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In contrast with last year’s indulgent flavor trends, beverages this year are shifting to reflect consumer interest in health and wellness.

When it comes to viral infections like the common cold or influenza, washing one’s hands is one of the most common forms of prevention recommended from institutions like Mayo Clinic or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In three years, nearly half of the U.S. population will be 50 years of age or older, and they will control 70 percent of disposable income in the country, according to a recent webinar titled “Aging well: How to win with the growing and lucrative segment of health-focused seniors,” hosted by Todd Hale, senior vice president of consumer and shopper insights for Nielsen, New York.

Americans seem to be busier than ever. The average work day is 8.6 hours, according to Rochester, N.Y.-based Harris Interactive, and 39 percent of Americans between the ages of 19 and 36 report that they do not have enough leisure time, according to Chicago-based Mintel.

In recent years, consumer concerns about sugar intake have created a macrotrend of healthier beverages. As a result, the beverage industry has seen natural sweeteners like stevia evolve and become more widely used.

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.