Show Notes on Kombucha:
Thank you for listening to Wholebeing RN Radio! Today we are talking about Kombucha. We are going to find out what exactly it is and what it is good for.
You’ve probably heard of this stuff before, maybe seen some uber crunchy people drinking it (like myself LOL) and maybe even wondered what is this stuff? Well, today, we are tackling that topic and getting to the bottom of what it is and if it's beneficial for your physical and energetic wellness.
As a side note, starting today we will feature as many ways to get down on the content here as you would like, each week we are striving for a video on the Facebook page, (you can find the Kombucha video here and we also post it on YouTube), as well as the podcast here on the page or subscribed on Itunes, and we now will have the text article as well, just scroll down to see it!
In this episode, we are talking about these key kombucha points:
- What is kombucha?
- What does it do are there any benefits?
- Is pasteurized or unpasteurized better?
- Can I substitute kombucha for my daily probiotic?
- It’s so expensive, is there another option?
Links mentioned in the kombucha episode:
- Free Wellness Tribe (if you are in the Wellness Tribe you get free access to the upcoming Kombucha Class!)
- Kombucha Class: The Healing Art of Making Kombucha (free if you are in the Wellness Tribe)
Need more in-depth help?
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Prefer to read The Healing Art of Kombucha:
What the heck is kombucha?
The best description is that its fizzy flavored tea with probiotics. That may not sound too appetizing, but trust me, it's delish.
It’s made by brewing certain types of tea leaves then adding sugar (you should always make sure you are getting kombucha made with organic fruit sugars, honey, or organic cane sugar) and apply a SCOBY into the vessel then allowing it to sit and ferment for 10-14 days. In order to add a fruit flavor, there is a second fermentation done to make the beverage really fizzy and impart fruit or other flavors into the brew.
If you wondering when the probiotic gets added, well that’s in the SCOBY. A SCOBY is an acronym for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. That may sound pretty gross, but it's actually quite interesting.
The SCOBY is kind of like the apartment building for the bacteria and yeast that are going to transform the tea and sugar into tangy, fizzy, delish 'booch.
What does kombucha do? What are its benefits?
You can buy kombucha or make it yourself. Either way one of the key ways of preserving it's delish healthy benefits is by ensuring you purchase or make really low sugar 'booch.
If it's low sugar than not only is it a healthy replacement for any other fizzy drink or beverage that you choose (I am talking to you soda drinkers!), it also has real health rewards. There are a LOT of health claims out there, and lucky for us kombucha does have real, evidenced-based health benefits.
Let's take a look:
- Kombucha is a good source of probiotics. This does not mean it is a replacement for your probiotic supplement. Kombucha provides some extra probiotic support for you. Like other fermented foods, the probiotics are good for your gut health (which bleeds over into all other aspects of your mental and physical wellness).
- Kombucha good for fighting germs. Despite containing yeast and trace amounts of sugar (depending on where you get it or how you make it) studies show that kombucha is is antimicrobial and antifungal. This is thanks to the vinegar that is produced in the fermentation process. It leaves the kombucha full of polyphenols and acetic acid which can kill many potentially harmful microorganism including infection-causing bacteria and candida (yeasts).
- Kombucha is full of antioxidants. The base for kombucha is a special tea, usually a special blend of black tea, or green tea, or sometimes something a little more out there like hibiscus flower tea. These teas contain many bioactive compounds, which makes it a good source of powerful antioxidants. These antioxidants fight free radicals and oxidative stress on the body (you pick those up everywhere!).
Why is high in antioxidants important? Well, those antioxidants help with some really important things: -
- Kombucha may reduce heart disease. Now this study was an animal-based study, so it has yet to be replicated in humans, but it showed that in as little as 30 days kombucha had an effect on cholesterol. Now more importantly than that (because you know how I get on my soapbox about cholesterol and the fact it does not cause heart attacks) is that the study demonstrates it protects the cholesterol from oxidation which does lead to heart disease.
- Kombucha may help manage type 2 diabetes. Now again this is another animal study, and you have to be cautious about the sugar content, especially if you are buying it pre-made (sugar is added as a preservative), but the study showed reduced blood sugar levels, and improved kidney and liver function.
- Kombucha may work to prevent cancer. With the same function of antioxidants that help to neutralize free radicals in the body, 'booch may be able to prevent cancer. This study was in test tubes, but researchers found that it helped to prevent the growth and spreading of cancer cells. Thanks, antioxidants!
- We go much deeper into the benefits of 'booch in the class The Healing Art of Making Kombucha.
Is pasteurized or unpasteurized better?
That can be a tough question and is often up for debate. This holistic wellness practitioner’s opinion is that pasteurization does NOT make drinks like kombucha (or milk for that matter) healthier. The goal of pasteurization is to kill the bacteria by heating the liquid to a certain temperature for a certain period of time.
Unfortunately, this method does not distinguish between killing good bacteria or killing bad bacteria. When kombucha is pasteurized, it no longer has many of the health benefits of the ‘booch and should probably just be called “kombucha flavored tea.” So it's best to avoid pasteurized 'booch, you may have to really read the labels to ensure you aren't getting flavored tea.
Can I substitute kombucha for my daily probiotic?
In short, the answer is, no. I would like to leave this information at just that, no, but I know you want more info than that!
Most adults need 30 billion -50 billion CFU daily in the form of probiotics. (Kids need 10-30 billion depending on size and issues). Kombucha simply doesn’t have that much, so it's a good drink to have with dinner, or in place of alcohol, or as a refreshment but you would have to replace your water with the 'booch in order to reap the same benefits that little probiotic pill has. And you know I won't advocate for that.
Kombucha so expensive, is there another option?
Kombucha is expensive! Usually $3-5 per bottle with each bottle containing 1-3 servings.
Good news, the answer is, yes you can save money by making kombucha! It's very easy to make your own, all you need is some glass containers, water, tea, SCOBY, and organic cane sugar, and a little bit of patience and you can get the basic brew done. And if you have littles, they love to help! It's like a tiny science lab learning experience for kids and adults.
Aside from savings (y'all know I'm #frugal) there are so many varieties to and cool things you can do when you make your ‘booch, you can have fun with adding intentions to the water, you can gem-infuse you kombucha, play with fruit (and veggie) flavors, and even some pretty exotic concoctions. I like to make mine gem, prana, and fruit-infused most of the time. When I make kombucha at home, I make it for less than $0.01 per serving. (Talk about a savings! #frugal)
If you are interested in making your own kombucha, be sure and check out my upcoming class, The Healing Art of Making Kombucha!
Have you ever tried 'booch? What did you think?