With its likeness to soda or wine, kombucha can jive with most palates and is the perfect lure into a healthier lifestyle; one packed with kale salads, green juice and hot yoga. Offering the opportunity for an improvement in digestion and immunity along with its foamy bubbles, kombucha is the perfect example of foods do in fact heal. A natural source of healthy probiotics and therapeutic acids that promote liver detoxification, drinking kombucha is a no-brainer when it comes to jump-starting your wellness program. As with shopping for just about anything, its key to be mindful when it comes to choosing your brand of choice. Not all kombucha is created equal!
The kombucha market has gone big, with plenty of sugar-filled “soda pop” versions finding their way to the shelves of your local health-food stores – versions that are more refined and processed, full of less probiotic activity and with potentially little health benefits left for you.
High-quality kombucha can give you the digestive relief, clear skin, and strong immune system you seek. Take some tips from us on how to navigate the drink aisle and find that hit of quality kombucha you’re looking for. Which kombucha brands are best? We love delicious Health-Ade flavors, the do-gooder bottles at Kombucha Dog and the hard-core Brew Dr. Kombucha. Drink up!
The 5 Golden Rules of Kombucha
Dark bottles are best
Light damages probiotics, so aim for only kombucha packaged in dark bottles.
Glass creates healthy cultures
When kombucha is made, it must be fermented in glass, not stainless steel, or plastic. That is because it slowly degrades these materials, causing them to leach into the kombucha itself. Therefore, its important to only buy kombucha stored in glass.
Fresh pressed - no artificial ingredients
A shortcut to making kombucha more cost effective for the manufacturer is to use fruit powders instead of real fruit. Most often these powders have artificial flavors and are void of any nutrition, so stick to the real stuff only: fresh pressed and unpasteurized. If it is local, even better.
Organic sugar - no GMOs
Sugarcane is now commonly genetically modified. This makes the purchase of organic sugar that much more important when looking for a reputable kombucha brand.
21 day fermentation - No cheating!
It takes a full 21 days for kombucha to become properly probiotically “active” and therefore beneficial to the body. Make sure to only purchase brands that complete the full 21-day fermentation process to ensure you are getting your dose of helpful probiotics.
