This story has been updated since it was originally posted on 7/12/22 to include more expert insight
When working toward your weight loss goals, it’s important to fuel your body with vitamins and nutrients that promote optimal gut health. While drinking ample water and hydrating frequently is vital for healthy weight loss, there is another beverage that can assist your changing body while also providing benefits for your digestion.
We checked in with doctors and other health experts to learn more about one drink that can easily replace soda (which comes with many health risks—even diet!) or other unhealthy options. They told us that kombucha is a great way to go. Read on for tips and suggestions from digestive health, functional medicine and natural remedies expert Dr. M. Kara, creator of KaraMD; NASM-certified personal trainer and gluten-free and paleo health expert Rachel Rivera, coach at Orange Theory; and Dr. Shara Cohen, Founder and Director of Musmin Science.
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Digestive Health Benefits Of Kombucha
With a wide array of flavors and types to choose from, inserting kombucha and similar probiotic-rich beverages into your diet has never been easier. "Kombucha is a great gut-healthy beverage to drink daily to help support healthy weight loss," Kara explains. Kombucha, he says, is "high in prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics." The foods we eat play an important role in gut microbiome health and balance, so one way to support a healthy microbiome through diet, Kara adds, is "to eat foods that contain healthy amounts of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics," as kombucha does.
Prebiotics are the "fibrous compounds that create the food the probiotics need to thrive," Kara continues, "Think of it like the fuel for a car." He notes that probiotics are the "live organisms" that provide a number of health benefits for our gut, and that in Kara's analogy, "this is the car engine." This means that postbiotics come from "the metabolites your probiotics create." They have "important nutrients and vitamins your body needs to thrive," therefore, Kara says, "here we have the car wheels."
Dr. Cohen adds that "Kombucha is also effective at regulating both blood sugar and appetite," which are both important factors in weight loss, as well. "To reap their full advantages, choose low-sugar varieties, consume them in moderation, and work them into a healthy eating and activity routine," she reminds us.
Don't forget the low-sugar part! Consuming kombucha with too much sugar could negate the health benefits altogether.
Other Pros: Easy To Make & Replace Soda With
Kombucha is safe to drink daily, Rivera agrees, as it's "incredible for gut health as it's loaded with probiotics." The first option for drinking kombucha is to buy it "pre-made at most grocery stores, as it's becoming more and more popular," she notes. If you "want to save more money," Rivera suggests making kombucha at home. "You'll have to find a scoby which does the fermenting," she continues.
Ultimately, Rivera "loves recommending kombucha" to her clients because it's a "fabulous way" to ditch drinking soda. She adds that "people come to crave a cold and bubbly drink, and kombucha is just that." Another plus, she says, is that "you can also flavor it in just about any flavor you like, so the possibilities are endless." If you're a regular soda drinker and switch to kombucha, you'll "immediately be taking in less sugar," she stresses, which is always a plus.
Rivera concludes that while kombucha offers a myriad of health benefits, it has also been used to help cure leaky gut and inflammation, which many might experience with age. "If you're suffering from leaky gut and have lots of food sensitivities, you need to help seal your gut, and kombucha is a great way to do that."
