Is Kombucha Healthy? Here ’s What Experts Say

Kombucha has a golden reputation in the beverage world. It’s everywhere: from supermarket shelves to workplace refrigerators and even on tap in cafés. As this fizzy fermented tea rose in popularity, so did claims of its health benefits, from improved digestion, metabolism, immunity, liver function, heart health and more. But are these claims backed by science — and is kombucha good for you? Here’s what nutrition experts have to say. What is kombucha? Kombucha is a fermented tea drink made from green or black tea (or both), sugar, yeast and bacteria, and is believed to have originated in China about 2,000 years ago. It’s made by adding a colony of live bacteria and yeast, known as a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), to sweetened tea and leaving it to ferment for a few weeks until it turns into a slightly sweet, slightly tart beverage that’s separated from the SCOBY and bottled. Is kombucha good for you? Kombucha contains B vitamins, antioxidants and probiotics, but the drink’s nutritional content will vary depending on the brand and how it’s prepared, so you’ll want to read the nutrition label. Many store-bought varieties contain about 30 calories and 2-8 grams of sugar for every eight-ounce serving, according to the USDA’s food products database. While juices and sodas often contain far more sugar than kombucha, every gram of sugar counts. Despite all the health claims about kombucha, nutrition expert...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Diet/Nutrition Source Type: news