Kombucha looks like a weird, bubbly tea, but it’s not your average drink. In fact, it comes with a variety of surprising health advantages! Let’s look at what exactly kombucha is and the many kombucha benefits you can expect from drinking this unique health beverage.

What is Kombucha, Exactly?

Kombucha is a fermented tea that originated in China about 2,000 years ago.

Here’s how kombucha is made: A mixture of bacteria and yeast plus sugar is added to black or green tea, and the mixture is left to ferment. The bacteria and yeast mixture is known as a scoby, which stands for “living symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast.”

This forms a drinks that’s fizzy from carbonation (giving it a healthy soda-like quality), tastes like vinegar, and smells slightly alcoholic. (That’s because the fermentation forms alcohol, but a very trace amount.)

While this all might not sound too appetizing, the end result is a tasty and very healthy drink.

Kombucha Benefits for Your Body and Health

So, why is kombucha good for you? Now that we’ve covered what it is, let’s look at some of the biggest kombucha benefits.

1. Rich in Probiotics for Digestive and Immune System Health

Fermented kombucha produces probiotics.

Probiotics are the “good” bacteria in your body that support a healthy gut, good digestion, and less inflammation in the body [1].

Your body normally has between three and five pounds of microbes that include probiotics, especially in your gut. But certain factors can reduce the amount of good bacteria in your body, such as stress, antibiotic use, alcohol, and poor diet.

Consuming probiotics from fermented foods and drinks—like kombucha—is a great way to support better health by replenishing good bacteria in your system.

Probiotics are most commonly used for digestive issues like upset stomach, diarrhea, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Plus, the combination of probiotics with natural enzymes and organic acids in kombucha is especially helpful for soothing digestive upset.

It’s also now believed that gut health is closely connected with the immune system. So consuming products with good bacteria may help stimulate the immune system and strengthen your body’s natural defense against harmful organisms or illness.

2. Antioxidants and Polyphenol Support

Since kombucha is made from tea, it contains two other beneficial compounds found in teas:

1. Antioxidants
2. Polyphenols

Antioxidants are natural chemicals that help prevent oxidation in your cells. Oxidation is a process that can create free radicals, which can cause damage to your body’s cells. So consuming natural antioxidants is important for keeping your system healthy and reducing damage.

Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant that occur naturally in plant foods—like tea/kombucha, fruits, vegetables, and more. Polyphenols may support proper gut bacteria balance as well as influence gene expression, inflammation, and health.

In fact, in one test-tube study, kombucha was found to significantly decrease prostate cancer cell survival [2]. And many reports have suggested beneficial effects of kombucha on various health concerns [3].

3. Natural Nutrients for an Energy and Mood Boost

Kombucha also contains very small amounts of caffeine along with vitamins B1, B6, B12, vitamin C, and iron. This makes it a popular drink for people wanting a natural energy boost without large amounts of caffeine.

Plus, B vitamins have been shown to support a more stable mood.

4. Acetic Acid to Kill Off Bad Microorganisms

Part of the vinegar produced during kombucha fermentation includes acetic acid.

Acetic acid and other antimicrobial compounds in kombucha may help kill off harmful microbes that normally cause infection and negatively affect health. Those include Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and Campylobacter jejuni [4].

Black and green tea kombucha teas are also found to have antibacterial and antifungal properties [5].

5. Cholesterol and Triglycerides Support

A 2012 study on diabetic rats found kombucha, when compared with normal black tea, had therapeutic effects on the rats’ liver-kidney functions, triglyceride and LDL cholesterol absorption, and an increase in HDL “good” cholesterol [6].

In addition, green tea kombucha has the benefits of green tea like:

• The potential to positively affect blood sugar levels [7]
• A potentially lower risk of becoming diabetic, based on a 2009 review study [8]
• The potential to slow carbohydrate digestion to reduce blood sugar levels

6. Green Tea Benefits

There are additional green tea benefits in kombucha, including:

1. Antioxidants
2. Blood pressure support
3. Healthy alternative to soda (especially with the carbonation of kombucha)
4. Lower caffeine and less acidity than coffee
5. The amino acid l-theanine, which can have a calming effect

Read more about those here:What is Green Tea Good For? 5 Life-Changing Reasons to Drink It Daily

7. Detoxification

Some natural acids produced during kombucha fermentation may help support detoxification of the body:

• Glucaric acid may help boost the detoxifying job of the liver
• Gluconic acid in kombucha may bind to toxins and help remove them from the body

8. Boosted Gut Health and Weight Loss Support

An unhealthy microbiome (the colony of microbes in your gut) can wreak havoc on your health. So you can help maintain a healthy gut by providing it with good bacteria. Plus, the natural antioxidants and acids of kombucha tea provide additional support for optimal health.

The vinegar of kombucha is also thought to boost metabolism, which can help contribute to weight loss, if you drink it before eating a meal.

How to Start Drinking Kombucha Today

There are two ways to get your hands on these kombucha benefits: by making it yourself or by buying it from a trusted company.

Homemade kombucha must be prepared carefully, as over-fermenting and the possibility of contamination can actually have harmful (or even dangerous) health effects. Plus, the alcohol content is typically higher in homemade kombucha. So, if you do decide to make it at home, do your research carefully beforehand.

Or, you can skip the worry of self-made kombucha by buying and easily drinking it at home!

There are many great kombucha brands to choose from these days. At Nature’s Ideal, we love Kombucha Wonder Drink, especially the Cherry Cassis, Niagara Grape, and Asian Pear and Ginger. For more, check out all of our kombucha options here.

Disclaimer: Statements made have not been evaluated by the FDA. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.