5 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU DRINK KOMBUCHA.

Do a quick search of kombucha online and you'll find that the fizzy drink (produced by fermented tea, sugar, fungi, and bacteria) supplies sky-high energy, quells pain, fends off certain cancers, detoxes your body, helps you shed weight, and turns your immune system into a fortress.  Guzzlers of the health beverage preach these promises, too.

But is our beloved kombucha really a health elixir in a bottle? Here are five things to keep in mind before you take a swig. 

Kombucha isn't a miracle worker.

"I would be wary of calling kombucha a remedy or a magic food," says Maggie Neola, RD, a dietitian with an interest in integrative medicine at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. After all, glorifying one food over another (kale is king!) isn't the way nutrition works. A healthy diet is all about variety.

It is chock-full of probiotics.

That said, Neola notes there are certainly benefits to the drink. For one, as with any tea, you'll sip a slew of healthy antioxidants and polyphenols, she says. "But because it's fermented, you see more of that probiotic push in kombucha." And that's where most of the drink's health benefits lie: probiotics—aka good gut bacteria.

"The gut microbiome is often called the forgotten organ—it's really important to foster that health," Neola says. After all, a healthy gut microbiome can help fend off issues like diarrhea and IBS and help your whole body function at its best.

Fermented foods like kombucha may also improve the health of your intestinal cells, boost your immune function, and cut your risk of allergy and chronic disease, says Neola. There's a catch, though: These benefits aren't unique to kombucha—but rather can be obtained from all probiotic-rich or fermented foods, she says.

There's a pasteurization conundrum.

Kombucha's probiotics come with a downside. That's because some kinds of the drink are unpasteurized—and might give you a very upset stomach, says Keri Gans, RD, author of The Small Change Diet. Or worse: "Without pasteurization, you run the risk of harmful microorganisms taking over and causing serious problems, including food poisoning," says Ryan Andrews, RD, a fitness and nutrition coach with Precision Nutrition.

But here's the thing—for kombucha to retain its probiotics benefits, the drink likely needs to be unpasteurized. "Pasteurization kills off both harmful and helpful bacteria. So any potential beneficial probiotics would be gone as well," says Andrews.



Related: What are probiotics and why they are so good for you.

There's not a lot of research on kombucha's effects.

Other than the effects of its probiotics, just how much (and how) kombucha can help your health is a bit murky. While some studies—like one from 2014 in the Journal of Medicinal Food—have suggested kombucha tea can protect you against toxic molecules called free radicals and promote immunity, most of the (incredibly limited) research on the topic was done in animals. And information on many of the beverage's purported health benefits come from proponents of the drink—not from scientists.

Kombucha is a good source of probiotics—but there are other options.

The bottom line: Probiotics are a key part of a healthy diet, says Neola. And if you want to get them from kombucha, that's fine. Just know that if you're going to drink the raw (unpasteurized) version, make sure to buy your kombucha from a reputable company, says Gans. She also suggests that pregnant women and kids steer clear of the beverage (there's a risk of bacteria, and kombucha can have trace amounts of alcohol, thanks to the fermentation process).

Remember, too, that "not all kombuchas are created equal," says Neola. "Some are loaded with added sugars." So make sure to read the label (and the serving size amount!). And if you're making your own drink, consider taking a good how-to class beforehand, she suggests.

Not into the drink anyway? Many other foods and drinks are loaded with probiotics and antioxidants and will hydrate you, fend off disease, and keep your immune system strong. Andrews suggests trying these:

For probiotics
Sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and yogurt

For hydration
Water

For health benefits related to tea
Green tea

For improved immunity, skin, nails, and hair
A minimally processed, plant-based, nutrient-dense diet




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