From Lab to Bottle: How Interior Multifunctional Beverages Became a Reality

You’ve likely heard the term “functional beverage,” as the functional beverage industry is rapidly growing. As chronic diseases rise in the U.S. and the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the past few years have seen many looking for health-supporting alternatives, such as functional foods for immune support. Functional beverages are a popular source for getting these benefits due to convenience and the ability to pack in nutrients and bioactive molecules, including vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, prebiotics, and probiotics.

While the idea of functional beverages is a good one, there are too many drinks on the market with vague claims and no scientific validation. There’s a real need for great tasting and scientifically validated functional beverages for people to proactively support their daily health needs and manage nutritionally avoidable chronic disease risks. 

At INTERIOR, the mission was to create a beverage that had the solid science behind it to offer authentic functionality and benefits to health-conscious consumers. INTERIOR beverages are created by a world-class scientific team driven by a shared passion for improving health and longevity. With more than 30 years of experience in chronic inflammatory and metabolic disease research, the INTERIOR expert team has seamlessly blended cutting-edge science with the power of nature to redefine multifunctional health beverages. Simply put, INTERIOR was created with the purpose of providing an next-generation, evidence-based multifunctional beverage that could empower consumers to proactively support their daily health and active healthy lifestyle. .

Recognizing the gap in the functional beverage market

There is a real need for tangible ways to nutritionally address the rise of chronic diseases in the  U.S. Chronic lifestyle diseases—including diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and heart disease—are the leading cause of death and disability in the country. These long-term illnesses are a major burden on the country—and on individuals—and it’s anticipated to get worse. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that chronic diseases are the driving factor behind the country’s $4.5 billion in annual healthcare costs. According to Frontiers in Public Health, the number of Americans 50 years and older is estimated to increase by 99.5% over the next 30 years: In 2020, there were 71 million individuals aged 50 years and older with at least one chronic disease and that number is estimated to be 142 million by 2050. 

For the INTERIOR team, these numbers were more than just statistics; they served as a call to action. Today's consumers face multiple health challenges, from stress and long-term inflammation to metabolic imbalances and weakened immune systems. While therapeutic advancements are continually improving, there is a growing need for more holistic alternative nutritional approaches. If people can improve their health outcomes through proactive health-promoting measures such as scientifically validated functional beverages, they can support healthier living and longevity.

Many chronic illnesses are nutritionally preventable since many are caused by risk factors such as poor nutrition and lack of physical activity. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity are all conditions that are preventable—before they lead to more serious, long-term conditions. In fact, research shows that lifestyle behavior change and nonmedical factors that influence health are critical to addressing the rising rates of chronic diseases.

While the rise of functional beverages should provide more healthy alternatives, at INTERIOR, we saw that there was a glaring gap in the market. Existing beverages lacked the comprehensive wellness benefits needed to tackle wellness issues effectively. The market is saturated with sugary, one-dimensional drinks that prioritize taste over functionality and offer little to no proven health benefits; despite being labeled “functional,” they lack meaningful, science-backed wellness benefits.

This realization set the stage for a bold mission: to create multifunctional beverages that tasted great and offered clinically validated wellness benefits to help minimize the risk of chronic diseases and improve daily wellness.

Creating INTERIOR beverages

INTERIOR plant-based beverages were developed by leading health scientists as a precision nutrition solution to address daily health concerns and a real alternative to what is currently on the market. In a market flooded with vague claims and new products chasing after trends, we wanted to create beverages that had superior taste with scientifically validated health benefits. INTERIOR beverages are distinctively multifunctional and provide a range of wellness benefits.   

The INTERIOR Research Team includes seasoned biomedical researchers and innovators with experience in pioneering the understanding of bioactive compounds and their physiological effects, exploring the connection between diet, and chronic health conditions, ensuring that every product delivers its benefits through rigorous human studies. This multidisciplinary expertise means INTERIOR beverages are not only innovative but also backed by robust scientific validation.

To start, the INTERIOR Research Team looked at two root causes of chronic diseases: inflammation and metabolic imbalance. Our research identified phytonutrients, natural compounds found in fruits and vegetables, that had the most significant health-supporting potential. There are more than 25,000 phytonutrients—which are also known as phytochemicals—but common ones include carotenoids, flavonoids, and anthocyanoids. When combined, most phytonutrients work better to promote wellness, meaning a daily diet with balanced natural phytonutrients can lead to improved health benefits.

Backed by our parent organization, Gut Leben Inc., the INTERIOR Research Team identified and formulated unique and ideal plant-based multifunctional bioactive ingredients to create the two proprietary bioactive complexes: Superfruit/Veggie Phytoblend™, which combats oxidative stress and supports a healthy inflammatory response, and Antioxidant/Immune Support Complex™, which boosts the body’s immune defense. Each ingredient was chosen for its unique health-supporting properties and synergistic effects when combined with other phytonutrients.

While scientific innovation is important, beverages had to be tasty. The team worked tirelessly to craft scientifically validated proprietary blends that are flavorful, naturally sweetened and free from any artificial flavors or additives. The result is a line of seven clean-label, vegan, gluten-free, and GMO-free beverages that appeal to a wide range of dietary and taste preferences.

All seven flavors of INTERIOR beverages—Carrot, Mango, Pomegranate, Blueberry, Cilantro, Tomato, and Beetroot—contain a unique synergistic combination of natural antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, full-spectrum phytonutrients, and proprietary bioactive complex, all offering science-backed multifunctional benefits for addressing the risk of chronic conditions and supporting daily wellness. 

INTERIOR products have been rigorously validated for their functionality in human clinical trials. The results showed:

1. Improved metabolic markers such as blood sugar and lipid levels
2. Healthy l chronic inflammatory response. Enhanced gut microbiome diversity and beneficial bacteria for better body-wide health
3. Healthy metabolism, body weight and support for longevity.

These trials ensure that Interior products deliver real, authentic multifunctionality and proven wellness benefits to customers.

Why INTERIOR multifunctional beverages matter

People no longer seek drinks that merely quench thirst or provide fleeting energy. Instead, they look for holistic, science-backed solutions to support their wellness goals and manage nutritionally avoidable chronic health risks.

 The popularity of health and wellness products has been growing in recent years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, and customer’s habits are changing as well. A 2024 report found that 43% of U.S. consumers now prioritize gut health as the most important health aspect to maintain a healthy  lifestyle. And with so many products tossing around claims, it can be hard to cut through the noise and choose products that truly make a difference in your health.  

Multifunctional beverages stand apart by combining multiple health benefits in a single beverage. Imagine a drink that not only hydrates but also supports gut health, boosts immunity, supports a healthy inflammatory response, and enhances metabolic function—all naturally.

The journey from lab to bottle wasn’t just about merely creating an innovative product, it was about transforming lives. Each beverage was designed to empower health-seeking customers to take control of their daily well-being. From improving energy and stamina to supporting heart and gut health, Interior’s multifunctional beverages meet the diverse needs of modern healthy lifestyles.

The development of our beverages is not only about addressing the risk of chronic diseases but also about reshaping the way people think about nutrition. We believe that food and drink can be more than sustenance; they can be healthy, restorative, and transformative. With ongoing research into phytonutrient multifunctionality and addressing chronic disease risks, we are continually exploring ways to innovate and expand INTERIOR product offerings. The goal is to make scientifically proven, multifunctional precision nutrition accessible to all and redefine what it means to live a good life.

By bridging the gap between nature and science, INTERIOR is on a mission to empower individuals to live longer, healthier, and more vibrant lives.