Is kombucha good for you? A dietitian explains the benefits | You Versus Food | Well+Good

Kombucha is a fizzy, probiotic-packed tea product that has totally blown up as an all-around health potion in recent years. And it's been touted for its role in maintaining gut health. Plus it comes in all kinds of fun flavors!

But is drinking kombucha good for you? Dietitian Tracy Lockwood Beckerman sets the record straight in this episode of You Versus Food, chatting about the science behind kombucha's health benefits and claims, recommending the best way to purchase and drink your bacteria-packed 'booch, and getting into the nutritional nitty gritty about our fermented friend. Watch and learn how good for you this tea really is.

Tracy's was wardrobe provided courtesy of Aritzia.

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[JayDMac]

I really want to exit out of this video but I’m doing research

[lilywood]

I drank kombucha for a week and the next time I got to my lady days and it was around the time where I have had cramps, they were nowhere to be found. I have struggled with debilitating cramps for 2 or more years and this is the first time i have gone a period without them. I am so grateful.

[BMarie]

Anyone who hasnt tried or dislikes kombucha, the first time I drank it, it tasted like rotten tea mixed with vinegar. I hated it. But I kept drinking it. Particularly GT's, which does tend to be rather strong (but is the closest thing to home brew you can buy) . About a week later I was watching a movie and realized I was suddenly craving kombucha. I got some, and it was still a bit harsh but it was almost as if my body was begging for it. Kombucha has really helped me.

[briiiibriiii]

I love ginger because of its benefits for me and I love Kirklands ginger lemonade kombucha. Doesn’t taste the sweetest but the effects were the strongest I’ve had from any brand: no cramps from period, cleared glowing skin, more energy no need for caffeine. And idk if those are from ginger juice or kombucha but it’s powerful

[welmadiqfit]

I’ve been struggling with chronic intestinal problems that cause me to vomit 5-8x per day whether I eat or not. I stumbled upon kombucha at a state fair and felt a little weird after hearing what it was but nevertheless I had already finished half the drink and wasn’t going to stop there. Needless to say, after finishing the beverage I was able to make it that entire day (and the following day) without any vomiting and now I absolutely swear by it. If you have ANY gastrointestinal issues at all please give kombucha a shot (no matter how weird it sounds.)

[jasonjackson]

y'all rlly b upset bc she's fun and excited abt kombucha

[cansuuzcan]

0:29 hurt my ears so bad that I feel traumatized.

[KevinoftheCosmos]

I know this is only anectotal, but I don't have as many allergic breakouts when drinking kombucha regularly. I think it strengthens my gut health and that in turn controls candida overgrowth. I'm no health professional, but the results are undeniable. I've also fallen in love with the taste. Kevita cherry and GTS ginger are my personal favorites. Good video!!

[Michael-xbt]

I'm an American living in Cambodia, and the grocery store next to my hotel sells this stuff. It really helps with the extreme heat and dehydration.

[missyleonis]

I have been doing different probiotics since January . I started it as a way to secure food for my family because of covids affects on distribution and supply lines. It also was a way to save money at the store. As of about 3 months ago I found out about komboocha and it's range of probiotics and how easy it is to make. About 6 months ago I found out that probiotics might be the only effective treatment option for a autoimmune disease I was diagnosed with about 4 years ago. Looking back, I've showed signs as early as 6 yrs old (I'm 35 now). The symptoms had completely debilitated me. I was suffering. The disease causes my immune system to launch a targeted attack on thyriod cells in my body. The disease if not properly treated can become lethal. The thyroid is as much a major control center of the body as tge petuetary gland. If either are not working right, it causes a domino effect that often becomes lethal. Aundre tge giant died from complications from a messed up petuetary gland. The standard treatment available for my condition is to treat the thyriod to attempt to slow down the deterioration, not treat the over active immune response. Studies show that tge standard treatment doesn't work. It certainly wasn't helping me. I had to try something. I'm a disabled single mom. I've got a child who depends on me. I can't care for him if I can't function or I'm dead. So I did my research and found a alternative. It was slowly improving my health, but it was working. It really went into overdrive when I added komboocha to the mix. I'm not cured, nor am I in remission ( though remission is a future possibility according to my research). I am doing loads better. My symptoms are mostly managed which is a vast improvement. I do other probiotics as well, like fermented veggies, yogurt, sour cream, vinigars, gingerbug based sodas, and switchel is the newest addition. I also make home made cultured butter and buttermilk. I'm working on cheese making, but haven't gotten it right yet. I also make yeast bread and sourdough including making the yeast. I've made muffins and English muffins with this knowledge. I haven't figured out how to make bagles or cakes yet, but pankcakes and flatbreads that rise like naan are easy enough. The breads loose the probiotics in the cooking process, but the nutrients are more easily absorbed because of the process. I also use whole grain or sprouted whole grain flour. I won't say komboocha or other probiotics will be as good for others as it was for me. But I'm not gonna hide that it can be a lifesaver for some people like it was for me. I have a appt with my Dr in a couple of days, and I included needing blood tests run and why. I want evidence of improvement, as well as to know what else I might need to do to continue to improve my health. Blood tests will give more comprehensive results, and provide more answers.

[neeya]

I was hospitalized years ago of a gallbladder sludge and even up to now I still get a "gallbladder attack" sometimes if I consume a lot of fats. Few weeks ago I discovered this KOMBUCHA and tried this product. Now I can't eat without it.

[homomorphic]

Kombucha is the healthiest beverage option aside from water and green tea. Of course. It has sugar and the recommendation of 12 oz/day is a very good ballpark for a male of average weight and height.

In spite of the sugar (which is a toxin equivalent to ethanol) the relatively low content as well as the presence of probiotics and particularly the organic acids, offsets the deleterious effects of the moderate sugar content at rhe recommended consumption.

Btw, the more sour the kombucha the more sugar has been converted to ethanol and the more of that ethanol has been subsequently converted to organic acids. This means that, as a rule of thumb, the more sour the more positive the health benefits (when consumed in moderation of course)

[whitealliance]

This is like earth beer. Very good to drink 20 oz every sunday night once you adjust to it. Some flavors are amazing. Most dont taste that good. But it will make you feel amazing! After 30 day intensive, all you need is a little once a week.

[nicimausa]

Isn't the most important thing to check if it is pasteurized? A lot of the ready to drink ones are, which means the good bacteria is destroyed during this heat-process. That's why I make my own kombucha with bacteria that are still alive.

[MpMod]

I've started drinking SYNERGY and at first i did't like it, then i fell in love.

[Justbreezintoday]

I love synergy kombucha!! Its helped my energy and skin so much!

[GrubELiT]

She has the cutest excitement! Makes her videos fun and are super in depth...keep making videos like this please!

[tatyannam]

“(Health-ade) in the flavor pink lady apple” is far my favorite so far! Tastes kinda similar to a sprite like taste, but also with a little apple cider vinegar taste. Definitely the one to try if you’re not sure what to get at first

[LukeoXx]

Skip the unending, useless jokes and get the summary: As of the recording of this video, there have been no clinical studies on humans consuming kombucha, only animals, and it appears to improve animal health. More research needs to be done before we can definitely claim that kombucha is either good or bad for humans.

[karenjeffrey]

Kombucha isn't typically 1-3% alcohol. Anything above 0.5% alcohol would be age restricted in the US. I've heard the alcohol levels are usually on a par with fruit juice (i.e. negligible), though it will depend on the brewing process.