I don't drink it because what ever vitamins supposed to be in it afterwards, I hate the idea of all that sugar. Sugar and salt are so aging. But I could be very wrong. Who knows?
Printable View
I don't drink it because what ever vitamins supposed to be in it afterwards, I hate the idea of all that sugar. Sugar and salt are so aging. But I could be very wrong. Who knows?
I, too, was very concerned about the sugar content of kombucha.
The sugar used to make kombucha is devoured by bacteria and yeasts of the SCOBY. According to a Cornell study, kombucha that was started with 100 grams of sugar per liter had 4.8 grams of sugar (now as glucose) at the end of 9 days of brewing.
My kombucha usually takes more than 10 days to brew; occasionally up to 21 days, so I am guessing the Cornell study measured rather sweet kombucha. Even so, after the kombucha has brewed 9 or however many days, most of us bottle it. Once bottled, the yeasts that thrive without oxygen compete for the remaining glucose. In devouring it, fizz is formed--to the delight of the home kombucha maker. The longer it goes through this secondary fermentation in the bottle, the less sugar the finished product contains.
Those worried about sugar can measure the acidity of their kombucha to be certain that it is not too sweet. Also, I read that acidic foods and fermented foods reduce blood glucose levels, apparently by slowing the rate of sugar absorption--something to google. Kombucha is fermented and also acidic, being harvested at a pH of about 3.2.
Interesting...after drinking kombucha for a couple of years my doctor reduced my 100 units per day of Lantus insulin to zero...with an hbA1C still well under 7.0.
Maybe it helped! I doubt the correlation is directly causative, though possible related through far better all-round health, but ... who knows.
Thanks for the information, DoubleCrowned!
My homebrew kombucha is definitely not sweet. The sugar is the vehicle for the fermentation process.
You are welcome.
Wow, you are off insulin! Several of the articles I have mention kombucha as a cure for diabetes (and a lot of other disorders), but they do not mention how it works, how long, or how much it takes. However, one says that the studies were done in Germany early in the 20th century; they mention Gunther Frank and Dr. Rudolph Skeinar. I assumed that it worked because of the general health benefits, but maybe there is more to it than that.
I am off insulin, and my A1C is decent, but not great and I still get highs. I wouldn't say I'm *cured*, but certainly it's better. (Oh, and we're very consistent in summer, but in winter, it's hard to keep the brew going and our consumption is more sporadic.)
I make up several gallons in the fall to use during the winter when the moms are sluggish.
A couple of my moms are in nice jars with pretty hankies as covers, so they are in the warmer living areas in the winter. Even in the cool areas, I let them brew and get some slow batches--plus vinegar if I forget them.
This is a very interesting thread. I had no idea that kombucha was such a divisive issue. Are you pro kombucha or are you anti kombucha? :D
I bought some kombucha tea at the store last week and have been adding it to my daily tea concoction. I like the taste and it seems to help with my immunity.
Oh, here's the link to the other hair tea thread where rooibus is mentioned:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...ight=grow+hair
Most of us are for it--eveyone who has tried it, I think. The jury is out on whether it makes hair grow. Whether it stimulated hair growth probably depends on why the hair did not grow.
Thank you for the rooibus link. Some people make kombucha from rooibus, which I may have to try now that I have read about it.