Kombucha is a term everyone should have at least heard about by now. Whether you have heard someone expressing their infatuation with kombucha or you’ve tried it yourself, it is starting to become a huge health-trend. But what is the source of this trend...and why are so many people making kombucha a regular part of their daily routine? The kombucha health benefits extend from your gut to - you guessed it - your skin.
It lines the shelves of convenience stores and Target’s drink fridge and can even be made in your own basement (so cool, right?). But this recent health craze is anything BUT new. Kombucha originated in 220 B.C. in northeast China where it was believed that this tea had healing powers leading to health and longevity. Kombucha’s health benefits have been turning heads for centuries.
Kombucha is a fermented drink made with tea, sugar, and a culture, which is basically made up of bacteria and yeast. This culture is referred to as the “SCOBY” which stands for Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast. By combining this tea and sugar and letting it ferment over a period of time, it creates kombucha! The process can take as little as a week or up to a month to ferment and become the ideal flavor. The resulting liquid contains vinegar, B vitamins and a number of other chemical compounds.
This fermented drink is becoming ever so popular not only for its acquired taste, but also mainly because of its list of benefits. From containing probiotics to helping the digestive system, kombucha is not slacking on its health benefits. Some main advantages of drinking kombucha are:
The list goes on for the benefits of kombucha and most are linked to scientific data. Let’s explore some health claims deeper and connect why people are linking it to a plethora of health benefits.
The bacteria and yeast that create the SCOBY, a living symbiotic colony, contains multiple species of lactic acid and B vitamins. These lactic acid and B vitamins have potential probiotic function if parts of the SCOBY are left in the final product. Some companies removed all yeast and bacteria before bottling, which lessens the potential of intaking those probiotics that come with the SCOBY.
(P.S. it's pronounced "scoh-bee" not "scoo-bee")
Kombucha is most commonly made with black, white, green, and oolong teas. When it is made with green tea, the benefits of that green tea are added to kombucha's benefits. Green tea contains bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, that act as antioxidants for the body. Antioxidants mainly help protect your cells from damage and free radicals, which play a huge role in cancer, heart disease, and other serious conditions.
One of the main products formed during the fermentation of kombucha is called acetic acid. Acetic acid is an acid abundant in vinegar and can kill or attack harmful microorganisms in the body. Additionally, kombucha made with either black or green tea contains lots of antibacterial properties that lessen the growth of bad bacterias. This can increase your immune system and benefit your overall health.
Green tea contains epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a chemical compound also called catechin. EGCG can be found in kombucha if it is made with green tea and can help increase one’s metabolism. According to a scientific journal from 2017 in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, catechins are likely to help in boosting metabolic rates in adults.
Reduced inflammation can be linked to kombucha due to the teas used to make kombucha that contain polyphenols. Polyphenols are antioxidants that decrease inflammation in the body which can in turn help with decreasing chances of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, allergies, and more.
Founder of his own kombucha company called Brew Dr. Kombucha, Matt Thomas, claims that drinking kombucha can help your skin look fresh, healthy, and younger-looking. Multiple people would ask what his skin secrets were and that he appeared to be in his 20s when in reality he was almost 40! Thomas would reveal his secret was drinking lots of kombucha!
This theory is not just in Thomas' head. The NYU Langone Medical Center has found that frequent kombucha drinkers believe strongly in the tea's beauty-enhancing elements. Furthermore, another kombucha retailer claimed that kombucha can detoxify, hydrate, and create better skin elasticity. They also believe that kombucha can help with fine lines and wrinkles because of the probiotics within the SCOBY. By keeping one’s gut healthy, it directly relates to one’s skin health and getting toxins out of the body.
Read more about a huge technique for gut health here.
Kombucha, with its vinegar-like flavor and controversial taste, is more than just a health trend. This fermented beverage is turning the heads of many health-conscious people who are looking to solve inner and external issues in a more holistic manner. People are starting to ditch the medication and find the source internally with trial and error of natural modalities.
Still unsure if the holistic route is right for you? If so, read this blog post to find out.
Kombucha is proving to be way more than a fad. With it tracing back to ancient Chinese beauty and longevity secrets in 220 B.C., all the way up to now, it is clearly a trend that will continue in the years to come.
If you are having digestive issues, skin issues, are feeling deprived of antioxidants or probiotics, or are generally looking for an easy way to improve overall health, it is most definitely worth giving kombucha a shot.
Written by Bella Knuth
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