Kombucha Tea has been around for over 2,000 years, and the ancient Chinese called this fermented drink, “The Immortal Elixer”. But is it really healthful, or is it hype?
What is Kombucha?
Kombucha is a fermented drink made from a base of tea, sugar and a symbiotic yeast and bacteria “Mother”. The mother, also known as a SCOBY, (an acronym for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), ferments with the sugar in the tea, and the result is an effervescent drink with a small amount of sugar and alcohol with a vinegary tang.
As a result of this fermentation process, the drink contains organic acids, enzymes, beneficial microflora (healthy bacteria), and B vitamins. The health claims include better digestion, improved bowl movements, detoxification, reduced gas and bloating, better skin, healthier joints, increased energy and increased vitality.
Many people, including President Ronald Reagan, believe that it contains anti cancer properties, and is curative of stomach ulcers. Nobel Prize winning Russian author Alexander Solzhenitsyn credited drinking kombucha regularly though out the day for helping him beat stomach cancer. President Reagan, moved by this story drank kombucha to help with the spread of his own cancer in 1987. He went on to live a long life and not die of cancer.
The drink does contain live bacteria, the kind of “good bugs”, or Probiotics, that help digest our food- the particles we have trouble digesting on our own, and they produce certain nutrients for us which we cannot make ourselves.
Can You Trust The Claims?
Thought kombucha has long been sipped for it’s health benefits, thus far there has been little research to prove such claims, and no research done on humans. Several studies have been done on lab rats that have shown positive effects on blood lipid, and blood glucose levels in diabetic rats, as well as positive results in rats with stomach ulcers. Though this research is promising, it can no way be equated to potential benefits in humans.
Good or Bad?
The jury is definitely still out on this. The research this far simply hasn’t been conclusive. A lot of people do enjoy drinking kombucha, and say they feel better for doing so. Kombucha is considered safe for healthy individuals, but should be avoided in people who may be sensitive, such as pregnant women, or those with compromised immune systems.
The biggest negative with kombucha is with poor batch production or contamination. Though kombucha is simple to make at home, it is important to maintain strict sterile conditions, or you may run the risk of breeding some unhealthy or even harmful bacteria. It is therefore recommended that you purchase your tea from a reputable manufacturer.
The Take Away:
Fermented foods such as yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut can be beneficial to your health. Though I wouldn’t bank on any of the fantastic claims that are made about kombucha, if you are a healthy individual, it would be ok to give it a try. The taste is not to everyone’s liking, it has an unusual vinegary tang, and sometimes it may contain some thready bits floating around (perfectly safe to drink).
As for buying into the Chinese belief that it is “The Immortal Elixer”, we’ll just have to wait for the research to test that out. If you like the taste, and if it makes you feel better, or more energetic, than there is probably no harm in drinking it.
