Kombucha For Beginners (2024)

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• Nutrition

What is Kombucha?

Chances are the fermented, effervescent tea known as kombucha has caught your eye...and for good reason. The transformative drink has ancient roots dating back thousands of years and has reemerged in popularity thanks to its many functional health benefits. With billions of living probiotics in each batch, kombucha provides sustained energy, supports holistic physical and mental wellbeing, and more. Made using a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), the healthy probiotics created in fermentation are what bring kombucha to life, really.

Below, we are breaking down everything you need to know about kombucha and how to kick off your journey to improved holistic health from the inside out.

How is Kombucha Made?

There would be no kombucha with the SCOBY. The SCOBY is a living culture made of bacteria and yeast that looks like a slick pancake and aids in the fermentation process used to make kombucha. The yeast consumes and ferments the sugar in the sweetened tea and naturally produces ethanol alcohol. Through this fermentation process, acetic acid, active enzymes, polyphenols, and living probiotics are produced, assisting in the creation of a tart flavor and natural effervescence. Kombucha can be brewed using cane sugar, kiwi juice, or even honey as food for the SCOBY to fuel fermentation.

Once the kombucha base is properly fermented (for best results, 30-45 days), it can be combined with fresh fruit and vegetable juices, herbs, and natural essences for flavor. Now that the kombucha is made, the final step is to keep it alive so it can retain the nutrients and benefits from the living cultures and active enzymes. How exactly? Keeping the kombucha in its authentic state is the best way to ensure it keeps its benefits. This means kombucha should never be pasteurized, diluted, or filtered. That is why our raw, living kombuchas like SYNERGY Raw Kombucha and CLASSIC Kombucha are never heated or treated and always undiluted and unfiltered.

What are Kombucha’s Health Benefits?

The many health benefits of kombucha are known to revitalize your mind, body, and spirit. With time, the SCOBY transforms the tea into a bright, tangy, and fizzy drink with billions of living probiotics that aid digestion, support gut health, and boost immune function. Each bottle contains billions of living probiotics to support gut health, promote overall wellbeing and provide a daily healing ritual. The naturally occurring effervescence may also help you feel full and satiated, helping to stave off unhealthy cravings. Because kombucha is nutrient dense and made with high quality, fresh ingredients, it supports immune function. Take advantage of the beneficial antimicrobial and antibacterial effects of the acetic acid found in kombucha at the next onset of a cold. For mental clarity, the good bacteria, B vitamins, polyphenols, other phytochemicals, and enzymes may help clear brain fog.

If you are new to kombucha, we recommend starting small with about 4 ounces and building a routine over time, just as you would with any new fitness or wellness regimen. As your body acclimates to the living probiotics, you may experience the detoxifying effects typically associated with a cleanse. This may show up as gas, bloat, or a change in stool.

How To Choose Your Kombucha

With such a rich history filled with different makers, traditions, and variations, the kombucha you see on the shelves is not all the same. SYNERGY Raw Kombucha has 18x more probiotics than the next leading competitor, which equates to about 9 billion living, active cultures in each bottle. Unlike others, we handcraft all our kombucha in small batches to preserve the authenticity of traditional brewing. With over 25 years of experience brewing the fermented tea, GT Dave, Founder and CEO, has stayed true to his original craft and recipe. Since those early days, SYNERGY Raw Kombucha has been the taste that transforms.

To get started, we recommend selecting a flavor profile you typically enjoy. If you’re a fan of tropical fruits, try SYNERGY Mystic Mango or SYNERGY Guava Goddess. For those who prefer more tart beverages, try SYNERGY Gingerade or SYNERGY Trilogy. No matter where you start, you will feel the GT’s difference from your first sip.