Kombucha: Is It Actually Healthy? | Dr. Josh Axe

Hi, Dr. Josh Axe here, doctor of natural medicine and founder of draxe.com. In this video, I'll be answering the question, is kombucha actually healthy? And actually going through the nutritional facts and really, I'll answer it to begin with here. Kombucha is healthy for most people but not for all people. And I'll tell you who shouldn't drink kombucha and absolutely who should.

So let's start off talking about what is kombucha. By the way, I know a lot about kombucha because my brother, owns a kombucha company, so we've been drinking it and actually using it for years. Now, what is it? Well, it's a fermented drink consisting of black tea and fermented sugar.

It's been used for literally 1,000 years and touted as a miracle elixir and oftentimes was consumed in different areas of Asia.

It contains a colony of bacteria and specifically a type of yeast called a SCOBY, okay, and after fermentation, becomes carbonated and full of types of, you could say vinegar, but really it's more what are called organic acids like acetic acid and gluconic acid, high in B vitamins, enzymes, probiotics, and I mentioned those acids there below. A healthy, powerful drink, but it's not for everyone.

Here are some nutrition facts. The average 16-ounce unpasteurized kombucha will contain about 60 calories, now 20 milligrams of sodium. Not too high. 14 Grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of sugar, and then also contains about 20% to 25% your daily value of loads of B vitamins including vitamin B2, folate, B6, thiamine, niacin, and vitamin B12 known as the energy vitamin.

So you can see here, this is really— there really are a significant amount of nutrients Found in kombucha, lower levels of sugar, and in addition to this, because it contains black tea, black tea is really high in polyphenols and certain types of antioxidants that are great for the body and can naturally energize your system. One other thing that could be up here is caffeine.

It's a naturally occurring source of low levels but does have probably the amount of caffeine of— let's compare it to a cup of coffee. The average one will probably have the equivalent of about maybe a 4th a cup of coffee of kombucha. So let's talk about the many health benefits of kombucha and then talk about who should and who shouldn't consume it.

Number one health benefit, again, it's an antioxidant powerhouse. Now, you maybe have heard of all the antioxidant benefits of green tea and of coffee. Well, in terms of antioxidant levels, black tea will fall somewhere or be in a very similar range to a green tea or sometimes even higher than most green teas out there.

So it's very high in antioxidant, which is great for anti-aging, fighting heart disease, fighting cancer. So there definitely is antioxidant protection found in kombucha because of the black tea. It supports gut health.

You know, when you ferment sugar, it creates lots and lots of probiotics or different types of yeast that can really actually help balance out and kill off bad microorganisms in the body. So again, it can support gut health, especially bowel movements. Mental status, you know, this can be very good.

Probiotics are really supporting the gut lining, which in turn can support mental health, as can some of the B vitamins we mentioned earlier. Can really support your lungs in certain instances because of the probiotics in the black tea. Those antioxidants support the cardiovascular system. Has antibacterial properties. Now, the reason for this is unique. Is it's very high.

When you taste kombucha, it has that very sour component. That sour component, those are known as organic acids like acetic and gluconic acid, which actually create a specific type of environment where bacteria can really thrive and grow, or good bacteria, but actually keeps certain types of bad bacteria and yeast at bay because of its unique way of creating a certain type of pH within your body.

Also, it may help with type 2 diabetes management. Biggest reason is black tea contains antioxidants that supports the pancreas. The organic acids support liver function, which is good for blood glucose levels. And in addition to that, if you're drinking kombucha in place of soda or other sugary drinks, it's much lower in sugar and a better alternative for those with diabetes.

It's great for cardiovascular health because of the antioxidants we mentioned earlier. And also supports the liver because of those organic acids. Now, within Chinese medicine, it was known that consuming sour foods really supported the liver and overall function. And so again, that sourness you get in kombucha actually does support the liver there as well. Now, is it right for everyone?

The answer is not always, and let's talk about who it's good for and who it's not. If you have Candida, Do not consume kombucha. Now, here's why. Kombucha in Chinese medicine is considered a more dampening food. Now, not an extremely dampening food like straight sugar or let's say even something like dairy products, but it's mildly dampening.

And because it can dampen the body, it can cause Candida issues. Now, dampness, imagine a lot of mucus in your body or yeast or coating on your tongue. That's dampness. What we want to do if you have Candida is dry your body out. You do that by doing foods or herbs that are bitter in nature.

Digestive bitters, consuming foods like arugula and broccoli rabe and artichokes and milk thistle and dandelion, those things really help dry out the body. So those would be good options. But again, kombucha is dampening slightly, so not good for people with Candida or yeast overgrowth. Like if you have that white coating on your tongue.

Major dental concerns or issues like that, like an infection, may not be the best for those people. If you've got major digestive disease like IBS, Crohn's, or ulcerative colitis, for those people there typically is an element of dampness that I mentioned earlier, so they wouldn't want to be doing this as well. HIV or AIDS, those avoiding alcohol altogether.

Now again, kombucha, the alcohol levels In fact, it's the same as drinking a little bit of vinegar. Again, the alcohol is super low. But again, if somebody is an alcoholic and wants— or somebody who wants to do zero alcohol at all ever, then again, avoiding kombucha would be recommended.

And then those avoiding all types of caffeine, again, the caffeine is more similar to a cup of white tea or green tea, about a third to a fourth a cup of coffee. But again, if you want no caffeine in your diet whatsoever, then again, avoid kombucha. Okay.

Then kombucha isn't going to be the option because it does have some of those antioxidants, polyphenols, and caffeine that are found in black tea. Now, here's how to use, a few things to mention. Again, if you're healthy, drinking kombucha can be great for you.

Or again, if your goal is better energy levels or to lose weight and get rid of the soda, you know what, kombucha is a fantastic superfood. If you don't fall under the avoid list of really big issues there or people with Inflammatory bowel disease and Candida. Really, for the most part, most other people can drink this just fine. You know, start drinking it in moderation.

If you haven't drank kombucha, start off with just half a cup or half a glass there, about 8 ounces. Gradually work your way up to a full serving. For most people, I don't recommend more than 1 serving a day in general of kombucha. But again, doing about 1 serving a day can be great for your health. And, you know, you can also, you can buy kombucha or make your own at home.

Again, my family for years, we made our own at home. My brother started a company. But here are some things to know. Most people have no side effects there. As discussed, some people should avoid. Now, here's something I wanted to mention. Homemade kombucha with untested SCOBY, drink at your own risk, okay? Could have some issues there.

But for the most part, again, if you get a good SCOBY from somebody and grow it yourself, that's the other great thing about it, it's almost free, okay? Or buy some good black tea. But once you get a SCOBY, this thing just keeps going and going and going on its own.

And you can simply Google and look up different ways or do a YouTube video on how to make kombucha at home and somebody will show you a video there. And if brewing, use sterilized equipment, high-quality ingredients to clean up the workstation there as well. So remember some of these benefits. Number 1, kombucha is loaded with the antioxidants from black tea.

It supports gut health, mental status, can help boost your lung health, antibacterial agents, good for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular health, and supports the liver because of the organic acids which that sour flavor. You know, in North America today, most people get way too many sweet and salty foods, not near enough bitter and sour.

And those bitter sour foods are really what supports the health of your digestive system and your liver. So we really need those for better detoxification and cleansing and healing as well. And hey, if you've enjoyed this video, hey, make sure to subscribe here to my YouTube channel. I've got a lot more videos coming out on a essential oils and herbs and how to use food as medicine.

And also, hey, if you want to learn more about kombucha and the benefits, hey, Google my name online. Just look up Dr. Axe kombucha. I've got a really in-depth article on kombucha you can share.

Or hey, if you want to learn— maybe you've got a health issue, maybe you've got Candida or IBS or another health issue, hey, just search my name on YouTube or Google and I've written a lot of articles and done a lot of videos on the best supplements and herbs and natural treatments to overcome Every condition you could think of from Candida to autoimmune disease and many other things there as well.

Hey, I hope you've enjoyed this video on the benefits of kombucha and who should and shouldn't consume this beverage. Hi, Dr. Axe here. I want to say thanks so much for checking out this YouTube video and also don't forget to subscribe if you want to get more great content on things like herbs, essential oils, natural remedies, and how to use food as medicine.

Also, check out more of our content on my YouTube channel. Thanks for watching.