Is kombucha good for weight loss?

September 23. 2021

Kombucha is a trendy nutritional beverage that is causing a lot of buzz, with the main question being whether it is good for weight loss. Other concerns include whether one should be drinking it, if it is healthy and its pronunciation. Kombucha is an ancient drink, and it only gathered attention recently with the trend towards nutritional beverages because of the health concerns from other drinks like sodas. Another contributing factor is the dangers of fad diets that are essential for losing weight but can be harmful to an individual’s health. As a nutritional beverage, many people want to know whether kombucha is good for weight loss. The following describes what kombucha is and whether it is good for weight loss.

What is Kombucha

Kombucha’s ingredients are:

• sugar
• yeast
• bacteria
• green tea

Ingredients are fermented in the production process, and it results in an alcoholic added sugar beverage. The alcohol level in kombucha is negligible, and usually, it is not labelled as an alcoholic drink. Tea is kombucha’s base, while sugar, yeast, and bacteria are essential for fermentation. The fermentation process can take up to a month, and the more it sits, the stronger it gets. Carbonation of the final product is essential to sweeten it and give it a tart taste, especially when refrigerated. Is kombucha good for weight loss? Let us take a look.

Kombucha and Weight Loss

Your doctor might tell you that it is not advisable to lose weight without exercising. Many internet users check whether kombucha is good for weight loss, as the beverage is trending among the nutritional drinks’ fanatics. You can easily type in ‘is kombucha good for weight loss’ and in most cases it will auto-complete even before you reach the third word. Some people have concerns regarding the sugar level in kombucha, but most of it diminishes in production. The presence of yeast in production explains why sugar decreases significantly in the resulting drink, and it is becoming a good alternative to fruit juice and soda. Kombucha has good bacteria, which helps in digestion hence contributing to metabolism, which is key in weight loss.

Detoxification

Going to a weight loss clinic is one of the first things that comes to mind for people wanting to cut weight. Kombucha can be a good alternative because of its exceptional detoxifying features. Nutritional elements in kombucha that are key in detoxification include;

• organic acids
• enzymes
• minerals
• vitamins

Therefore, kombucha is good for weight loss. Detoxification results in a good metabolism rate; hence, faster digestion and other weight loss measures can be a good way to achieve the function.

Health benefits from kombucha are contributory factors to weight loss. Kombucha is not necessarily a weight-cutting beverage, and an individual should not rely on the drink for the function. Kombucha does not serve as an appetite suppressant as it increases the digestion rate. You might feel the urge to eat more food which can result in a weight increase. Frequent use of kombucha guarantees a high metabolic rate; hence, there is little to worry about gaining weight, unlike when you take it as a one-off drink.

Homemade Kombucha

You might want to make your kombucha at home. Studies show that homemade kombucha has a high alcohol concentration of up to 3%, which will not help much in weight loss and can lead to other health complications. You can buy safer kombucha from online stores or your pharmacist, as they usually have low alcohol concentrations. Some branded kombucha may have added sugar, and you should look out for the ingredients before purchasing.

The high alcohol content in kombucha diminishes most of its health benefits and leads to weight gain. Alcohol affects an individual’s metabolic rate, and the body may not burn fat at its optimum level. As alcohol is rich in kilojoules, you easily feel hungry, and eating frequently may be unhealthy depending on the type of food you choose. The alcohol content in your body will vary depending on lifestyle, body type, foods you accompany the drink with, frequency of drinking, and the amount. It is not a guarantee that you will gain weight with drinking kombucha that is high in alcohol content.

Energy

Kombucha is a good energy source. If you want to cut weight, you will need to exercise, and it requires a good energy source. Kombucha has a high iron concentration that improves oxygen flow and blood hemoglobin. Exercising is intense as it stresses the body’s muscles and it demands a lot of energy. If you choose to lose weight by exercising, kombucha will be an essential beverage to carry around. Kombucha facilitates iron absorption in the body because of its high vitamin C concentration making it a complete drink for organic acids.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a big concern in weight gain and overall body health. If you are overweight, you have high cholesterol levels, which is not always the case as even a skinny person can have the same problem. High cholesterol level is a huge risk to cardiovascular diseases and kombucha is a remedy for the condition. Kombucha promotes the presence of HDL (high-density lipoproteins) cholesterol as it helps burn LDL (low-density lipoproteins). HDL cholesterol is gentle on the body as it is easier to excrete, unlike LDL cholesterol. You will be in a better shape with good cholesterol levels if you make kombucha your go-to drink.

Conclusion

Kombucha is good for weight loss, but it is only possible with other practices like exercising and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Kombucha is trending for all the right reasons, and there is an assumption that it is a weight loss drink. It has numerous health benefits that allow the body to operate optimally because of good metabolism. With better digestion and burning calories, you can maintain a healthy weight as long as you eat the right food. Kombucha does not give everyone the above health benefits as it is acidic; hence, one may experience heartburn, stomach ulcers, and an upset stomach. You need to ensure that you are free from digestive and stomach health conditions before choosing kombucha as your weight-cutting drink. Kombucha boosts your mental health, and you can then prioritize other weight-cutting measures to get the best out of the beverage. Next time if you hear your mates asking ‘is kombucha good for weight loss’, you will have all the right answers.

Author

Nurse Walton

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Chanay received her Practical Nurse licensure and went to work in clinical specialties such as Home Health, Assisted Living, Long-Term Care and Dialysis Centers. Through this work, she realized the importance of diet, nutrition and weight loss among her patients. This led her to open A Better Weigh, Inc. Medical Weight Loss Center in 2009.