Drinking kombucha, a sparkling, fermented drink made from tea and yeast, for several weeks could reduce blood sugar levels, particularly in cases of diabetes, according to researchers.
Drinking kombucha every day for several weeks would have very positive effects on blood sugarparticularly in cases of diabetes, reports a clinical trial conducted by researchers from the Georgetown University School of Nursing in the United States, the results of which were published on August 1, 2023 in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition. THE kombucha is an effervescent and acidic fermented drink made from tea, sugar water, and a scoby (a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). To reach this conclusion, the researchers followed 12 people with type 2 diabetes to whom they made drink a 230 ml glass of kombucha per day for 4 weeks, then, after a period of two months, drink a fermented drink to “eliminate” the biological effects of kombucha, another “placebo” drink with a similar taste for another 4 weeks. At the end of their monitoring, the kombucha seemed lower average fasting blood sugar after 4 weeks of 164 to 116 milligrams per deciliter, while the difference after 4 weeks with the placebo drink was not statistically significant. The positive effects on blood sugar levels would be due in particular to the presence of lactic acid bacteriaof acetic bacteria and a form of yeast called Dekkera. As a reminder, the threshold for defining type 2 diabetes is 126 mg/dl fasting.
Benefits on intestinal discomfort and cardiovascular diseases
This is the first clinical trial examining the effects of kombucha in people with diabetes. If these results are promising, However, a larger study is needed. to confirm the effectiveness of kombucha in reducing blood sugar, and therefore in preventing or helping to treat type 2 diabetes, we can read in a statement accompanying the study. Consumed in China for millennia, kombucha was only popularized in the United States in the 1990s, then in Europe in the years 2010-2020. Thanks to its composition rich in probiotics, organic acids and antioxidantskombucha is said to have benefits on cell aging, the immune system, intestinal discomfort, mental health and the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.