If you want to learn about the latest diet and health trends, you may have heard of these kombucha brands and at least one claimed benefit. Many people praise the many benefits of kombucha, and you may even have friends or colleagues brewing your own kombucha at home. Once an esoteric drink isolated from a niche alternative health community, it has now become a mainstream drink offered by traditional grocery stores and convenience stores in almost every corner of the country.

But what exactly is Kombucha—is it tea? soda? Alcoholic beverages? What are the benefits of kombucha? Does it live up to the hype? Should you start changing your afternoon decaffeinated tea to a bottle of kombucha, or better yet, start making your own kombucha at home?

Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage, usually made from black or green tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast. Many kombuchas are flavored by adding spices such as ginger or fruits such as fresh peaches and strawberries to the tea barrel during fermentation. Just like the yeast bread starter, Kombucha uses a starter culture (called scoby) for each batch.

Kombucha is usually fermented for about a week, during which time it produces gas, trace alcohol, bacteria and acetic acid. Since vinegar also contains acetic acid, kombucha has a significant effect on flavor characteristics. Due to the fermentation process, gas is generated in the tea, so the kombucha will be slightly effervescent, but not as carbonated as soda water. Kombucha is not entirely an alcoholic beverage (unless you specifically buy hard Kombucha), although it does contain some alcohol. The alcohol content of typical Kombucha is about 0.5% (volume), which is significantly lower than beer (about 5% alcohol).

If you have never drunk kombucha, the description of it alone is enough to discourage you, because it may be an acquired taste. That said, kombucha has many reported benefits, so it might be worth a try for the first time.

The fermentation process produces beneficial bacteria, such as the Lactobacillus genus called probiotics. These same probiotics are also found in other fermented foods, such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and miso. Probiotics help to grow beneficial bacteria in the intestines. These bacteria help digestion, support the immune system, reduce inflammation, and produce essential vitamins such as vitamin B and K.

Because Kombucha provides probiotics, it can help digestion, improve bowel regularity, and reduce nausea, bloating, and indigestion.

The core of kombucha is green tea or black tea. Green tea is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols, all of which are known to have many health benefits, including increased metabolic rate, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, improved cognitive function, and lower risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and Certain cancers.

The fermentation process of Kombucha produces acetic acid, which can kill harmful pathogens in the intestines, such as invading bacteria and yeasts, and prevent infection. In addition, this antibacterial effect seems to selectively kill unfavorable pathogens while retaining beneficial bacteria.

Green tea contains compounds such as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a catechin that can increase metabolic rate and increase fat burning, especially in the abdominal area. Therefore, choosing kombucha made with green tea, coupled with a healthy calorie control diet and physical exercise, may help achieve your weight loss goals.

There is evidence that regular consumption of low-sugar kombucha can lower blood sugar and increase insulin sensitivity. Green tea helps regulate blood sugar levels, so as long as you don’t consume a lot of sugar-added kombucha, you can get some blood sugar benefits.

Want to try fermenting your own Kombucha? We created a simple recipe, seasoned with ginger and pear. You can also swap in other fruits, such as peaches, cranberries, apples or blueberries.

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