By Antonia Rosu
Discovered more than 2000 years ago by Korean Dr. Kombu, “the tea of immortality” has reached tremendous heights and gained a surprising whole level of popularity in our days. It is not considered a must in your life, but doctors say it might do in case of people who intend to include a variety of microbes into their diet. Yes, microbes. Keep reading. Before you go on to proceed with your new healthy kombucha lifestyle, there are two important rules we need to set.
First, it may not be a great idea to do this at home. It is a fermented drink with live micro-organisms. It is obtained by brewing sugar, green or black tea and the symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (but people call it Scoby). Then it is supposed to ferment for about 2-3 weeks at room temperature and bottled for another 2 weeks to ensure carbonation. Oh well. Problem is, you never really know if this double fermentation process is truly safe so buying from a certified merchant sounds free from danger. But in case you do it, be careful as contaminated kombucha can have negative effects if not brewed properly.
Second, as Dr. Ludwig, nutrition and pedriatics professor at Harvard University said, ‘if you are drinking this for health benefits and not enjoying the taste, rethink your drink’. So kombucha might not turn your life upside down and do miracles here and there, but it may have a few perks.
Kombucha:
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Helps with Infections
Kills bacteria so it could help with your Candida yeast. During the fermentation process, it generates acetic acid which is able to destroy many micro-organisms that are harmful to your vaginal flora or even the intestine. -
Diabetes
Helps with Type 2 Diabetes as it lowers the level of blood sugar. -
Antioxidants
The antioxidants it incorporates are better for your system than the ones ingested through supplements, according to doctors. -
Losing weight
Just like green tea, it raises the number of calories you burn, so you could introduce it into your losing weight plan accompanied by healthy food with plenty of greens and regular exercise. -
Potential Probiotic
May work as a probiotic thanks to the lactic-acid bacteria that reaches your gut and could show improvements in digestion. -
Skincare
As acne, eczema or dermatitis are linked to your digestive system - like the saying goes, ’you are what you eat’ (or ingest), it contains vitamins such as B2, B6, B12 which are said to deliver glowy skin and a healthier appearance.
No one appeared to have suffered from drinking kombucha. No one even got a ticket from the police for it because it is not an alcoholic beverage, despite of anything else you might hear. So even though it has not yet been proven to be a game-changer for our health, you could maybe be lucky enough to enjoy one of these 6 benefits of kombucha.