Mmm, tea with a side of bacteria and yeast.
If you've paid any attention to health trends over the past few years, then chances are you've heard of kombucha.
Maybe you've even seen bottles on bottles of it at the grocery store and thought, That looks interesting/potentially scary!
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Or maybe you know someone who drinks it regularly and swears it's made them healthier.
Some of the health claims include that it's good for digestion and the immune system, it improves hair and skin health, it detoxifies the liver, and it can even treat serious diseases like AIDS, cancer, and diabetes.
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But if you're like me, you've heard all of this and still have no clue what kombucha actually is.
So I spoke to two registered dietitians to get a better idea, and to figure out if there's any science behind those claims. Here's what I found out.
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Kombucha starts with a bologna-looking gelatinous thing called a SCOBY, which stands for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.
Yum. It's basically a collection of bacteria and yeast living in harmony, and while there are several strains of yeast that can be in a SCOBY, the main type of bacteria tends to be acetic acid bacteria.
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via BuzzFeed/Food
