Everything You Need to Know About Kombucha's Health Benefits

When you're seeking something effervescent and refreshing, kombucha is an obvious choice - but do the health benefits live up to the buzz?

If you love kombucha, whether you call it 'booch, bubbly tea, or mushroom tea, you're not alone. After all, the fermented carbonated beverage possesses This fermented beverage is not only acidic and bubbly, but it may also improve your health if you drink it regularly.

Kombucha 'booch, fizzy tea, mushroom tea, whatever you want to call it, has catapulted to retail stardom in recent years thanks to its sour taste, pleasant fizz, and alleged health benefits. While there's no doubting the drink can taste delectable, you might be wondering if it's truly deserving of all the attention and whether it's as healthy as everyone claims. Here's all you need to know about the fermented tea, including an answer to the age-old question, "Is kombucha genuinely beneficial for you?"

What Is Kombucha?

Despite its growing popularity in the United States in recent years, you may still be unfamiliar with kombucha. So, here's what we're going to do about it: Kombucha is a fermented tea drink that is often sweetened with fruit juice. According to the Penn State Extension, it's created with just a few ingredients: water, tea leaves, fruit juice or another sweetener, and a little something called SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast). SCOBY (short for "mother") is a yeast-and-bacteria mixture (that, to be honest, looks like a flesh-toned jellyfish) that is added to sweetened brewed tea and ferments it for up to a month.This process not only adds gut-friendly microbes to kombucha, but it also consumes a significant amount of the sugar, leaving a naturally carbonated, moderately sweet drink — unless you choose a flavored kombucha, for example. Finally, on that subject...

Kombucha Nutrition

The nutritional value of kombucha varies depending on the kind. Unflavored teas with no added sweeteners, for example, usually have less sugar than teas with berries or citrus juice. (According to Colorado State University's Food Source Information, the unflavored variety is also low in sodium and protein and free of fat and cholesterol.) The nutritional content of a drink might also vary depending on how it is made. While some sugar is required during the fermentation process, some manufacturers add sugar to the drink afterward, affecting variables like kombucha's calorie count. (See also: What Is Tepache, and Is It As Good As Kombucha?)

And what if your 'booch contains booze? This will have an impact on nutrition as well. While the fermentation process produces some alcohol by itself, the ABV can be increased by either adding more alcohol (as in hard kombucha) or extending the fermentation phase. However, according to CSU's Food Source Information, most consumer variants contain less than.5% ABV (and so are advertised as nonalcoholic beverages).

According to the US Department of Agriculture, 16 ounces (473 milliliters) of unflavored, unsweetened, nonalcoholic kombucha has the following nutritional profile:

• 52 calories
• 0 grams protein
• 0 grams fat
• 12 grams carbohydrates
• 12 grams sugars

• 0 grams added sugars

Caffeine is another nutrient that isn't often indicated on a label. Because kombucha is typically brewed with black or green tea, it does contain caffeine, albeit in small amounts. It can provide anything between 10 and 75 milligrams (a cup of coffee contains about 80-100 mg of caffeine, according to the Food and Drug Administration). (Related: Is There Such a Thing As Too Much Caffeine?)

Kombucha Health Benefits

Despite its celebrity status on store shelves, the health benefits of kombucha aren't as obvious as you may think. "There's no doubting that many people regard kombucha as a healthy beverage - a quick Google search yields dozens of articles touting its purported health advantages," says Ali Webster, Ph.D., R.D., director of Research and Nutrition Communications at the International Food Information Council. According to both Webster and the Mayo Clinic, while there has been some research on the possible benefits of kombucha, real medical studies on the drink's impact in human health are very scarce (if not nonexistent).

TL;DR — More human research is needed, so take the following possible benefits with a grain of salt (or perhaps a dab of SCOBY).

May Promote Gut Health

You're probably aware that probiotics are beneficial to your gut health, and kombucha is thought to be high in them. (The crucial term here is "believed," as further research is needed to confirm whether the bugs in 'booch are actually beneficial probiotics.)

When you eat fermented foods and drinks (like kombucha), you're effectively providing probiotics a fast track to your gut, where they can help maintain or promote the growth of healthy bacteria, which can help with digestion. However, improved bathroom habits aren't the sole advantage of a well-balanced microbiome. It has been linked to a variety of health benefits, including enhanced emotional well-being and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. "Probiotic bacteria are essential for a healthy gut and immune system," Webster explains. "However, depending on the brand and production process, the amount and diversity of these organisms in kombucha might vary greatly." (Related: A Gastroenterologist Explains How to Improve Your Gut Health – And Why It Matters)

May Ward Off Disease

Kombucha is essentially black or green tea, both of which are known for being A+ "sources of antioxidants, which may assist to lessen the risk of some chronic diseases," according to Webster. A quick recap: Free radicals (unstable molecules) are destroyed by antioxidants, which can lead to oxidative stress, which causes cell damage and increases the risk of chronic diseases like cancer. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, increasing your antioxidant intake (say, through kombucha) can help manage free radicals, protect cells from oxidative stress, and thereby avoid sickness.

In fact, long-term consumption of catechins (the antioxidants found in green tea) has been shown to lower the incidence of type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. Black tea, not to be outdone, has its fair share of disease-fighting antioxidants, which have been shown to help decrease blood sugar and uric acid levels (a waste product in your blood that, if not kept in check, can lead to issues such as kidney stones, according to the Cleveland Clinic.) That said, "despite a lot of observational evidence showing health benefits of drinking tea, it's been harder to pin down a beneficial effect of tea in randomized controlled trials," says Webster. (Related: The Benefits of Ginger Tea That Will Convince You to Brew a Pot)

May Reduce Risk of Heart Disease

While animal studies might not often translate to human results, it's feasible that kombucha can enhance not one, but two major heart disease markers. In a 2011 study on ducks, kombucha was found to lower LDL "bad" cholesterol while increasing HDL "good" cholesterol levels. Similar effects were seen in a 2015 study on rats, prompting the researchers to believe that the antioxidant content of kombucha is to blame.

It's also likely that kombucha's green tea contributes to the beverage's potential capacity to keep your ticker ticking. When free radicals interact with LDL cholesterol, they alter the physical and chemical properties of the "bad" cholesterol, a process known as LDL oxidation. This can lead to the development of cardiac problems like atherosclerosis (aka plaque buildup in the arteries). However, studies show that certain antioxidants, such as the catechins found in green tea (and thus kombucha), can help to inhibit LDL oxidation, which protects the heart.

All of this being said, it's critical to underline that further human study is required to really determine whether these possible benefits are real. (In the meanwhile, okra, which also contains these heart-healthy catechins, could provide similar benefits.)

Potential Risks of Kombucha

According to CSU's Food Source Information, negative consequences from drinking kombucha are "rare." But that's no reason to start downing bottles upon bottles of booze, especially since consuming too much of the beverage in one sitting can trigger lactic acidosis. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, lactic acidosis is defined as a build-up of too much lactic acid (which is found in kombucha) in the bloodstream, which can cause muscle cramps, nausea, and exhaustion, among other symptoms. "Even though lactic acidosis is unlikely to be a problem for healthy people," Webster writes, "it's recommended that kombucha consumption be limited to around a half-cup per day."

Kombucha is frequently unpasteurized. It is consequently at danger of carrying infections because it has not been heated to eliminate potentially harmful microorganisms. According to the Cleveland Clinic, pregnant women, young children, and those with impaired immune systems should avoid kombucha, especially if it is unpasteurized. (Those who are pregnant should avoid the drink because it contains a little amount of alcohol.) Otherwise, a bottle of store-bought raw 'booch should suffice. "The popular bottled kombucha brands seen in supermarkets aren't to be concerned about," says Webster. "They're made, handled, and kept in a sanitary and safe manner." (See also: What Is Cold-Pressed Juice, and Is It Good for You?)

Types of Kombucha

Raw

Do you believe that all drinks must be pasteurized in order to pass food safety tests? Surprise! The majority of kombuchas on the market are not pasteurized. This is because pasteurization kills the beneficial bacteria in kombucha, therefore undermining the point of drinking it in the first place. If you're looking for gut-friendly bacteria in your kombucha, go for a raw variation like GT's Synergy Trilogy Organic Raw Kombucha (Buy It, $4, target.com).

Pasteurized

While most prominent kombucha manufacturers serve their beverages raw, pasteurized kombucha is available, making it a good alternative for pregnant women or people with weakened immune systems. (ICYMI, unpasteurized beverages can be risky for those in these health groups since they can contain viruses that are potentially toxic.)

Alcoholic

The alcohol concentration of most hard kombuchas is comparable to beer, but it can go as high as a glass of wine at 5 to 11 percent. Despite its "hard" moniker, this hard tea is very easy to drink. If you don't care for the standard effervescent adult beverages, hard 'booch, like JuneShine's (Buy It, $66 for 24 bottles, juneshine.com), might be for you.

Homemade

So you want to start brewing kombucha in your basement? To you, more power! Making your own fermented tea is a pleasant hobby that gives you complete control over the outcome. Just keep in mind that, as Webster points out, food safety is a crucial concern when brewing your own kombucha. Simply simply, you should always follow a recipe's instructions to the letter.

Depending on the quantity of your batches, DIYing could cost you more money than buying it ready-made. However, if you don't mind investing some time and money (along with some trial and error), you'll want to start with a kombucha brewing kit. Try: The Kombucha Shop Kombucha Brewing Kit (Buy It, $45, walmart.com), which includes everything you'll need to produce a gallon of 'booch, including the culture and starter you'll need to make the SCOBY.

Whether you're seeking for a new reason to try kombucha or want to replace a soda or cocktail with the fizzy probiotic-rich beverage, the effervescent probiotic-rich beverage can be a surprisingly gratifying replacement.