You've most likely heard of the drink kombucha by now. The drink is all the rage right now in the health community due to it's medicine-like properties.
“There are a lot of health benefits within kombucha," explains Scott Perlmeter, the founder of Upstart Kombucha. "It has probiotics; it has antioxidants, and really, there are 5 billion probiotics per serving.”
The process of making kombucha is pretty straightforward. The process begins with brewing tea. Once the tea has cooled, you add in yeast and bacteria. The tea then sits to ferment for nearly 10 days. During that time, the tea turns into kombucha.
The bubbly drink has billions of probiotics inside. According to scientists, probiotics are living microorganisms or good bacteria, and it's said to be beneficial for both the immune system and digestion.
“We know that kombucha is a fermented tea that could have the bacteria we are looking for to help rebuild or restore our gut health,” says registered dietitian Jessica Crandall.
A bottle of kombucha can cost nearly $5, but that’s because the health community has deemed it the elixir of life.
“What we don’t know are the strains of bacteria that could be harvesting or how much it’s providing," says Crandall. "And for consumers, from one to another, it may vary in how it improves there gut health or their immune system.”
Crandall says there isn't enough research done on the effects of kombucha and how many glasses we would need to consume in a day to see a difference in our gut health.
But at the end of the day, Crandall believes kombucha is just a healthier alternative to soda.
