The Probiotic Power of Kombucha
How probiotics really play a role in your gut microbiome.
Whenever I’ve had to take antibiotics, I’ve always had a little voice in the back of our head, probably my mother honestly, reminding me to eat some yogurt. This is because the antibiotics were killing all the bacteria in my gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and to bring back some beneficial bacteria into our gut microbiome and help my immunity, I needed to bring in some new bacteria, more specifically probiotics. Warning: there will be more mentions of the GIT in this article.
I first started learning more about probiotics when I began producing Kombucha about 2 years ago. I love how these microorganisms can extend the life of so many foods while modifying the food product to give so much more flavour. Anecdotally, I believe there might be benefits from probiotics: reduction of bloating, curing hangovers. On the other hand there are many other benefits that companies claim, such as: improving gut health, digestion and immunity.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are live microorganisms that give scientifically-proven health benefits to the host. You might also hear about prebiotics or synbiotics as well. Prebiotics are essentially food for the probiotic microorganisms and synbiotics are a mix of probiotics and prebiotics. In order to classify the strain of microorganisms as a probiotic, there is a fair amount of criteria such as biosafety and utilization of prebiotic foods. While we don’t necessarily know their mechanism of action, it is thought that they work in three ways:
- Interaction with the immune system by producing anti-inflammatory proteins
- Strengthen the mucosal barrier in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), thus lowering possible inflammation and ensuring a strong barrier
- Exclusion of pathogens through physically blocking the receptor sites of pathogens
The Food Science Behind Kombucha
How is Kombucha Made?
Kombucha is made from the symbiotic relationship of acetic acid bacteria and yeast. First, the yeast converts the sugar present in the sweet tea to alcohol and then the acetic acid bacteria ferment the alcohol to acetic acid (commonly known as vinegar). Kombucha commonly uses backslopping: the process of adding a successful ferment of Kombucha into a new sweetened tea to ensure a low enough pH to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and encourage the growth of acetic acid bacteria and the yeast.
What is a SCOBY?
The purpose of the Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY), which is a cellulose layer produced from acetobacter bacteria to give the bacteria a film to derive oxygen for oxidative fermentation. After a few weeks, the liquid will reach a pH of around 2.5–3.5, this is where people may do a second anaerobic (no oxygen) fermentation. This second fermentation allows the yeast to carbonate the tea and reduces the sugar content in the kombucha.
Another think to consider is that the bacteria and yeast present in the kombucha vary from batch to batch, which means that the probiotics that you are consuming are not always the same.
The Nutritional Science Behind Kombucha
An unbalanced gut microbiome may have a role to play in disease
An unbalanced gut microbiome or dysbiosis is thought to have an underlying role in manifesting metabolic diseases, including obesity, type II diabetes, and heart disease. Some studies even link dysbiosis to mental health issues, such as depression.
The gut is an important organ, where the microorganisms function to synthesize vitamins such as Vitamin K, which is required for proper blood clotting and Vitamin B, which is important in energy metabolism.
How could kombucha help?
Probiotics, which are found in kombucha are known to help regulate the gut microbiome. However, many manufacturers add live cultures which don’t necessarily meet the criteria to be a probiotic. It is important to read the labels to ensure “Live Active Cultures” or Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus strains were added to the product.
Does kombucha and probiotics improve digestion?
Given that the cultures added into kombucha meet the requirements to be probiotics, drinking kombucha may improve digestion. Probiotics are known to aid in improving irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, including bloating, gas, and constipation.However, some people sensitive to fructose, a sugar found in kombucha, may aggravate digestive symptoms.
Are kombucha and probiotics the answer to improving gut health?
There are many ways to improve gut health asides from probiotics, but they could be useful in adding to a usually healthy diet and lifestyle. For example, walking and running are like “exercise” for your gut which can improve digestion and gut function. Eating prebiotics which are the indigestible fibers found in whole grain and vegetables can also help ensure the microorganisms that are already found in our gut remain healthy and happy.
A fizzy bottom line
Fermentation is fun — and fermented drinks can be good for you! However, it is important to note that the research which currently exists on the gut microbiome and probiotics is limited. Extrapolating these results to the small amount of probiotics which may be found in Kombucha is not exactly rock solid science.
But, on an anecdotal level there are not many reasons why you shouldn’t add more fermented foods in your diet (or try making it yourselves!). Personally, we think kombucha is delicious, fun to make, and helps with the occasional indigestion.
What food do you want to see rooted in science next? Let us know in the comments!
Written by Kristen (Dietetics student) and Laura (Food Science/Nutrition) student.
Beet Science aims to deliver fun and informative evidence-based nutrition and food science articles about the everyday foods you eat.#RootedInScience
