Is kombucha good for you?

Have you noticed? Like cute little meerkats, bottles of kombucha are popping up all over the place. And when you think about it, that popularity really isn’t super-surprising.

If you haven’t tried kombucha yet (where have you been?), it’s a fermented drink made of oolong tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast. It might sound a bit weird, but trust us – it works.

It’s the perfect alternative when you find yourself reaching for that sugar-laden, nutritionally-void soft drink – because it tastes great and it’s refreshing as heck.

But is kombucha actually healthy?

Does a meerkat live in Africa? (Hint: yes.)

It doesn’t just taste great, kombucha is also good for diabetics and has health benefits coming out its wazoo. And now we’re wondering exactly what a kombucha’s wazoo looks like. Hmmmm…

Back on topic! In this article we’ll explore kombucha health benefits and also answer the question “is kombucha good for diabetics?”.

We know you’re wondering “is kombucha healthy?” and “what is kombucha actually good for?”

And look, we may be biased about how amazing kombucha is, but the science really backs us up. A growing body of research suggests that kombucha tea health benefits may include:

• gut health
• immunity
• cholesterol
• eczema symptoms
• creating important vitamins

Early research (although we definitely need more studies) also shows some promise that kombucha may even play a protective role against cancer.

Let’s take a look at some of these benefits in more detail and see if kombucha actually is good for you.

First, let’s answer, what does kombucha do? Well, the key is (mostly) in the probiotics.

Our bodies are filled with live bacteria, both good and bad. Probiotics are the good guys – the ones that help your body to digest the food you eat, and that keep your gut happy.

Research has found some pretty compelling evidence that probiotics are great for treating all sorts of digestive issues.

And guess what? Kombucha is positively loaded with probiotics that can help to keep a lovely balance of good bacteria in your gut.

Just be aware that probiotics can be delicate little buggers. That’s why you’ll sometimes find probiotic supplements in the fridge – the cool temps keep them fresh and alive.

If you’re looking to add probiotics to your diet, give Nexba Kombucha a try. It contains a one-of-a-kind probiotic strain called Bacillus coagulans. This little guyis SO hardy that Nexba Kombucha doesn’t have to live in the chiller like most others, plus we can guarantee 85% of the 500 million live probiotics in every bottle will make it to your intestines intact.

But wait – we’re not done with probiotics just yet! That’s because they’re not just good for helping with digestion - they can also give your immune system a boost.

Why is kombucha good for you? The probiotics it’s positively packed with work to improve your immune system.

Studies have shown links between probiotics and:

• lower UTI (urinary tract infection) rates in women
• fewer colds in kids at daycare
• less overall inflammation and better immunity

Phew! Good news, right? We don’t know exactly how probiotics work on the immune system (yet), but scientists have a bunch of super-interesting theories, including stuff around the gut-brain connection.

In scientific studies using rats, kombucha helped to reduce levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL) and improved levels of ‘good’ cholesterol (HDL). Talk about a two-for-one!

Now we all know that rats ain’t people, so we still need research on humans to be sure. But it’s exciting to think that one day, kombucha could potentially be used to improve cholesterol and help to protect against heart disease.

There are a bunch of different types of eczema, but the most common is known as atopic dermatitis. And the cause of atopic dermatitis is a faulty immune response.

Now, what can help to improve our immune systems? Yep, you guessed it. It’s our old friends probiotics – just like the ones found in delicious kombucha.

Managing diabetes with diet and exercise can be hard. Finding sugar free alternatives to some of your favourites (like soft drink!) can help you feel in control and like you’re not missing out on the good stuff in life! 

Not only is kombucha sugar free, there has been some initial scientific research that suggests it could have an important role to play in helping manage Type 2 Diabetes.

A study in diabetic rats found that kombucha helped to reduce blood sugar levels by slowing down carb digestion.

And the oolong tea used to make kombucha can add an extra benefit: studies (in humans!) show that green tea can help to reduce blood sugar levels. One review of nearly 300,000 people even showed that green tea drinkers have an 18% reduced risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

(Pssst, in case you’re wondering, Oolong tea is just green tea that’s been fermented a little bit before it’s dried… so many of the health benefits may be the same.)

What makes Nexba Kombucha worth a try? Well, firstly, each bottle has 500 million live smart, robust probiotics that make it all the way to your tummy intact. That means you know they can deliver the benefits we’ve talked about above. PLUS, each bottle also has:

• No sugar
• No artificial sweeteners 
• No fructose
• No preservatives
• No caffeine
• No alcohol
• No lactose
• No gluten
• No GMOs
• No BPA
• No anything-that-most-of-us-agree-doesn’t-make-our-bodies-feel-great
• … and absolutely NOTHING artificial.

In short, everything in there is 100% natural, vegan and good for you