side, there’s real research showing that probiotic and postbiotic organisms (like the lactic acid in this drink) can help support the gut microbiome — a community of bacteria linked not just to digestion but to immune health, metabolic function and even mood. Probiotics can compete with undesirable microbes, aid nutrient absorption, and encourage a more balanced gut environment. (For a deeper dive, check a review like this one from the National Institutes of Health.)
But none of that feels forced when you’re drinking it. In fact, having a fizz like this first thing in the morning works — something I didn’t expect until it happened. It’s closer to a subtle spritz than a remedy.
It costs £8.99 for four 250ml cans, so it isn’t really cheap, but if you compare with other health treaments and the benefits are tangible then its good value for money.
Twinings Revive Sparkling Tea
The iced tea upgrade you didn’t know you needed
Tea in the UK isn’t just a drink — it’s practically infrastructure. Brits drink over 100 million cups of tea daily, which adds up to an estimated 36 billion cups a year (Tea Advisory Panel figures). That’s a lot of comfort in a mug.
So when Twinings Revive Sparkling Tea arrived, it had big tradition to live up to — and it did.
This one blends Chinese green tea with peach, apple juice and elderflower into something that feels clean, light and naturally refreshing. Sparkling water gives it lift, and there’s no added sugar, artificial colours or sweeteners. Added magnesium, niacin and vitamin C give a gentle wellness boost — nothing dramatic, just a subtle background benefit that doesn’t shout louder than the flavour.
What’s great about this drink is its flow-state friendliness:
- not so caffeinated you bounce off walls
- not so flat you feel like you’re drinking flavoured water
It’s the flavour version of “I’ll have one of those,” without any side-eye from your tastebuds. At £1.90 a can, it sits comfortably alongside mainstream soft drinks in convenience and price — perfect for the afternoon lull between lunch and your next coffee.
What both drinks prove
Here’s the common theme: wellness drinks don’t have to behave like wellness drinks anymore. For years, the category felt like a compromise — something you ought to like for health reasons. But the better ones are flipping that idea on its head: make something you’d choose because it tastes good first, and the benefits follow.
A fizzy gut-health drink that doesn’t feel medicinal. A sparkling tea that doesn’t taste like sugar water. Both hang out comfortably in the fridge next to the other drinks you actually enjoy.
And that, more than any probiotic claim or vitamin boost, might be the most meaningful shift happening in beverages right now.
For more info visit www.twinings.co.uk and www.avogel.co.uk