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Alcohol Because the fermentation process breaks down sugars into alcohols, kombucha does contain alcohol. In fact, in 2010, retail stores recalled kombucha due to elevated alcohol levels. Food inspectors found that some bottles had over 2.5% alcohol. Since then, kombucha brands have better regulated their products, and the alcohol content usually hovers around 0.5%. For some kombucha drinkers, this amount of alcohol is negligible; however, if you are especially sensitive to alcohol, kombucha might not be healthy for you. Additionally, some studies show that pregnant women should stay away from kombucha due to its alcohol content.
consume. As a result, the unflavored health drink usually has between two and six grams of sugar per eight ounces. However, this number can be drastically altered with flavored kombucha. If you’re diabetic or watching your sugar intake, stick to plain kombucha. Flavored kombucha with added juice packs a ton of hidden sugars. Always check the nutrition label to ensure you’re making the healthiest choice.
Caffeine Black and green tea both contain caffeine, and although the SCOBY processes most of the caffeine during fermentation, the resulting kombucha still contains trace amounts. Although it differs by brand, kombucha usually contains about one third of the tea’s original caffeine content. The caffeine content of kombucha will not affect most people. However, if you’re avoiding caffeine (among other health and medical issues, caffeine has been linked to anxiety and insomnia), you might want to limit your kombucha intake, or choose a green tea kombucha. Green tea has significantly lower caffeine content than black tea.
Sugar Plain kombucha usually has low levels of sugar. Even though the fermentation process requires sugar, the SCOBY eats most of it before the kombucha is ready for you to
Whether or not you’ve decided to adopt kombucha into your daily diet, the fermented drink is here to stay, especially around the jiujitsu scene. By 2020, the global market value of kombucha will have reached an estimated 1.8 billion USD. It is an acquired taste, but many people, myself included, really enjoy the flavor. If you want to add a functional drink to your supplementation regimen that’s inline with the jiu-jitsu lifestyle, then definitely give kombucha a try.
Supplements - Kombucha.indd 2
4/19/17 2:34 PM