If you haven’t already heard, Kombucha is a sweetened and slightly alcoholic loose-leaf tea drink commonly consumed for its supposed health benefits. Brewed in a similar way as wine and ale, Kombucha is made by adding symbiotic bacteria and yeast culture to a broth of sugared tea leaves to ferment which allows for bacterial growth in the tea.
Alcohol content of Kombucha is relatively small, usually less than 0.5%, so there’s no need to worry about getting drunk from the odd bottle or two. The novelty is that the drink contains healthy probiotic bacteria which are responsible for converting the alcohol into organic acids and are good for keeping our gut healthy.
Probiotics are what our gut needs from time to time to help balance the friendly bacteria in our digestive system and support the immune system to keep inflammation and other ailments at bay. With studies suggesting probiotics found in Kombucha can prevent diarrhea and reduce the severity of certain allergies such as eczema; having the odd flavoursome bottle of Kombucha is bound to give your body a real health boost!
Kombucha can even be made at home with online retailer Fix8 – Build Your Own Homebrew Kit available for amateur brewers; however caution should be taken as the pathogenic microorganisms can potentially contaminate the tea during preparation – so make sure you follow the instructions carefully!
Buying kombucha from renowned health shops is always a safer alternative, but don’t be alarmed of the sugar content as the chemical process needs sugar to ferment. Fast becoming an artisanal beverage, if you’re tempted to taste this sweet and sour drink then why not support independent retailers like Captain Kombucha’s Raspberry Bio-Organic Drink and LA Brewery’s – Strawberry & Black Pepper Kombucha for a tropical take on a probiotic favourite.
