Health Benefits of Kombucha
Kombucha has been around for over 2,000 years, harkening back to ancient China. It’s said that monks indulged in and spread kombucha drinks because it was believed to have medicinal properties—hence its oh-so-formal title as the “elixir of life.”
As it turns out, those monks knew what was up! Preliminary research suggests that kombucha contains loads of compounds that not only make the drink tasty, but healthy, too. While kombucha ingredients are few in number, they create a powerful combo inside your body.
First up are the probiotics. These beneficial bacteria are naturally occurring in many foods, including yogurt, sauerkraut and—yup, you guessed it—kombucha! Probiotics may have a range of health benefits, starting with promoting healthy digestion and soothing tummy troubles. Your gut is also home to a major concentration of your immune cells, meaning the happier and healthier it is, the happier and healthier YOU are!
Other potential probiotic benefits include reducing bodily inflammation, improving mental health and even helping you sleep better by aiding in your REM cycles. The long and short of it is that probiotics keep your gut health in check, which affects almost every other part of your body (who knew, right?).
Another big benefit of kombucha drinks is an immunity boost. Kombucha is packed full of antioxidants and vitamins, which support your immune system and freakin’ DESTROY free radicals (totally unstable molecules that can cause mega damage and potentially lead to cancer). Bow down to the ‘booch and its help in fighting off those nasty buggers!
But there’s more! When the SCOBY metabolizes sugar during the fermentation process, it feeds the probiotics and creates acids. These are what give kombucha its distinct sour twang, along with a myriad of health benefits. One of these is called acetic acid, and it’s believed to be antimicrobial, potentially killing off microbes before they can make you sick.
Last but not least, kombucha contains B vitamins. These are good for lots of things, including energy, a healthy metabolism and even beauty boosts thanks to their cell growth benefits (think strong and healthy hair, skin and nails). With all of the B vitamin benefits, there is no more need for beer goggles!