There are plenty folks out there who believe that kombucha has some healthy upside. I’m less enthusiastic, but the downside is limited and, in moderation, it’s a fine drink. From cleancuisineandmore.com:
Kombucha (pronounced “kom-BOO-cha”), often called “mushroom tea,” is a fermented beverage made from black or green tea, sugar and a fungus culture. It’s been used as a health tonic for centuries in China, Japan and Russia.
Didn’t I recently suggest I wouldn’t be engaging in product reviews? But, but, but… they’re so fun. I reserve the right to change my mind at any given time for any reason. You know the drill, altering course can be healthy.
Many moons ago, my best friend (and wife at the time) Lisa was purchasing unreasonably feminine bottles of the fermented tea. I really only noticed because they were four bucks a pop from Whole Foods. She has always dug shiny, pretty packaged foods, bless her heart. The claims on these bottles were audacious. The website’s declarations are equally bold.
100% raw and organic, Kombucha nourishes the body, delights your taste buds, bolsters your immunity, and makes your spirits fly. You feel on top of the world. Healthier. Happier. Stronger. It is living food for a living body.
I’ll take two of those, and you forgot drunker (more on that later). The beverage is tangy and slightly spicy, served icy cold but warms the belly. It’s mildly sweet and features a refreshing effervescence. On flavor and experience alone, this stuff is rad. Now, as a health elixir, it’s a clever marketing play. From NPR:
There is really very little evidence to support any kind of claims about kombucha tea,” says Andrea Giancoli, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “So we don’t know if it does anything at all.
C’mon, we ain’t stopping our research at the tealeaf plucking level. We must get some dirt in our nails and brew (see?) a full narrative about kombucha’s healing properties. After all, GT Dave, the maker of those bottles, can’t be all wrong. There has to be some truth to what he’s saying. The taste and the vivid colors alone can’t sell millions of bottles a year (um, Coke says hi, Kap).
Nevertheless, most kombucha drinks contain live bacteria. And evidence is mounting that friendly bacteria or probiotics aide digestion and possibly even strengthens the immune system.
These good bugs “actually live inside of us and help digest our food, digesting particles we can’t digest on our own,” nutritionist Reinagel says. “And they actually produce certain nutrients for us, which is a very nice trick.
This sounds an awful lot like any fermented foods (kefir, sauerkraut, miso), but kombucha has one up on them. Those foods don’t give you a cool buzz. The first time I gulped a bottle of the fizzy tea, I noticed I was marginally tipsy (admittedly, my system is fairly sensitive). “Well now,” I thought to myself. “No wonder she’s buying these by the case.” I must admit, it was a pleasant surprise, feeling kind of groovy from a “soft” beverage.
The yeast used to ferment kombucha converts sugar into carbon dioxide, and alcohol is the natural byproduct. It’s not much, around 0.5%, but there is some in there.
What does this mean for our health goals? We know that alcohol is highly caloric, 96 calories for 1.5 ounces of tequila, for example. But kombucha isn’t going to smash your fitness goals. Don’t stress. The bottle of Gingerade, has only two ingredients, raw, organic kombucha and fresh pressed ginger juice. It clocks in at around 30 calories per 8 ounces. More from cleancuisineandmore.com:
…because the fermentation converts most of the sugar into organic acids, the resulting drink has as few as two grams of sugar per cup.
So go for fermented tea if you please, just don’t be surprised if you start looking for a bowl of pretzels and Chex mix. Personally, I’ll stick to water, sensibly farmed and cultivated black coffee and the occasional scotch, neat.
Kap
Iain Henderson says
Hi Kap,
What are your thoughts on fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi? I have read a lot about their benefits to gut health but haven’t yet added them to my diet.
Thanks,
Iain
Gabe Kapler says
Stay tuned for a post on this topic, Lain. Thanks for stopping by.
Jesus Rodriguez says
Hello,
I was wondering if you could elaborate on the kinds of coffees mentioned in the article. For example, what should I look for when I’m in the coffee aisle?
Chris says
https://kaplifestyle.com/2014/04/grind-coffee
Organic, fair trade, local roast. Three keys in my opinion. The rest is personal preference.
Gabe Kapler says
Jesus, you can trust Chris here. My gratitude to you both.
MIchelle says
I had to stop reading when you said ‘groovy’ and ‘tipsy’ in the same paragraph. But this sounds like it’s worth trying at least for a cheap date…better than spiking yogurt with vodka. Cheers
Gabe Kapler says
Yogurt and vodka. Got it.
Duane says
Excellent post Kap. The bottle of Gingerade sounds like something I would try. I figure 2 ingredients and one of them isn’t sugar then that’s for me. The drink with 0.5% “groovy juice” i think I’ll pass. Don’t get me wrong I like getting my drink on but I’d prefer to go this route: https://kaplifestyle.com/2014/08/cocktail-class.
Happy Friday, happy drinking!
Gabe Kapler says
If you dig ginger, you’ll dig this drink.
James says
Glad you wrote about this. Saw this at Earth Fare the other day and tried it. I was going to ask you about it, no need now.
Gabe Kapler says
Thanks, James.
Ed H says
Kap, since I know you love feedback….
By all means give us any product reviews you like. You use your reviews as a forum for education and you do it well. That’s clearly different than using them as a forum for profiteering.
I come here for a combination of the facts and opinions you share. I probably value your opinions about the facts more than the facts themselves. I can find facts all over the internet, but often find myself confused by “competing facts”. I especially value how you interlace your experiences which support your opinions. That provides more clarity on the basis for your opinions and more surface area for my own opinions to evolve.
As always, thanks!
Gabe Kapler says
Super valuable comment, Ed. Thanks. I’ll write more. I certainly enjoy the process.
Mariana says
Thanks for the info. I also enjoy reading your blog because it’s different every time and you cover soooo many items.
Gabe Kapler says
Awwww, appreciate you, Mariana.
Andrew Gazich says
Hey Kap,
Long time reader… first time commentor.
Being a former college baseball player and tennis player (as odd as that is) I enjoy getting your perspective being a high end professional athlete and nutritional inquisitor.
I don’t know why I thought of this, but what are your thoughts on soy based products??
There is this product that is coming around that I have been hearing a lot about. It is called Reliv. You can check it out at reliv.com
They have some decent research on their website and, if it strikes your interest, I would be curious to get your take on them…
If anything, an idea for another post??
Thanks for all you do,
Be well…