Kombucha is to the wellness world what Kylie Jenner is to pop culture: so hot right now. Everyone’s positively buzzing about kombucha’s health benefits, but is the fermented tea all it claims to be?
Kombucha’s Health Benefits According to Gabrielle Kassel
Gabrielle Kassel drank four bottles of kombucha a week for three months. Here’s what she discovered:
Kombucha is an Adaptogen
An adaptogen is a substance derived from plants for the purpose of creating herbal medicines, they can assist in relieving stress, anxiety, sleep, your immune system, and much more. Historically, they’ve been used in naturopathy, Ayurvedic medicine, and Chinese medicine, but they’re also backed up by modern day science.
Studies show that adaptogens decrease stress and help build a strong immune system. They’re great sources of antioxidants, help to protect your liver, boost energy, and minimize sugar cravings – Gabrielle found that drinking her Kombucha helped to totally diminish her cravings for sweet, artificial treats!
It’s Absolutely Packed with Natural Probiotics
Although our gut already houses a myriad of good bacteria, we can always boost our general health, gut health, and immune system by adding some more in the form of probiotics. Probiotics can assist in strengthening the intestinal barrier and encourage disease-fighting proteins called antibodies, which help keep flu and strep throat at bay.
The healthy bacteria in fermented foods are highly beneficial to our digestive systems. Probiotics help to regulate the accumulation of harmful bacteria, and assist in reducing bloating, so even though the fizz in the kombucha made Gabrielle bloated after drinking it, that bloat went away in two hours, and left her with a flatter, less irritated stomach.
Probiotics are said to help manage diarrhea, particularly after a course of antibiotics, they’re particularly beneficial for IBS and other intestinal diseases. Gabrielle discovered that since starting her Kombucha ‘regime’, UTIs and yeast infection evaded her, and she managed to keep colds and flus at bay – Impressive for someone who makes regular use of NYC public transport!
Kombucha’s Chock Full of Vitamins
Packed full of vitamins B1, B6, and B12, Kombucha assists the body in combating depression, encouraging a fast metabolism, as well as minimizing the risk of stroke. It also contains vitamin C, which studies show suppresses the release of cortisol. Elevated levels of cortisol are linked to hypertension, depression, and impaired mental clarity.
Luckily for us, Kombucha contains up to 3 to 6 times the amount of vitamin C (depending on the Kombucha brand) than orange juice, with only a fraction of the sugar content.
It Contains Trace Amounts of Alcohol
You may be thinking “Why is the alcohol in Kombucha even beneficial?” But we assure you it is! Now most bottles of Kombucha contain too little alcohol to even be considered an alcoholic beverage, however, naturally occurring low-levels of alcohol have actually been shown to boost your mood and lower your stress levels.
Kombucha Does Wonders For Your Skin
Kombucha is great for your skin as it’s both fermented and full of probiotics. Like many teas, it has antioxidant properties, but what makes kombucha unique is that the yeast also helps firm up your skin, while the sugar helps make your skin appear brighter, it’s also said to encourage PH (alkaline) balance, making it a wonderful skin toner. Some beauty experts even swear by using it on your face like a facial cleanser, for radiant, youthful looking skin.
So, what is the fitness and wellness blogger’s final verdict?
While it may be an acquired taste(what some compare to vinegar), Gabrielle does say that getting used to the acidity is easy, so much so that she’s not only accustomed to the taste, but she craves it, and so does her body. She now swears by drinking a bottle of Kombucha every other day!
To help support your gut and boost it with the bacteria it needs, consider taking Releaf Probiotic 12-strain, which contains a combination of 12 probiotic strains. This may assist in improving or normalising the microbial balance in the human intestines, thereby the functioning of the digestive tract/gut.
