Kombucha: The bacterial boost your metabolism needs

Many of us are looking for methods and products that will help us lose weight. Some of these diets and weight-loss products are legit, while some are drastic and downright unhealthy.

The best solutions are usually natural, like a fermented tea known as kombucha, which is already known to have an indirect benefit to those who want to lose weight.

That’s because kombucha has a positive effect on a few aspects of health that are crucial to healthy weight loss.

But now research has revealed that this fermented tea could have a more direct benefit as a natural weight loss aid…

2 ways kombucha aids in weight loss

You’ve probably seen kombucha at your grocery store or local coffee shop, but its origins go back several thousand years to Northeast China.

It’s a great way to kick any diet plan into high gear without taking any of those dangerous stimulant drugs for weight loss.

So what exactly IS kombucha?

It’s a fermented black tea that’s loaded with probiotics, and it delivers two main health benefits:

It promotes a healthy gut. Kombucha is one of the richest sources of probiotics you can find. Probiotics are a proven way to colonize your gut with healthy bacteria, which promotes weight loss.

One probiotic species in particular, Lactobacillus gasseri, has been known to reduce visceral fat (the dangerous fat around your midsection), by up to 9 percent after three months.

It helps your body detox. Kombucha acts as an antioxidant. Its active components help detoxify your liver so that you can clear out the waste. Combined with the good bacteria kombucha supplies your body, this helps you get your diet off on the right foot.

We’ve known about these two benefits for a while. But new research is revealing that kombucha can have an even more direct effect on weight loss by triggering a “fasting-like” state…

Microbes in kombucha increase fat-burning

A research team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has found evidence that the microbes found in kombucha can mimic the fat-burning effects of fasting.

A team led by Dr. Robert Dowen fed microbes found in kombucha tea to the worm C. elegans. Because the cells of these worms age in ways similar to human cells, they are often used as a model to find out more about human metabolism.

The microbes colonized the worms’ intestines and changed the expression of genes involved in fat metabolism. This change caused reduced fat stores in the worms, similar to what happens when humans fast.

The authors of the study emphasize that more research is needed in humans but noted that their findings appear consistent with the reported human health benefits of kombucha.

“We were surprised to find that animals consuming a diet consisting of the probiotic microbes found in Kombucha Tea displayed reduced fat accumulation, lower triglyceride levels, and smaller lipid droplets — an organelle that stores the cell’s lipids — when compared to other diets. These findings suggest that the microbes in Kombucha Tea trigger a “fasting-like” state in the host even in the presence of sufficient nutrients.”

Other benefits of fermented foods

Kombucha’s effect on metabolism doesn’t surprise me one bit.

Fermented foods have a long history of known health benefits besides helping with weight loss. In fact, fermented foods tackle a driving force behind many chronic health issues.

For example, studies show that lactic acid is a good way to fight off influenza. And fermented foods are full of lactic acid.

Also, eating fermented foods in combination with more fiber has been shown to help regulate stress and reduce anxiety.

Other such foods include sauerkraut and kefir. But, the Japanese have really mastered the art of fermentation.

They’re known for several healthy dishes made with fermented soybeans in various forms, including tempeh, miso, kimchi and natto (a food that contains the highest amount of artery-loving vitamin K2).

Fermentation of food and drink is a lost art. In the old days, fermentation took the place of refrigeration. It preserved food, but now science has shown many times over that fermentation gives up valuable natural substances that boost health.

Sources:

Kombucha’s Microbial Magic: New Study Shows Fat-Busting Effects — Sci Tech Daily

Kombucha Tea-associated microbes remodel host metabolic pathways to suppress lipid accumulation — PLOS Genetics

Consuming probiotics promotes weight loss and reduces BMI — Medical Express