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

hi dr. Josh axe here doctor of natural medicine and founder of dr. axe calm in this video 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 a thousand years in Canada is a miracle elixir and often time was consumed in different areas of Asia um it contains a colony of bacteria and specifically a type of yeast called a Scobie okay and after fermentation becomes carbonated and full of types of you could say vinegar but really it's more what are called organic acid like acetic acid and gluconic acid high in B vitamins enzymes probiotics and I mentioned those acids there below and healthy powerful drink but it's not for everyone here's some nutrition facts the average 16 ounce unpasteurized kombucha will contain about 60 calories now 20 milligrams of sodium that's 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 but fellate b6 SIA mean 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 it can actually energize your system the 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 let's compare it to a cup Coffee the average one will probably have the equivalent of about maybe 1/4 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 you when you taste kombucha 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 are good bacteria but actually keep certain types of bad bacteria in 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 the antioxidants we mentioned earlier and also supports the liver because of those organic acids now with in 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 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 a 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 bitter is consuming foods like arugula and broccoli robbing artichokes and milk thistle in 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 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 are minuscule in fact it's the same as drinking a little bit of vinegar again the alcohol is super low but again if somebody's an alcoholic and once 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 third - 1/4 a cup of coffee but again if you want no caffeine in your diet whatsoever then kombucha isn't gonna be the option because it does have some of those antioxidants polyphenols in caffeine they're 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 fantastic superfood if you don't fall under the avoid list of really big issues there are people with inflammatory bowel disease and Candida really for the most part most other people can drink this just fine you know start drinking in moderation if you haven't drink kombucha start off with just a half a cup or a 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 one serving a day in general of kombucha but again doing about one serving a day can be great for your house and you know you can also you can buy kombucha or make your own at home again my my family for years we made our own at home and then my brothers started a company but here's 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 Scobie drink at your own risk okay could have some issues there but for the most part again if you get a good Scobie 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 Scobie 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 you sterilized equipment high quality ingredients to clean up the workstation there as well so remember some of these benefits number one 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 in supports the liver because of the organic acids it's have 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 there's bitter sour foods are really what supports the health of your your digestive system and your liver so we really need those for better detoxification and cleansing and healing as well and have you enjoyed this video hey make sure to subscribe here to my youtube channel I've got a lot more videos coming out on 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 if you want to learn maybe you got a health issue maybe you've got Candida or IBS or another health issue they 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 - 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

Channel: Dr. Josh Axe

Views: 1,122,789

Rating: 4.839581 out of 5

Keywords: dr axe, draxe, dr josh axe, josh axe, doctor of natural medicine, chiropractor, natural health, health and wellness, best health advice, best nutrition advice, wellness advice, clinical nutrition, nutrition advice, health advice

Id: 8YktZtBBjps

Length: 10min 15sec (615 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 04 2017