I love kombucha and if you follow me on instagram, you probably already know this. I’m a self-proclaimed kombucha addict and if I could afford it, I’d have one every day. This fizzy, cold drink is low in sugar, high in gut-healthy probiotics and hits the spot whenever I open one.
So, why do I love this stuff so much? It’s not just because it tastes so good, but also because it’s an incredibly healthy addition to my day. Here’s why.
Kombucha is Full of Healthy Gut-Loving Probiotics
Inside each of us, is a microbiome, or the vast community of bacteria that lives within us. We usually think of bacteria as something that causes diseases, but your body is full of bacteria, both good and bad. The microbiome in our gut governs many of our key functions and is absolutely crucial to our overall health. Without a healthy gut, our immune system, metabolism, gastrointestinal tract, mood, brain function and our weight will all suffer. We will even have a harder time absorbing important vitamins and minerals from our food without a healthy gut.
So, how do we get a healthy gut, or microbiome? There are many ways, but probiotics are one of the best. Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your health, especially your digestive system. They’re called the “good guys”, or the helpful bacteria in our gut, because they help keep our gut healthy.
Fun Fact: The ideal balance of good and bad bacteria is about 85:15. 85% good bacteria and 15% bad. Maintaining this ideal ratio is what it’s all about when we’re talking about the importance of probiotics.
Kombucha Is Fermented
What is fermentation? Scientifically speaking, it’s the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeast, or other microorganisms. Kombucha starts out as a sugary green or black tea and a SCOBY. A SCOBY (an acronym for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast”) is placed with the sugary tea and then “eats” most of the sugar, creating a refreshingly fizzy, fermented drink that is low in calories and sugar. After the fermentation process, Kombucha contains many amino acids and B vitamins in addition to a large population of probiotics.
Fermented Foods May Help us Maintain and Lose Weight
Fermented foods and drinks help the gut by supplying it with lots and lots of good bacteria to help balance out the bad. These foods are rich in live bacteria that help our body maintain the right proportion of friendly bacteria for optimal health and weight loss. Fermented foods have even been called the next generation of Super Foods.
Other Fermented Foods To Try
Sauerkraut (real, homemade sauerkraut that requires refrigeration)
Bubbies is my favorite brand - I buy mine at Whole Foods and Natural Grocers
Whole Milk Yogurt
If you live in Texas, White Mountain is my favorite brand
Pickles (real, homemade pickles that require refrigeration)
Bubbies is my favorite brand - I buy mine at Whole Foods and Natural Grocers
Kefir (fermented milk)
Kimchi (another fermented cabbage dish)
But I Take a Probiotic Pill - Can I Skip Fermented Foods?
According to Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, when compared to probiotic supplements, fermented foods not only give you a wider variety of beneficial bacteria, they also give you far more of them. It’s unusual to find a probiotic supplement containing more than 10 billion colony-forming units. But when her team actually tested fermented vegetables produced by probiotic starter cultures, they had 10 trillion colony-forming units of bacteria. This means one serving of vegetables was equal to an entire bottle of a high potency probiotic. So clearly, you’re far better off using fermented foods.
I’m not suggesting to stop taking your probiotic supplement, but for some they aren’t affordable. Buying a high quality sauerkraut, kefir or whole-milk yogurt may be a better option. Or, ferment you own veggies, which is by far the most cost effective way to get your probiotics.
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