Kombucha: AKA-The Immortal Health Elixir!

When your intestinal flora thrives, you can too. Good intestinal flora helps prevent bloating, gas and yeast overgrowth by controlling the pH level, or acidity of the intestines. Friendly microbes also help prevent disease in several ways. They deprive invaders of nutrients and secrete acids that less-friendly microbes don’t tolerate well. They also reinforce the mucosal barrier of the intestines. Healthy mucus blocks dangerous pathogens, toxins and allergens, and helps the immune system “learn” which ones are not safe.

Buddha’s Brew, Kombucha is a great tasting fermented beverage made from a mushroom culture - when combined with black tea and organic sugar it produces a colony of live healthy bacteria, beneficial yeast, beneficial acids, enzymes, antioxidants, amino acids and polyphenols. Research has shown that kombucha probiotic drink may have the following benefits:

• Improved Digestion: Research has shown kombucha’s ability to prevent and heal leaky gut, GERD and stomach ulcers. Also, because Kombucha contains live probiotic cultures it helps the gut to repopulate with good bacteria while crowding out candida yeast which may help to fight candida overgrowth. 

• Weight Loss: It has been shown to improve metabolism and limits fat accumulation.

• Increased Energy: credited to the formation of iron from the black tea. It also contains some caffeine (although in very small amounts) and B-vitamins. 

• Cleansing and Detoxification: Kombucha has been seen in some studies to counteract liver cell toxicity.

• Immune Support: Clinically proven to decrease oxidative stress and related immuno-suppression. The powerful antioxidant vitamin C present in kombucha protects against cell damage, inflammatory diseases, tumors and overall depression of the immune system. 

• Reduced Joint Pain: Kombucha is loaded with glucosamines, which increase synovial hyaluronic acid production. This supports the preservation of collagen and prevents arthritic pain.

• Cancer Prevention:  Research has shown that glucaric acid found in kombucha reduced the risk of cancer in humans.

Why Buddha’s Brew Kombucha? To be honest, I don’t care for the taste of most Kombucha’s with the exception of Buddha’ Brew. The brew master got it down!

What about the sugar? Yes, it has sugar in it, 14g to be exact, that’s what feeds the good live bacteria. It has 55 calories per 8 oz. serving. But consider this -- a can of Coke has 40g of sugar and 150 calories per 8oz. of pure chemicals that have no beneficial properties unless your goal is a fast track to the grave. Even a V8 Splash, fruit drink has 30g. of sugar and is 120 calories of high fructose corn syrup, and sucrose. Pure junk!!!!

They bottle their brew at just the right balance of semi-sweet and tart sour, a point at which the culture can actually peak in the bottle. They pay close attention to what they call live culture viability. They've had lab verification of 19+ billion cultures per 16oz. That's about 4 times the nearest competitor in the industry. Many breweries focus on intense carbonation which at certain high levels reduces the live culture significantly.

Best of Health!

Radhia Gleis, Wellness Director, Martins Pharmacy at Lake Hills.

Radhia Gleis, PhD, Med, CCN, is a certified Clinical Nutritionist/Holistic Practitioner, Wellness Director for Martins Compounding & Wellness Pharmacies with three locations in the Austin area. She is available for private consultation at the Lake Hills Pharmacy, M-F, 1:30 to 6:30pm. Contact [email protected].