The Health Benefits of Kombucha

Kombucha has been used for centuries by the Chinese and other cultures for its immense health benefits that extend to your gut as well as other parts of your body.

What is Kombucha?

Kombucha, also known as the "tea of life" and the "immortal health elixir," is a sweet, fermented, slightly carbonated, tea-based drink. Because it provides supposed health benefits, which include probiotic, detoxifier, and immune stimulator, it is often classified as a "functional drink."

How Long has it Been Around?

Kombucha is believed to have originated in China more than 1,000 years ago as a healing drink. In fact, early reports show the first use of the fermented tea comes from China during the Tsin Dynasty around 221 BC, where it was referred to as "The Tea of Immortality."

Soon after, the use of kombucha spread eastward into Russia, Eastern Europe, and Japan, in 415 AD, where the fermented tea is said to have gotten its name in from a Korean physician named Kombu. After Russia, use of the fermented tea also spread westward into Poland, Prussia, and Germany, where it reemerged as a way to treat patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, and even cancer. Kombucha spread into the US beginning in the 1990's, where it is still widely used for its enormous health benefits.

How does it Improve Overall Health?

Helps Promote a Healthy Gut - Kombucha contains high amounts of live probiotic cultures that help the gut repopulate with good bacteria, which helps maintain or restore balance in the gastrointestinal tract. The enzymes, amino acids, and other beneficial acids in kombucha also aid in digestion, which can help improve many digestive issues, such as IBS, constipation, and diarrhea. Kombucha can also help prevent candida overgrowth within the gut by restoring balance to the digestive system.

Detoxifies the Liver - The liver is important to overall health because it helps convert toxins into waste, which is then eliminated by the body. The enzymes and beneficial acids in kombucha may help assist the liver with this natural detoxification process. In fact, the glucaric acid found in kombucha helps increase the liver's efficiency, while the antioxidants in kombucha help protect the liver from damage, including the harm caused by acetaminophen overuse.

Stimulates the Immune System - When the body's microorganisms are drained, it creates a favorable environment for harmful bacteria, such as the ones that cause cancer, diabetes, and other diseases, to run rapidly.

Probiotics, especially the ones in fermented foods such as kombucha, help strengthen our immune system as well as our natural defenses against harmful bacterium and certain diseases. Kombucha also contains Vitamin C and DSL, which helps prevent cell damage, inflammatory diseases, and other issues.

Increases Energy - Kombucha is packed full of B Vitamins, including B 12, which increases energy and helps improve mental health. It also contains iron, which helps increase hemoglobin in the blood that is responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body.

How is Kombucha Made?

Kombucha is available in many niche health food stores, cafes, supermarkets, and convenient stores, which makes it easy to purchase; however, it can also be homemade. Homemade kombucha is fermented by a cluster of yeast and bacteria, which interact to form a cap-like heap on top of the tea, also called a SCOBY.

The SCOBY is placed in sweetened tea. As the kombucha breaks down the sugar from the tea, it produces probiotic microorganisms as well as various vitamins, mainly Vitamin C and B vitamins. It also produces an assortment of acids, such as enzymes, amino acids, lactic acids, gluconic acid, glucuronic acids, and acetic acids, for a powerful drink that can be used to enhance your overall health.

Once the tea is fermented, it becomes slightly carbonated with a tangy taste and a pungent odor. Therefore, other flavors, such as fruit juice, honey, or cane sugar, are often added to the tea at the end of the brewing process to make it tastier.

Long-Term Benefits of Adding Kombucha to Your Lifestyle

The long-term benefits of kombucha run far and wide, including the fact that it is a powerful antibacterial agent, which over time has been found to destroy infectious bacteria. Many people have also reported improvement in joint pain, arthritis, hypertension, and digestive problems after drinking kombucha for a number of years.

Studies also show that long-term use of kombucha may help heal and prevent stomach tumors. Furthermore, research shows that the live microorganisms in kombucha may also stimulate the body's own natural-cancer killing cells, which may help combat cancer when kombucha is consumed daily.

About the Author

Dr. Josh Kantor D.C. owns and manages Chill Space, a leading Wellness Spa in NYC. To learn more about scheduling a cryosauna session please visit his website at ChillSpaceNYC.com.

Additional References

• Kombucha Tea - American Nutrition Association (ANA)
• Kombucha: Benefits and Risks - Medical News Today