After a decade of gut-health hype, consumers are quietly abandoning fizzy fermented drinks. Why? Taste fatigue and sugar content. New research shows many store-bought kombuchas contain as much sugar as soda. The backlash has birthed a counter-trend: “raw simplicity.” People are switching to plain kefir, homemade pickles, or simply eating more fiber-rich vegetables. Fermentation isn’t dead, but the performative wellness aspect is. The new mantra: ferment because you love the flavor, not because an influencer told you it heals your microbiome.