For over 2,000 years, humans have consumed kombucha for its health benefits. This fermented tea is made with a tea fungus known as the symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), although many commercial versions add sweeteners or fruit juice to improve its taste.
Additionally, kombucha contains probiotics known to boost gut health, mental health, liver health, and reduce the risk of infection. However, dietitian Evangeline Mantzioris said that more research is needed to confirm these health benefits as most studies are conducted in a laboratory setting using cells.
Below are the amazing health benefits that anyone can get from drinking kombucha:
1. Good for gut health
According to some studies, kombucha contains probiotics like other fermented foods that help improve a person's overall gut health. Probiotics could help maintain a healthy community of microorganisms within the body.
Moreover, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health said that probiotics are known to help with diarrhea, inflammatory bowel movements, and irritable bowel syndromes. But these benefits are mostly related to probiotics and not on food or beverages that contain probiotics.
Although the association between probiotics and kombucha may otherwise suggest that the fermented tea may support the gut.
2. Promotes mental health
Medical News Today reported that kombucha could also help people have positive mental health because a 2017 review suggests a positive association between probiotics and depression. Besides, depression has a strong link with inflammatory, in which the anti-inflammatory properties of kombucha can help relieve it, therefore also targeting depression.
Although some research shows the positive effect of probiotics on depression, more studies are needed to know if drinking kombucha can help boost mood and improve the symptoms of depression.
Read Also: Probiotics Could Help Ease Depression, New Study Suggests
3. Reduce levels of cholesterol linked to heart disease
According to a study in 2015, kombucha could help reduce cholesterol levels that are often associated with heart disorders in rats. Another research also suggests that probiotics could help reduce the risks of developing heart disease.
However, it is essential to consider that the rats do not necessarily reflect their effects on humans. Like any of its benefits, more research is needed to test if kombucha could reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disorders among humans.
4. Promotes liver health
According to Healthline, kombucha contains antioxidants that are good for the liver. Antioxidants are substances that fight free radicals and reactive molecules that are harmful to the body.
Rat studies have shown promising results of regularly drinking kombucha, which reduced the liver's toxicity levels, with some cases reaching 70%. Although no human tests were conducted yet, it is an interesting area to study treating people with liver disease.
5. Helpful in Type 2 diabetes management
According to some research in 2012, drinking kombucha can help manage type 2 diabetes as it is effective in reducing blood sugar levels in rats. There is no research yet done in humans to prove that it has a similar effect as with the rats.
Moreover, some commercialized kombucha tea drinks are added with sugar or honey to improve their taste. In that sense, it could still add to the blood sugar levels of whoever drinks it. Drinking sweetened beverages like soda or kombucha can worsen blood sugar control in diabetic people.
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