131 Method
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Testimonials
  • Sign In
Start Now
  • Health
    gain weight and muscle

    Healthy Tips for Gaining Weight

    postpartum

    Is Cannabis Safe for Postpartum Depression?

    coffee DIY mask

    5 Ways to Use Coffee for Beauty

    colorful lunch

    Nutrition Rules that Improve Productivity & Health

    great-body

    Tips for a Great Body when You’re Busy

    yoga

    5 Reasons to Take Cannabis and Kratom After Yoga

  • Fitness
    gain weight and muscle

    Healthy Tips for Gaining Weight

    coffee-athletics

    Does Coffee Boost Athletic Performance?

    home-workout-during-coronavirus

    Coronavirus: At Home Exercise Tips

    home gym equipment

    7 Pieces of Equipment your Home Gym Needs Now!

    131 Method Deals

    131 Method Deals

    healing post injury

    Natural Healing Remedies After Injury

  • Weightloss
    weight loss

    Tips for Weekend Weight Loss

    gut intelligence and longevity

    How Our Food Is Destroying Our Gut Intelligence

    weight loss for women

    10 Reasons Women Struggle with Weight Loss

    why diets don't work

    Why Most Diets Don’t Work

    sliced-white-bread

    Which Foods Cause Inflammation?

    Hormones and weight loss

    Hormonal Balance and Weight Loss

  • Motivation
    phase it up

    Phase it Up 20-Pound Weight Loss in 12 Weeks

    131 success story

    No More Punishing Behaviors: 131 Method Success Story

    self-care-at-home

    Quarantine Self-Care Tips that Ease Stress

    131 success story

    How Becky Lost 41 Pounds with the 131 Method

    weight loss story

    Off the Weight Loss Rollercoaster

    healthy-and-happy

    How Getting Healthier Impacts your Life

    weight loss with 131 method

    Husband and Wife Weight Loss with the 131 Method

    weight loss with 131 method

    45-Pound Weight Loss in 12-Weeks with 131 Method

    weight loss with 131 method

    Dramatic 55-Pound Weight Loss with the 131 Method

  • Recipes
No Result
View All Result
  • Health
    gain weight and muscle

    Healthy Tips for Gaining Weight

    postpartum

    Is Cannabis Safe for Postpartum Depression?

    coffee DIY mask

    5 Ways to Use Coffee for Beauty

    colorful lunch

    Nutrition Rules that Improve Productivity & Health

    great-body

    Tips for a Great Body when You’re Busy

    yoga

    5 Reasons to Take Cannabis and Kratom After Yoga

  • Fitness
    gain weight and muscle

    Healthy Tips for Gaining Weight

    coffee-athletics

    Does Coffee Boost Athletic Performance?

    home-workout-during-coronavirus

    Coronavirus: At Home Exercise Tips

    home gym equipment

    7 Pieces of Equipment your Home Gym Needs Now!

    131 Method Deals

    131 Method Deals

    healing post injury

    Natural Healing Remedies After Injury

  • Weightloss
    weight loss

    Tips for Weekend Weight Loss

    gut intelligence and longevity

    How Our Food Is Destroying Our Gut Intelligence

    weight loss for women

    10 Reasons Women Struggle with Weight Loss

    why diets don't work

    Why Most Diets Don’t Work

    sliced-white-bread

    Which Foods Cause Inflammation?

    Hormones and weight loss

    Hormonal Balance and Weight Loss

  • Motivation
    phase it up

    Phase it Up 20-Pound Weight Loss in 12 Weeks

    131 success story

    No More Punishing Behaviors: 131 Method Success Story

    self-care-at-home

    Quarantine Self-Care Tips that Ease Stress

    131 success story

    How Becky Lost 41 Pounds with the 131 Method

    weight loss story

    Off the Weight Loss Rollercoaster

    healthy-and-happy

    How Getting Healthier Impacts your Life

    weight loss with 131 method

    Husband and Wife Weight Loss with the 131 Method

    weight loss with 131 method

    45-Pound Weight Loss in 12-Weeks with 131 Method

    weight loss with 131 method

    Dramatic 55-Pound Weight Loss with the 131 Method

  • Recipes
No Result
View All Result
131 Method
No Result
View All Result
Home Uncategorized

Is Kombucha Even Good for You?

Here's what you need to know before popping that bottle open.

by Team 131 Method
July 24, 2019
0
0
kombucha
707
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

For the past few years kombucha has been popping up in health stores everywhere. You might even know someone who brews their own kombucha. But what is kombucha? And is it actually good for you? Or is it a trendy beverage for yogis? We break down the facts and myths. 

homemade kombucha

What is Kombucha?

Kombucha is a fermented drink made from black tea and sugar. One thing sets it apart from other beverages. It’s the thing that gives it its health benefits: the SCOBY. SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast. If you’ve ever witnessed kombucha-brewing, the SCOBY is the weird looking rubbery disc that floats around in the bottle. It is the collection of living microbes that turns the sugar into healthy acids and probiotics. As unattractive as it looks and sounds, it’s the key ingredient to making kombucha. 

How to Make Kombucha

Kombucha is brewed in an anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment, in an airtight container in which the SCOBY seals off the liquid from the air. Although the initial ingredients require sugar, the SCOBY consumes over 90% of the sugar during the fermentation process. This is what allows the final product to be a low-sugar, probiotic beverage!

The process typically takes around 7-12 days, depending on the temperature and the strength of the SCOBY. The SCOBY is often referred to as “The Mother” because it is the parent culture creating the tea. You may have heard of people gifting “SCOBY babies” to each other. It can actually create a second culture on top of itself which can then be used to brew other batches of kombucha. A strain, if cared for properly, can actually last for years! 

Health Benefits of Kombucha

You may have just started hearing about it, but this beverage originated in the Far East over 2,000 years ago! It’s quite popular in China, Russia, and Germany. They call it  the “Immortal Health Elixir” in Chinese culture.

The health benefits of kombucha primarily stem from its rich concentration of probiotics and other microbes. Probiotics are “good” bacteria with healthful benefits. An ideal gut includes:

  • A diverse microbial population
  • Higher concentrations of good bacteria
  • Controlled amounts of yeast and other microbes
  • Limited bad bacteria. 

Bacterial Strains Found in Kombucha (1):

  • Gluconacetobacter population over 85%
  • Lactobacillus population up to 30% 
  • Acetobacter population under 2% 

Kombucha also contains other active compounds, mainly polyphenols (aka natural healthful chemicals). These polyphenols have antioxidant activity, vitamins (C, B1, B6, B9, B12, K), and minerals (Mg, Ca, Fe) (2). This makes kombucha a nutrient-rich beverage option.

Additional acids (specifically gluconic acid, glucuronic acids, acetic acid, usnic and lactic acids (2) (3) provide a range of health-promoting benefits. From powerful antioxidant properties to help maintain electrolyte balance, they become the “fermenters.” 

Established Probiotic Benefits (4):

  • Prevention of intestinal tract infections 
  • Improvement of lactose metabolism 
  • Reduction of serum cholesterol levels
  • Enhanced immunity 
  • Stimulated calcium absorption 
  • Improved protein digestibility 
  • Synthesis of vitamins 
  • Counteraction of negative food-borne pathogen effects

The Downsides of Kombucha

Sugar: To flavor kombucha, juice, herbs, or fruit are added to the batch of fermented tea. Though the fizzy fermented beverage is better than soda, sugar is still sugar. When purchasing kombucha, check the ingredient label for added sugar content. Some flavors contain upwards of 20 grams of sugar per bottle! 

Alcohol: Another source of controversy with kombucha is the small amount of naturally occurring alcohol. Store-bought brands often contain 0.5% to 1.0% of alcohol. This is labeled and requires an ID to purchase it. To put it into perspective, a six-pack of kombucha equals a single 12-oz beer. Pregnant or nursing moms, or those with a compromised immune system, should discuss consumption with a medical provider. 

The Bottom Line

Kombucha is nutrient-dense, microbe-rich beverage option. Especially in comparison to other carbonated sugar-laden beverages on the market. Its probiotic and phytochemical contents give it a wide range of health benefits. Always look at sugar and alcohol content. Search for brands and flavors with lower amounts. 

 

Resources

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24290641
  2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128152713000105
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29526195
  4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30678814

 

ShareTweetShare
Previous Post

Homemade Parmesan Salad Cups

Next Post

Healthy or Disordered: The Effects of Fitness Crazes on Youths

Next Post
signs of anorexia

Healthy or Disordered: The Effects of Fitness Crazes on Youths

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

131 Method Topics

  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Weightloss
  • Motivation
  • Recipes

Popular

  • soup

    10 Reasons Gelatin Helps When You’re Sick

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Poor Protein Digestion: Causes, Symptoms & Support

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Health Benefits of King Oyster Mushrooms

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Dairy-Free Cloud Bread: Easy & Keto Friendly

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Worst Advice About Candida

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Agar Agar Health Benefits and Uses

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
131 Method

© 2020 131 Method

Research Categories

  • Home
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Weightloss
  • Motivation
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
    • Health
    • Fitness
    • Weightloss
    • Motivation
    • Recipes
  • Join
  • Login

© 2020 131 Method

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In