- Fruit concentrates
- Wine
- Soft drinks
- Syrups
- Ketchup
- Pickles
- Salad dressing
For the uninitiated, kombucha is a fizzy fermented tea with many health benefits, to include being:
- full of gut-loving probiotics
- a lower sugar alternative to soda
- a good source of antioxidants
- hydrating
People drink kombucha tea for it’s claimed health benefits, including digestion, inflammation, and a reduced risk of cancer. However, additional research is needed to support its role in these health benefits. One cup (8 ounces) of regular kombucha contains: Kombucha tea contains many B vitamins, including:
Why you Should Drink Kombucha
- Composition. Kombucha has actually been around for dozens of years.
- Alkaline. Do you know what alkalinity is?
- Immunity. Aside from the alkalinity that kombucha delivers, it is also high in antioxidants.
- Gut Health. Probiotics are often associated with yogurt.
- Detox.
- Workout Performance.
- Bottom Line.
What is kombucha made of?
Kombucha is made by adding a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) to sweetened green or black tea, before leaving it to ferment at room temperature. The result is a probiotic drink that’s sour and mildly fizzy. People drink kombucha tea for it’s claimed health benefits, including digestion, inflammation, and a reduced risk of cancer.
It might seem like a new craze, but kombucha has a much longer history. The beverage originated in China in 220 BC, eventually reaching Germany, Russia, and the rest of the world. Kombucha is made by adding a symbiotic colony …
Nutrition Information. One cup (8 ounces) of regular kombucha contains: Kombucha tea contains many B vitamins, including: Thiamine is necessary for supporting basic cell function and turning food into energy. Riboflavin plays a role in the growth, development, and function of cells in the body.
Further research with human participants may help us to fully understand the benefits that kombucha may provide people with liver disease. Continued. Antimicrobial Properties. One of the byproducts of kombucha fermentation is acetic acid, which is also present in vinegar.
If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you may want to avoid the tea, or at least talk with your doctor before drinking it. Brewing kombucha at home comes with some risks. For instance, it may over-ferment. Contamination can also be an issue because home environments typically are not sterile.
Many kombucha drinks have a lot of added sugar, which helps to make them taste better. Too much sugar, however, can cause problems for people with diabetes. Added sugars may also increase diabetes, obesity, fatty liver, and heart disease risks. Kombucha tea is an acidic beverage, which can pose problems for your teeth.
The exact benefits of these properties are still unclear.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Kombucha?
For starters, kombucha has probiotic effects when it comes to your gut health. And the World Health Organization clarifies that probiotics are “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.” 2 The World Health Organization maintains that good bacteria (or probiotics) offer significant health benefits for your gut health and your body.
That’s because the sugar will become gluconic acid during fermentation. You’ve got to have some sugar to allow the SCOBY to work.
The most effective way to maintain your probiotic levels is to take a probiotic supplement or consume probiotic and fermented foods. There is an array of helpful (natural) probiotic foods starting with yogurt, kimchi, or sauerkraut. And you can absolutely add kombucha to that list.
But long does the fermentation process for kombucha take? Well, it varies. Most kombuchas are fully fermented within 7 to 31 days.
As you may know, your gut contains billions of good bacteria. These bacteria work to ensure your gut stays balanced and helps to keep you healthy. But how?
The recipe for the drink is pretty simple: To make kombucha all you really need is tea, a SCOBY, sugar, and a starter (which is basically just an already finished batch of kombucha).
They come from the tea that kombucha is made from. In fact, the polyphenol content in the tea you use to make kombucha grows during the fermentation process. 4. Your body can always put these antioxidants to work to help fight free radicals. Free radicals are tiny molecules that can actually damage your body’s cells.
Does kombucha cause acidity?
Although this is not common, there is a risk for it to happen. Acidity levels in your body might increase when consuming too much kombucha. This issue happens when there is too much lactic acid build up in the body. Generally, we experience this after completing a really strenuous workout. Experts explain that a temporary buildup of lactic acid can be caused by vigorous exercise if your body doesn’t have enough available oxygen to break down glucose in the blood. The main symptoms are nausea and weakness.
Therefore, the sugars in kombucha are easier to digest which is not always a great thing when drinking bottles of it in excess. This means the sugars in kombucha may cause insulin levels in your bloodstream to spike if you consume too much.