Why is Kombucha in the news?

Did you hear that Coca Cola is investing in komucha? Why? Is it because it is the fastest growing beverage or is it this another area that would fit their product portfolio?

What is Kombucha? Kombucha aka mushroom tea is one of my favorite healthy drinks to drink and there are multiple reasons for this. Kombucha is fermented, sugary black or green tea made from bacteria and yeast. The sugar feeds the yeast and bacteria which form the SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts) layer or mushroom layer that you see on top of the kombucha—hence the mushroom tea nomenclature. Some of the questions that I get asked a lot is does kombucha have alcohol followed by will it upset my stomach if I drink the entire bottle in one day? Let’s find out the answers.

Most consumers take Kombucha for its perceived health benefits. Due to being made up of live bacteria and yeast, it can have a slight vinegar style taste hence you will find original versions along with versions that have cayenne pepper, turmeric, etc. to make it taste more palatable. Remember, fermentation results in alcohol production so always check for the low alcohol version and low sugar version as fresh kombucha has less than 0.5% alcohol.

Purchasing kombucha is easy enough as it can be found in stores around the country like Target, ShopRite, Whole Foods, Walmart etc. but also online via Amazon. My personal preference is the one with turmeric as then you get the benefits of turmeric as well as the kombucha. Of course, you can also make your own kombucha at home as there are multiple recipes online that you can try.

So why should you drink kombucha? If you don’t gravitate towards tea typically but do want some of the health benefits that come with tea, you might want to pick up a bottle of kombucha. If you are a fan of apple cider vinegar and its benefits than you might like this product too. The benefits of kombucha that are well known include healthy bacteria that can support your immune system and gut. Kombucha also has B vitamins that can help you give you a boost of energy and in turn also aid your cardio health. Also, some products claim that it can help maintain your liver health via detoxification due to its combo of tea and fermentation. Plus, we all know the benefits of drinking green tea in terms of weight management and weight loss so since it is likely brewed with green tea, you can reap some of the benefits of this as well. Of course, the aforementioned benefits totally depend on your lifestyle and body chemistry.

Why is kombucha currently in the news? Hint, let’s get back to the alcohol content and upset stomach questions posed earlier to answer this newsworthy question? Caution must be taken while drinking kombucha because it is acidic and over-fermentation is possible. Depending on how it is stored, that alcohol content can be higher or lower so buyer beware. Read the label and make sure you are not consuming too much sugar in one serving. If you are new to Kombucha, build up a tolerance to it as it is acidic and has a vinegar like taste!
 

Disclaimer: this is an opinion post and should not be taken as an endorsement or lack of for any product by me or my employer.