How Good Is Kombucha For You?

When it comes to the beverage industry, the hottest trend right now is Kombucha. This drink is also fascinating in the health sense as it has been brewed with an expanding bacterial culture. The drink has its origin in Asia and has now being in existence for centuries. It has been popular as an alternative drink.

Definition of kombucha?

Kombucha refers to a fermented drink that is made using a culture of yeast and bacteria to the tea solution, sugar, fruit juice and other kinds of flavoring. This is in most cases known as mushroom-tea due to the fact that the yeast and bacteria will grow into a mass that looks like the cap of the mushroom. The drink usually has a sweet-tart flavor and slight effervesce. It comes with some remnants of bacteria that float on it. While this may look unappealing, it is in the same way that you get some little sediment in your wine. The drink is also highly acidic and contains B vitamins, antioxidants, sugars and alcohol because of the fermentation process. Each ounce contains 30 calories mostly that comes from the sugar. The drink is considered less of an energy drink.

Where to buy kombucha

If you are wondering where to buy kombucha, you can get it in various stores from supermarkets to the healthy-food stores. In the recent past, there seems to be an explosion in the popularity of the drink and there are reports that its sale reached $500 million by the end of 2015.

It is also possible to brew the drink on your own. All you need to do is to buy the culture starter that is known as” mother” or even ask a friend to give you one as long as he has the culture that produces the offshoots. You will then need a clean jar where you need to ferment it for a period of 7 to 14 days. Like it is the case with any other home brewing process, you need to research on the procedure.

Is kombucha good for you?

There are claims that Kombucha is a magic drink that is able to heal nearly everything from arthritis to digestion problem and cancer. However, there are also concerns that it can be quite toxic. However, like it is the case with most other products, the truth and lies are usually hidden in the middle. There is no evidence to prove the curative benefits of the drink because there is no solid research hat has been done. However, there are many health benefits that users of the drink are likely to enjoy because whether unpasteurized or raw, kombucha contain probiotics as well as the good gut bacteria such the ones found in yogurt and are known to be able to boost your overall health and immunity.

However, Kombucha also comes with its own downside in that the probitocis found in it are not able to withstand the process of pasteurization. When you drink it in its unpasteurized form, it can pose a health risk especially when it is produced in unsanitary conditions. This is particularly the case when it is drunk by those who are pregnant or whose immune system is compromised. Contaminated or excessive consumption of the drink may cause various side effects such as acidosis, stomach upsets and the allergic reactions to molds that can occur as a result of the fermentation. There may also be cases of toxicity due to the heavy metals that are used during the process of home-brewing. Concerning alcohol content, the requirements of the government is that any drink that contains less than 0.5% alcohol should be sold as a nonalcoholic drink.<