Over the past few years, the fermented beverage kombucha has become one of America’s healthiest trends. The popular drink is made of a sweet green or black tea that is fermented with a colony of bacteria and yeast to produce healthy probiotics during the process. Regardless of the negative effects that some may say about fermentation and Kombucha, the reality of consuming the fermented beverage can be highly beneficial to your health. Here are 10 reasons to start drinking more Kombucha (as if you need an excuse!)
- Type II Diabetes: A diabetic study concluded that kombucha slowed the digestion process of carbs in rats and resulted in reduced blood sugar. Green tea has also shown to help reduce blood sugar levels along with the other many health benefits of consuming green tea. This fermented tea is a healthy and tasty alternative to sugary sodas for those with diabetes.
- Weight Loss: One of the major benefits of drinking kombucha is the probiotics and acetic acid that can aid with weight loss. Acetic acid has been studied to reduce hunger, bloating, and body weight by stopping your body from turning food into fat. The overload of probiotics allows the fat to be burned faster and thus resulting in weight loss.
- Energy Boost: Many athletic enthusiasts who drink Kombucha say it improves energy levels during exercise. Kombucha can also be drunk as a post-workout recovery to relieve joint pain and inflammation. It contains minimal amounts of alcohol and many vitamins which can reduce stress and stimulate positive feelings.
- Boosts Immune System: Due to its positive effect on digestive health, Kombucha helps improve the immune system. In a study, the combo of healthy components like vitamins, antioxidants, and probiotics showed that kombucha created a stronger immune system.
- Sleep Quality: Kombucha contains healthy beneficial enzymes that can process undigested foods that can cause an imbalance of bad bacteria and GI distress. The beneficial enzymes in Kombucha can help improve sleep quality by improving your digestive system.
- Heart Health: Did you know that at least half a cup of Kombucha can help reduce your chances of a heart attack? It can lower your triglycerides and raise your HDL (good cholesterol). The positive heart health results are due to kombucha containing gallocatechin which is known for lowering cholesterol.
- Mental Health: Kombucha is made up of many vitamins, including B vitamins that have been shown to help fight mental disorders like depression. It also contains vitamin C, which can help reduce and repress cortisol levels. High cortisol levels have been known to contribute to depression, hypertension, and impaired mental clarity.
- Liver Health: Kombucha contains many antioxidants that help battle against certain molecules that can damage healthy cells. These same antioxidants help improve liver function to eradicate certain toxins from the body and minimize inflammation.
- May help fight cancer: Although there is not much evidence regarding how kombucha can fight cancer, current studies show great promise. Several studies show that kombucha helps reduce growth and limits the survival rate of cancer cells.
