At a recent family gathering, I tried to talk my family and friends into drinking kombucha.  Again.  Ha!  I even made a separate batch that was flavored and sweetened with stevia!  But it wasn’t met with the enthusiasm I was hoping.  Sadly, it’s just not as exciting for everyone else as it is for me.  They say the flavor is “too vinegary.”  So I thought I’d post about all of the fantastic health benefits, hoping maybe I’d talk more of my people into giving it a try again.

I know it’s an acquired taste, but kombucha advocates claim several health benefits that I want to share.  These potential benefits are not necessary scientifically proven, but are tooted anecdotally among kombucha drinkers:

• It may promote general disease prevention and immune function by boosting antioxidants, which help to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, as well as detoxify the body (particularly via the liver).
• It is an excellent source of raw enzymes that help the body digest food and support digestive health.
• It may support a healthy gut with amino acids and probiotics, including lactobacillus and several other good gut bacterias that are necessary to restore and maintain a healthy gut balance.
• It may potentially help to heal candida overgrowth by restoring balance to digestive and gastrointestinal systems through population of healthy bacteria and yeast.
• It may lower cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as support overall cardiovascular function, though research is still developing about exactly how kombucha does this.
• It may help to balance blood sugar and aid in carbohydrate digestion, therefore potentially mitigating some diabetes symptoms (with low-sugar kombucha only).
• The antioxidants in tea leaves (which increase during the fermentation process) may protect against the initiation, promotion, and progression of cancer.

(Source: The Food Journal)

Likewise, there are several really interesting compounds in kombucha that I’d like to draw attention to, confirmed by a 2017 review of the health benefits of kombucha:

• The polyphenols (nutrients found abundantly in whole foods) in the tea leaves provide us antioxidants to fight free radicals, as well as help our bodies detox.
• Kombucha is a great source of vitamins, especially the B vitamins, which are necessary for energy and overall mental well-being.  Also, the Vitamin C content increases with each day of fermentation!
• It’s a wonderful source of minerals like magnesium, iron, and zinc, which are needed for proper brain function.
• The DSL (D-saccharic acid-1,4-lactone) has detox and antioxidant properties, as well as inhibits beta-glucuronidase levels, which is important because high levels can make it more difficult for our livers to detox.
• The constant low levels of ethanol in kombucha may help to prevent heart disease.
• The acetic acid content (which is responsible for the vinegary flavor of kombucha) offers our bodies an alkaline effect, may potentially help with sleep, inhibits undesirable bacteria growth (important in the brew itself, but also in our bodies), and also reduces inflammation, lowers blood pressure, and keeps blood sugar balanced!
• The glucuronic acid present in kombucha is needed for liver detox and several other functions in the body, and it’s presence is also responsible for the increased antioxidant content.

Wow!

In my opinion, kombucha is a perfect ferment addition to a whole/traditional foods diet.  After reading that long list, I don’t know what would hold anyone back!  It’s great to drink after you’ve simply eaten too much SAD food because it contains lots of raw digestive enzymes to get things moving. I know this from personal experience, especially after I’ve overeaten at a restaurant. I love the experience of eating out, but, good grief, it’s hard to do it healthily! Kombucha has also helped me stave off indigestion if I catch it early.

My continuous brew can always be found on my counter at home.  If you’re ever in my home, don’t be surprised if I offer you a glass!  I constantly have a supply going. If you’re not local, I like Fermentaholics for all of my kombucha needs.  It’s really so easy to maintain once it’s started, and it’s very forgiving if you forget about it for a few weeks (or months)!