Kombucha FAQs
WHAT IS KOMBUCHA?
Kombucha, also known as mushroom tea, has nothing to do with mushrooms and everything to do with gut healthy probiotic goodness.
Kombucha is, simply, fermented sweet tea. Less simply, during the brewing process, sweet tea ferments into a lactic acid drink filled with probiotics, which improves digestion and your digestive systems microbiome.
You can easily find kombucha at nearly any grocery store these days. However mass produced kombucha beverages are usually heavily sweetened, and are generally not organic. Plus, they are simply expensive! At $3-6 per bottle, it would not be wallet friendly to purchase premade kombucha daily. Fortunately, you can save a TON of money by brewing your own homemade kombucha. It’s a simple process that requires minimal effort and little equipment.
Kombucha is a versatile beverage. Once you get the hang of making your own, there is an endless number of flavors, tea and sugar combinations and you won’t be limited to the expensive variety found at your grocery store.
KOMBUCHA HEALTH BENEFITS
According to an article in Medical News Today and another in Cleveland Clinic, Kombucha has been shown to offer many benefits including:Improved gut health
- Reduced cancer risk
- Reduced infection risk
- Anti Inflammatory properties
- Improved mental health
- Lowered cholesterol
- Weight loss
- Healthier liver
- Diabetes (Type 2) management
Drinking as little as 4 ounces a day may improve your mind and body, plus kombucha tastes good! So, consider swapping your soda or other sweetened drink for one that benefits your body.
DOES KOMBUCHA HAVE CAFFEINE?
The final fermented may have caffeine, depending on what kind of tea you used to make it. Black tea is the most common, and after the fermentation process is complete, about one third of the caffeine remains. This is much less than most other teas, coffee or soda.
DOES KOMBUCHA HAVE ALCOHOL?
Kombucha, being a fermented beverage, does have a trace amount of alcohol. In most cases, the alcohol content is 0.5%, which is not enough to cause any intoxication. For comparison, most beer is the in 3-6% range.