8 Reasons To Drink Kombucha

If you’ve been shopping at Meridian Meats & Farm Market stores throughout the lower mainland over the last few years, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed we have slowly and steadily increased our selection of kombucha offerings.

Kombucha has grown in popularity pretty significantly over the last decade, and for good reason — it’s both healthy and delicious! This article we sourced from Dr. Axe – Food is Medicine’s site lists 8 powerful reasons why you should be consuming kombucha on a regular basis.

But first – what is kombucha?

Well, Wikipedia describes kombucha as “a variety of fermented, lightly effervescent sweetened black or green tea drinks.” Kombucha is fermented with a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast – often simply referred to as SCOBY. This fermentation process produces massive amounts of probiotics within the kombucha that have been long thought to improve gut health and digestion (hint: that’s one of the reasons you should drink it!).

Now that you are more familiar with what kombucha is, what are the benefits of drinking it? Here are 8 reasons to drink kombucha, according to Dr. Axe:

Helps prevent a wide variety of diseases
According to Dr. Axe, there is a fairly well-confirmed body of evidence that kombucha contains powerful antioxidants and can aid in detox and disease prevention. Antioxidants reduce inflammation, which is at the root of many diseases. This particular quality is one reason why this fizzy, fermented drink might even decrease the risk of certain kinds of cancers.
Supports a healthy gut
Kombucha contains high levels of highly beneficial acids, probiotics, amino acids and enzymes. These acids and enzymes help support your digestive system. There is even some research that has shown kombucha’s ability to prevent and heal stomach ulcers.
Kombucha does contain bacteria, but these bacteria are not harmful; rather they are beneficial bacteria known as “apathogens” which compete with the “bad” pathogen bacteria found in your gut and digestive tract.
May help improve mental state
B vitamins, and B12 in particular, are known to increase energy and support overall mental well-being. Well guess what? Kombucha Kombucha is loaded with B vitamins, including a healthy dose of B12.
A healthy gut can also promote mental health, as some believe depression can be caused by inflammation in the gut. As explained in point 2 above, kombucha’s acids and enzymes help support a healthy gut, thus promoting your mental health.
Beneficial for the lungs
Chinese scientists discovered that inhalation of kombucha could be a way to treat this and other diseases of the lungs caused by inhalation of dangerous material. That being said, we would recommend you drink kombucha, rather than inhaling it.
Powerful antibacterial agent
Due to the type of bacteria found in kombucha, drinking the live probiotic cultures actually destroys bad bacteria responsible for infections. Some lab studies have found that kombucha can have antibacterial effects against staph, E. coli, Sh. sonnei, two strains of salmonella and Campylobacter jejuni.
Helpful in managing diabetes
You may not have diabetes, but there is some research that suggests kombucha can be beneficial for diabetics, despite what some practitioners warn. Kombucha seems to help alleviate some diabetes symptoms thanks to the functions of its antioxidants. Of course, if you are diabetic, be sure to only consume kombucha that contains very little sugar load.
Good for the cardiovascular system
Despite the minimal research efforts to link cardiovascular health and kombucha, it has long been considered to be beneficial to the heart. This is likely due to the research that indicates that, in animal models, kombucha helps to lower triglyceride levels, as well as regulate cholesterol naturally. The assumption being, “if it’s good for them, it’s good for us”! Whether this is ultimately the case remains to be proven.
Helps maintain a healthy liver
The liver is a vital component in digestion and overall health as it helps to filter and convert harmful compounds. The antioxidants in kombucha may protect the liver from oxidative stress and damage induced by acetaminophen overdose.

Kombucha we carry

Now that we have convinced you (*wink wink*) to give kombucha a try, here’s some information on the various lines of the fermented fizzy tea Meridian carries:

GT’s Kombucha — Certified Organic, unpasteurized, and brewed in California. A wide variety of flavours, including Gingerade, Mystic Mango, and Tantric Tumeric.

RISE Kombucha — Organic and unpasteurized, brewed in Québec. Flavours include Rose & Schizandra, Mint & Chlorophyll, and Blueberry & Maple.

Brew Dr. Kombucha — Unpasteurized and organic, brewed in Portland, Oregon. Flavours include Lemon Ginger Cayenne, Citrus Hops, and Mango Habanero.