Although consuming something that’s alive might sound like a challenge from NBC’s “Fear Factor” TV show, probiotic beverages introduce consumers’ digestive systems to beneficial live cultures in a more appetizing way.

Whether for new product launches or reformulations, natural zero-calorie sweeteners like stevia and erythritol are gaining ground in the beverage market, says Melanie Goulson, sweetness applications leader for Cargill, Minneapolis.

Games like Nintendo’s Brain Age and websites like lumosity.com can help users exercise their brains to keep them in tip-top shape while making cognitive training fun.

When it comes to the latest trends, “healthy” and “natural” continue to top the list of consumer needs and interests for beverages, according to respondents of Beverage Industry’s annual New Product Development Survey.

The existence of daily, weekly, monthly and even fashionable pill-organizing containers is enough to prove that taking multiple pills a day has become routine for many consumers.

Whether red, brown or blue, beverage colors play a large role in impacting consumers’ perceptions of a product.

Similar to how Popeye the Sailor Man consumed spinach to fuel his strength to save the day, many athletes turn to performance beverages to fuel their performance and help put them on the path to victory.

Although flavor-of-the-month programs often can be found in ice cream shops, alcohol beverages might be taking a cue from the channel.

In The Who’s 1965 rock song “My Generation,” the group sang about how older generations did not seem to understand its generation. Today, beverage research and development (R&D) experts are trying to change this notion by better understanding generational demographics for baby boomers, Generation Xers and millennials (also known as Generation Y) and formulating products that fit their nutritional and lifestyle needs.

In the United States, instant gratification has become commonplace thanks to technologies like smartphones and the Internet, but functional drinks also are making it a staple in the beverage industry.