Kombucha, what is that?

Even as a dietitian there are times I am overwhelmed by all the products on the market that claim nutrition and health benefits.  I was reminded of this when I recently visited the big Whole Foods store in Dallas (you know the one up North that is ginormous).  As I walked the aisles, I was amazed at the number of products that were new and unfamiliar to me and so I came up with the idea to select one of these mysterious products, do a little research and share with you what I learned here on the blog.

I chose Kombucha today because I actually have been drinking the ginger flavor Kombucha tea for a while now.   Besides telling you that I like the taste (it tastes like ginger ale) and find it refreshing, I could not have shared much more about what Kombucha is or what it’s potential health benefits are………until now.

Kombucha is a fermented tea made with sugar, bacteria and yeast.  Although, it is sometimes called “mushroom” tea, Kombucha is not a mushroom, it is a colony of bacteria and yeast.  Most accurately, Kombucha is a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts).

Kombucha is believed to have originated in China, used for thousands of years as an elixir to treat illness.  Kombucha also had a strong presence in Russia during the 19^th century.  The fermented tea first arrived in the US during the 1990’s, but lost popularity after the CDC linked the drink to one man’s death.  In 2003 – 2004 the drink  made its return when Whole Foods began distributing the tea nationally.

Health benefits attributed to Kombucha include improved digestive health, boosted immune system and cancer prevention……oh and some even claim it makes their hair grow faster. It should be noted that available scientific evidence does not support claims that Kombucha tea promotes good health, prevents any ailments, or works to treat cancer or any other disease (1).

There have been a few reports of adverse consequences from Kombucha, mainly stomach upset and allergic reactions.  Anyone with a serious medical condition or who is taking medication should consult their doctor before drinking Kombucha.

So what do I think?  There is not enough scientific evidence to make me strongly for or against Kombucha, there are many studies in preliminary phases so maybe in a year or so I will have a more formed opinion.  Considering that Kombucha does contain calories (the ginger tea has about 60 per bottle) I will probably limit the amount I indulge in this fizzy, fermented tea.  As always, water is and will remain the best way to hydrate one’s self!