Article written and contributed by Mike O’Sullivan, Watsonia General Practice Dietitian.
Kombucha is a sweetened tea that is fermented by bacteria & yeasts. The yeast break down the sugar as well as the bacteria multiplies quite heavily in this environment when done under correct temperatures. Often there is natural fizz in kombucha as fermentation process continues or in many cases companies will carbonate it to add extra fizz before hitting the shelves.
Benefits:
It’s a good probiotics that may support your digestive system and will help those with IBS as well as helping to treat diarrhea. It may also help support the immune system
It may help with Mental health – some studies are showing links between kombucha consumption and positive mental health – this is likely due to the affect it has on improving our microbiome (ecology of bacteria in our gut)
Improved liver health – A number of studies have shown that the anti-oxidant rich kombucha can assist with promoting liver health and reducing inflammation of the liver also.
Reducing affect of LDL cholesterol – kombucha has been shown to help reduce some of the bad cholesterol in our system which in turn reduces risk of heart disease.
Type 2 diabetes improvements – frequent kombucha consumption has been found also to be affective in helping reduce blood sugars to normal levels for those with this condition
My thoughts are that the improved microbiome (gut bacteria) after consuming kombucha regularly is one key feature that is causing such a list of health improvements. We are still getting through a lot of research on the gut bacteria and how it interacts with us so this information is getting better. I also believe that the acetic acid in the kombucha is also have a really good anti-inflammatory affect too which is then helping with some of the chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
All-in-all – it’s a good thing to add to your diet
But I’m going to play devil’s advocate here…..
I believe homemade is best and there are kits online that can be got. I am sceptical of commercial kombucha that has sprung up on our shelves in our petrol stations and supermarkets. I believe the acetic acid contents as well as antioxidants in these products are quite good but I have my reservations on the how much bacterial content in them remains post-production and after their transportation to the stores. Example of this is certain species of good bacteria particular the acetic acid producing bugs multiply best at 25-30 degrees Celsius and may be better to leave at room temperature for storage. However, all these drinks are refrigerated.
If I had a lab I would love to test this but might be a good 4th year uni project for any students who study in the biosciences!
My tip is:
If you really want to use kombucha mainly for its probiotic affect – home brew of kombucha is best – store in the pantry and add ice if you want to drink cold.
If you want it mainly as a great soft drink alternative with added anti-inflammatory & antioxidants – then commercial kombucha is an excellent choice.
