Beverages With Benefits: Do They Really Work?

“If I drink this stuff, will I turn into a beautiful supermodel?” reads an Instagram comment on a post from Kin Euphorics, a line of “mood boosting” beverages, co-founded by Bella Hadid.

Probably not, but Kin Euphorics makes some brazen claims about its products. Sparkling drinks in pretty cans will “conjure cosmic energy” and “welcome inner peace,” reads the company’s website. Its beverages contain mushrooms, amino acids and nootropics, substances said to aid in cognitive function and creativity.

One flavor, Lightwave, purports to help “transcend stress” and “open a portal to peace” vis-à-vis reishi mushrooms and L-theanine, an amino acid. Another, Kin Spritz, is said to elevate serotonin and reduce stress “so you can let loose,” according to a Kin Euphorics spokeswoman.

“We’re saying, ‘Nurture your mind, allow a moment of reprieve,’” said Jen Batchelor, the Kin co-founder and chief executive. “We’re speaking more to how to achieve this sense of bliss and beauty rather than being very prescriptive about it.”

Kin is part of a flourishing “functional beverage” category, often branded with gradient, pastel colors, 1970s nostalgia logos and no alcohol. Poppi, Ruby, Superfrau, Dune Glow Remedy, Droplet, Brighter, Evexia Kafe, Sunwink and De Soi, co-founded by Katy Perry, assert that their seltzers, juices and tonics can heal you from the inside out with prebiotics, mushrooms, apple cider vinegar, collagen, ginger, antioxidants, amino acids, nootropics and adaptogens, which is not an accepted scientific term, despite rampant use in the wellness and beverage industries. Some of these ingredients are longtime home remedies and supplements recommended by doctors; others, like adaptogens, are more dubious in their claims and may amount to little more than marketing.

In any case, the drinks are selling. What can they actually do for you?

Purported benefits include a balanced gut, a relaxed mind and brighter skin — similar to the promises supplements and topical skin-care products have always made. The caveat: these drinks are not regulated by the F.D.A. and none of the effects have been backed up by regulatory or trade commissions.