– We scoby all right. This scoby a good episode. (soft music) Hi, I’m Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, a registered dietitian in New York City, and it is my job to help you figure out what to eat and why. Kombucha has bubbled up as a popular wellness potion in recent years, it’s said to improve gut health, reduce inflammation, plus it comes in so many fun flavors and who doesn’t love a good choice of flava-flaves? Flava-flaves! Pew, pew, pew. But, does kombucha really deliver the goods when it comes to nutrition? Or is this brew not quite fermented to be? Let’s find out in this episode of You Verses Food.
Kombucha is a fermented tea made by adding symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. Also known as a scoby, to sugar sweetened, brewed tea. Scoby or not-scoby, that is the question. The tea is covered with a cloth and set aside for seven to 10 days to ferment. The fermentation occurs when the scoby eats the sugar. Following fermentation, the scoby is removed, and the tea is sealed and allowed to carbonate. So that’s why kombucha is so tangy and fizzy. ♪ Scoby plus the fizz ♪ ♪ Scoby ♪ (soft music) Studies on kombucha have revealed its anti-microbial antioxidant, and even anti-cancerous properties. But those studies have mostly been done on animals, so there are very few studies that have been completed on human subjects to confirm the effects.
Kombucha contains a bunch of fun bacteria, such as gluconobacter, acetobacter, zybo-saccharomyces, and other fungal microbes that sound like Game of Thrones characters. Gluconobacter, acetobacter, and zybo-saccharomyces! My goodness! It’s so nice to see you! These metabolites are thought to have a ton of health-promoting components, but we’re going to need to get some human clinical trials before we can say anything definitive about the health benefits of the ‘buch. (soft music) Yes! Even if it might not be proven as a magical brew, it’s totally fine to swap in as a lower-sugar option for juice or (gasping) soda. Here are my kombucha suggestions. When looking for a kombucha drink, pay attention to the bottle it’s sold in. Always choose a brand that comes in a glass bottle, as kombucha can degrade and consume materials such as plastic, because it’s actually technically alive. It’s alive! Also, look for a dark bottle, which will preserve the probiotics and prevent damage from light exposure. After looking at the bottle, take a peek at the ingredients, and choose a brand with the shortest ingredient list, water, sugar, tea and bacteria, and no artificial flavors.
Pay attention to serving sizes, because some bottles contain double or even triple of the amount that you want. I know it’s tasty, but you do not want to make it rain kombucha in the club. Like lots of foods, kombucha should be consumed in moderation to avoid excess calorie consumption. In addition, because kombucha is carbonated, too much of the ‘buch can cause bloating, gas, or even acid reflux, and for these reasons, it is recommended to drink no more than between eight to 12 ounces per day. The amount of alcohol in kombucha varies according to the fermentation process and may be between 1 and 3% alcohol. While that doesn’t seem like a large percentage, some light beers contain as little as 4% alcohol. Keep an eye out so your kombucha happy hour doesn’t get too happy, if you know what I mean. (soft music) While kombucha can be a healthy addition to a balanced diet, it isn’t an essential addition to your already awesome lifestyle. Hey, if you like the taste, great. If you aren’t a fan, that’s okay too.
(coughing) The antioxidant and probiotic properties can be obtained from other foods, such as regular teas, sour kraut, and yogurt. Before I put the total kibosh on the kombucha, I’ll say it’s a trend worth following due to the fact that its pros and benefits have the potential to outweigh the cons and the risks, and the pending research in humans may be pretty promising. That’s kombucha-rific. See you next time for another episode of You Verses Food. (soft music) You said you want to Netflix and chill? You should go to YouTube and watch Well and Good’s video, You Verses Food, and then chill. ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ It’s alive ♪ ♪ It’s alive ♪ Watch more episodes of You Verses Food. I know you can do it, watch, subscribe. You got it. Peace out, we’re gonna go kibosh this..
