Kombucha Health Benefits
What Is Kombucha?
Kombucha tea (historically known as Manchuria) originated in Northeast China around 220 B.C. where it became known amongst local cultures as having medicinal purposes. Fast forward to the 90s in Europe and kombucha had made its way into the health foods market as a source of probiotics and aid to improving gut health. Raw kombucha was even suggested as a general immune booster among avid consumers and the fermented tea continued to grow in popularity.
What are the ingredients in Kombucha?
There are a few simple ingredients in most kombucha drinks; tea leaves, sugar and a culture, which is called a SCOBY and stands for Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast. The idea of drinking bacteria and yeast may not sound appealing, which leads to the question - what does kombucha taste like?
We liken the taste to a fizzy juice with a balance of tart and sweet, but we recommend experiencing some of the unique flavours for yourself. Considering the sparkling taste of kombucha, this fermented tea can make a great alternative to traditional fizzy drinks.
So is Kombucha sugar free?
Sugar is essential in kombucha tea recipes for the bacteria and yeasts to grow. Sugar is what the bacteria like to eat, so most of it is consumed during the fermentation process. The amount of sugar that remains in the finished drink just depends on how long it’s been fermented for: a longer fermentation time ensures the bacteria has more time to eat the sugar, which means less sugar in the resulting drink. The byproduct of this whole process is carbon dioxide - that’s where the kombucha drink fizz comes from.
What are kombucha benefits?
It’s what is in kombucha tea that makes this drink so unique. The cultures present within the tea, feed on the sugar, tannins, polyphenols and nitrogen and together they convert all of these things into vitamins, antioxidants, beneficial yeast and bacteria, which increases. kombucha health benefits.
What's in Kombucha Tea?
You’ve probably heard of antioxidants before, as they are present in many products to minimise ageing. A major benefit of organic kombucha is that it is a natural source of antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body against damage from free radicals, so consuming a diet rich in antioxidants helps to play an important role in keeping our bodies vibrant and healthy. Once again, we can thank the fermentation time needed to brew kombucha tea, as this increases the levels of antioxidants found inside the drink. Interested in other sources of antioxidants? We’ve got more Organic Antioxidant products here.Is kombucha a probiotic?
The good bacteria found inside kombucha tea is what makes this drink a source of probiotics. Probiotics help to maintain a healthy balanced gut, so kombucha probiotic helps to maintain digestive wellbeing and rebalancing your gut flora.
Other kombucha health facts is that it contains vitamins and minerals that are produced when the yeast breaks down the sugars. Modern lives are often busy and stressful, so it’s not always easy to get all of our essential nutrients just from the foods we eat. Store bought kombucha and homemade brews can offer an extra boost of beneficial nutrients, although kombucha tea alone does not contain enough vitamins and minerals to support the whole body’s needs. If you’re concerned you’re not getting enough vitamins and minerals in your nutrition, we offer a range of natural vitamins and minerals to help meet the daily requirements.
When should I drink kombucha?
You can drink kombucha tea at whatever time you feel like, but ideally, we recommend the early mornings to late afternoons - remembering tea leaves contain caffeine. Raw kombucha that's prepared using tea leaves will contain around 30% of the original caffeine content - small in percentage, but it may still interrupt sleep if consumed late in the evening. We also like to recommend the earlier hours during the day so that you can get an enjoyable boost of energy and provide your gut with some support for digestion.
Organic kombucha tea has a considerable mix of potential health benefits and with the growing research surrounding the importance of gut health and specifically kombucha gut health; kombucha will be at the top of all of our grocery lists this week. Want to experience kombucha for yourself? Try one of our kombucha teas today to discover the range of tastes and flavours - available in-store and online.
