6 Reasons Why Kombucha Is the Best Drink for Gut Health
If you’ve just started on your gut health journey, you may have heard of kombucha as one of the top beverages for gut health. Depending on where you live and how you were raised, you may or may not have a chance to taste this tangy carbonated drink.
If you haven’t incorporated kombucha into your diet, we’ve got plenty of reasons for you to do it immediately.
Here are 6 reasons why kombucha is the best drink for gut health:
Ready to learn more about what makes this fermented iced tea so good for your gut microbiome? Keep reading to learn all about kombucha!
1. Kombucha Is Packed With Probiotics
Kombucha is a fermented iced tea that is packed with probiotics. Probiotics refer to foods that can introduce new healthy bacteria into your gut flora, ultimately helping balance out your microbiome.
Kombucha is made with SCOBY, which is essentially a colony of different yeasts and bacteria. The SCOBY is placed in a container with tea and plenty of sugar and then left to rest for at least seven days. This allows the microorganisms in the SCOBY to consume the sugar and ferment the tea, which results in acetic acid that gives kombucha its carbonation.
The process of fermentation also results in the growth of lactic acid bacteria, which have a probiotic function when ingested. These specific bacteria have been found to reduce inflammation, aid digestion, and promote weight loss.
2. Kombucha Contains Polyphenols
Kombucha made with green tea includes plenty of polyphenols, which are microorganisms that can increase gut bacteria. Instead of introducing new strains of bacteria into your gut–as probiotics do–polyphenols essentially feed the bacteria that is already in your gut, thus helping it reproduce.
Polyphenols have also been found to reduce inflammation, which is another key factor that makes them so good for your gut health. Although inflammation can have many negative consequences, it is particularly bad for gut health as it impairs digestive health.
3. Kombucha Promotes the Growth of the Akkermansia Municiphila Bacteria
Akkermansia Muciniphila is one of the most powerful types of bacteria you can have in your gut microbiome. This powerful microorganism not only helps turn fibre into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), but it also helps protect our digestive tract.
These bacteria eat away at the mucins that line our intestinal tract, which has been shown to increase cell regeneration rates. This helps our digestive organs better absorb the nutrients of all the food we eat, thus increasing the efficiency with which we digest everything we put in our bodies.
4. Kombucha Can Kill Undesirable Bacteria
If you thought improving gut health was all about increasing the number of bacteria in your gut, that’s not entirely true. Although having more bacterial diversity is one of the main goals of improving gut health, there are a few undesirable strains of viruses and bacteria that we should try to avoid.
Kombucha produces plenty of acetic acid during the fermentation process, which is a strong antimicrobial. In particular, this acid has been shown to be incredibly effective at fighting Candida yeasts, which are “bad” bacteria that can cause infections.
5. Kombucha Contains Plenty of Antioxidants
You’ve probably heard of antioxidants and how great they are for your overall health, but did you know that they are excellent for gut health as well? Antioxidants help protect the gut lining, which helps prevent the development of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases like IBS.
Kombucha has strong antioxidant properties that support microbiome diversity and help in the detoxification of the liver. It’s worth noting that kombucha made with green tea has significantly better antioxidant properties than kombucha made with black tea, so choose wisely!
6. Kombucha Is a Great Substitute for Other Carbonated Drinks
Finally, kombucha can be a great replacement beverage for other carbonated drinks like soda or beer. If you’re not used to not having a fizzy drink with your meal, you stand to benefit from replacing alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks with some kombucha.
An excess of sugar consumption can decrease the number of good bacteria in your health, while alcohol consumption can increase inflammation in your digestive tract. Replacing these drinks with a tall glass of kombucha will not only give you the health benefits of this fermented iced tea, but it will also help you avoid the negative impacts of soda and alcohol.
If you’re ready to have a stronger grip on your gut health, you should download the OSbiome app from the Apple App Store today. Our app contains all the tools you need to keep track of your gut health habits and learn more about maximizing your gut health. Take back control today and rediscover your way to your true health.