First coined in 1913, the often quoted idiom “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” reminds consumers to eat healthy and to think about their food and beverage choices.

After overindulging over the holidays, many consumers are hitting the reset button and striking a new chord when it comes to health and wellness.

Yet, Erin Costello, communications and events associate for Niles, Ill.-based Imbibe, points out that the idea of health and wellness differs from person to person even amid an ongoing 18-month-plus global pandemic, which brought immunity to the forefront of consumers’ minds.

“Demands are beginning to shift toward focusing on different parts of health. The idea of health and wellness … is driving market expansion especially in the NoLo (no and low alcohol beverages), but overall fortification has increased across all beverage categories,” Costello says. “Energy, immunity, and gut health picked up over other functions.

“Poppi’s sparkling prebiotic soda contains apple cider vinegar, and claims to support gut health and immunity, while also catering to the movement toward reduced sugar in our diets,” she continues. “This brand became wildly popular throughout the pandemic putting Poppi in the No. 1 spot in the functional soda category, based on four-week data from SPINS ending June 13, 2021.”