drink

The 0 billion functional drink boom is turning into a wellness arms race

Walk into a grocery store or scroll TikTok, and it’s increasingly hard to find a beverage that’s just a beverage. Instead, cans and powders promise everything from better sleep to sharper thinking to improved digestion, often all at once. Loading audio narration… The global functional beverage market was worth about…

I can’t drink alcohol, but my husband can. It sparked a business idea.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Natalie Chiu, 36, the cofounder of Saicho. Her words have been edited for length and clarity.I’ve always liked going out for good food, but when wine pairings were involved, I felt second-class because of my alcohol intolerance.I would order juice or…