Kombucha Healthy Tea: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

GT’s organic raw kombucha

The darling tea of healthy foodies and celebrities like Reese Witherspoon is now going mainstream. Get the facts behind kombucha (kom-BOO-cha), the funny, fizzy, fermented tea.

1. Kombucha Is a Fermented Drink

Don’t wrinkle your nose unless you don’t drink wine and beer and you never eat sauerkraut or vinegar. Kombucha is made with sweetened black or green tea that’s been combined with bacteria and yeast and then fermented for about a week. There is usually a bit of sludge floating on the bottom of the tea that people sometimes call the “mushroom”.

2. What Does Kombucha Taste Like?

I drink kombucha once in awhile, and I think it tastes pretty good. It doesn’t have a very strong or powerful flavor, but it does have a mild tartness and fizziness. Because it has a muted vinegary flavor, it’s easy to drink.

3. What are the Health Benefits of Kombucha?

Kombucha has been around for thousands of years in China, Japan, and Korea before it was introduced to Europe. Since then, people have talked about its mystical health and healing powers.

These days, people say it strengthens the immune system, helps digestion, and boosts energy levels. Die-hards claim it can prevent and fight cancer, detox your whole body, increase your focus and clarity, and help with arthritis.

Because of the probiotics and antioxidants in kombucha, it makes sense that it would have a positive effect on digestion and immunity. But there has not yet been enough research done on kombucha to support some of the more extreme health claims.

4. Are There Are Any Kombucha Risks?

Most of the risks with drinking kombucha have to do with home brewing. There might be a higher risk for contamination and possible mold growth when inexperienced people take to brewing their own kombucha at home. If you’re at all worried about this, then enjoy the commercial kombucha that you can find in your grocery store.

5. Kombucha Is Used in Beauty Products

Since a 2012 study showed that Kombucha extract was good for the skin, it’s popped up in drugstore aisles and at beauty counters. Juara, Fresh, and Murad all have kombucha-infused beauty products.