My guess is you’ve heard of a drink called kombucha or maybe you already drink it. If you’re wondering if kombucha is just a health fad read on and you can make your own decision. I really like the tea based drink and one of the places I frequent when I am blogging, Living Tea Brewing Co., brews their own kombucha and I love trying all their different varieties. http://Livingteabrewingco.com. Kombucha enthusiast claim a long list of health benefits from the drink and those things caused me to raise an eyebrow about a year ago. After researching it a bit, I started incorporating it into my lifestyle.
Kombucha is a sweet-sour fizzy drink made from fermented tea (green or black tea), yeast, sugar, and bacteria. The bacteria used is called a SCOBY which is a biofilm….and I will stop there because beyond that, I will refer you to the much smarter dieticians and experts who can better explain SCOBY’s. All humor aside, the types of bacteria present in kombucha are those known for probiotic functions. It is a drink that has been around over 2,000 years originating in China so it is hardly a new health beverage. It is easily available to purchase in most health food stores or markets and kombucha breweries have become more popular and easier to find.
In my experience of drinking kombucha, it has valid health benefits with the most obvious being gut health and digestion. Here is a sample list what kombucha advocates claim are some of the health benefits:
- The antioxidants and antimicrobial properties help the body detoxify. Think liver and kidney personal assistants. The antioxidants may help the body fight disease.
- It is rich in vitamin B and folic acid.
- Helps with digestion-contains probiotics or what is called the “good bacteria“.
- Boosts the immune system.
- There are people that have claimed it helps prevent hair loss, lose weight, ward off high blood pressure, heart disease but there isn’t a lot of scientific evidence to back this up.
I consume kombucha is in small amounts three to five days a week. By small amount, I mean I will drink about 4-6 ounces like I would do if I drank a juice shot. I drink it primarily for the probiotics and have found it reduces the bloated feeling I can get after eating meals. So for the digestion benefits alone, I love it! I pay close attention to gut health and like to do things that help optimize my body to absorb the nutrients of the foods I eat. Drinking kombucha is just another way I try to equip my body and digestion to function at its best. I learned to pay close attention to the amount of sugar in the kombucha drink because that amount can vary from brand to brand. I opt for the lower sugar content per serving. Kombucha is a nice alternative to drinking water and gives me the fizzy, carbonated effect I sometimes crave. I like to dress up the kombucha at home by putting it in a cute glass and garnish it with a lemon slice. If I’m on the go, then straight from the bottle does the job too!
Share below in comments your thoughts on kombucha or if you have found it to have any health benefits for you. I know many of us are always looking for natural ways to keep our bodies healthy and your input might help another person struggling with the same thing.
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Below I attached a link for more research data and scientific review on kombucha if you are interested to explore deeper.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19476337.2017.1410499