Does Kombucha Tea Have Health Benefits?

Kombucha is a fermented beverage made from fermenting tea and sugar with a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast called SCOBY.

Kombucha tea gained popularity briefly in Nigeria in the 1980s when people made and used it for so many health issues. It has since disappeared and I have not heard of anybody using it again, though I am sure some people will still be using it. I still wonder why people lost interest in using it after a while.

Kambucha tea is still used popularly in other parts of the world and users have claimed that is has a lot of healing properties like these below and some more:

1. Treat and prevent cancer.
2. Promote digestive health.
3. Detoxification.
4. Boost the immune system.
5. Reduce inflammation.
6. Boost energy levels.

Kombucha tea was and is still traditionally made at home but it is also produced and bottled for commercial sale. Kombucha like many fermented foods contain microbial cultures that promote digestive health because of the probiotic microbes present. It is low in sugar, rich in enzymes and contains B vitamins, antioxidants and glucosamines.

Kombucha has a fizzy sour taste and tastes a bit like apple vinegar. This is because the yeast converts sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas while the bacteria then turn the alcohol into acids.

Apart from some research carried out in Russia and Germany early in the twentieth century, there has not been much done because those who can fund researches cannot gain from validating its health benefits since there will be no financial rewards.

I did not hear of anybody having died from using kombucha tea in those days. People probably stopped using it because they did not get the quick results or miracles they expected. I know that many had reservations about using it after a while because of the rate at which the microbial colony grew and there was limited access to information then.

Let's hear from you! If you use kombucha tea or have used it and have benefitted from it or you know anybody who does, please share below or by email to yvonnebosede06@gmail.com. Follow on Twitter @heal2bwell for updates.

Below are some articles about kombucha and its health benefits:

http://www.kombu.de/val-gwf.html
http://www.gaiaresearch.co.za/kombucha.html
http://www.acupuncture.com/herbs/kombucha1.html