Kombucha suggestions?

Myzzlone
Myzzlone Posts: 34 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
Ive been trying to hop on the 'buch wagon for the gut healing benefits but the kinds I've tried left me kind of scared.. Does anyone have any recommendations??

Replies

  • clicketykeys
    clicketykeys Posts: 6,579 Member
    Scared? Bad taste, or feeling bad, or...?
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    I like GT's berry and ginger flavors.
  • lioness803
    lioness803 Posts: 325 Member
    Kevita is my favorite brand
  • Hypsibius
    Hypsibius Posts: 207 Member
    Myzzlone wrote: »
    Ive been trying to hop on the 'buch wagon for the gut healing benefits but the kinds I've tried left me kind of scared.. Does anyone have any recommendations??

    So I love GT's Kombucha Trilogy. This is a great place to start. If I want to flavor it up even more I'll add a pinch of Grapefruit juice, but normally I just drink it as is.

    One I really loved was the Bucha Grapefruit Sage blend, but I discovered on Whole30 that it's loaded with added sugar (24 grams per bottle, 94 kcals -- compared to GT's at 4 grams, 60 kcals).

    End of the day, store-bought kombucha is bloody expensive. I'm seriously going to start brewing it... one day...
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    I have a store by me that sells Calmbucha. It is kombucha that is sold on tap. You fill it up fresh from the tap and they let you sample the different flavors before you buy. I like the spicy flavors (ginger, chai, turmeric) best and am not very fond of the fruity ones but that is just me.
  • YalithKBK
    YalithKBK Posts: 317 Member
    There is no evidence that Kombucha has any significant health benefits. Save your money.
  • bogwoppt1
    bogwoppt1 Posts: 159 Member
    I love the taste of kombucha but I agree it has no health benefits at all, there is literally no scientific proof of it.

    But because I like the acidy taste of it I drink it instead of booze. Lower calorie, zingy taste.

    I like any ginger ones but my current favourite is Wonder Kombucha Cherry Cassis. Totally delicious.
  • Hypsibius
    Hypsibius Posts: 207 Member
    YalithKBK wrote: »
    There is no evidence that Kombucha has any significant health benefits. Save your money.

    I don't think it cures cancer, no -- but anecdotally I can say with confidence that helps me personally with digestion. And I just straight up love its tangy, fermented flavor.
  • TheCupcakeCounter
    TheCupcakeCounter Posts: 606 Member
    I love GT's Gingerberry with Trilogy coming is a close second. Personally I would have the Kevita Sparkling Lemon Cayenne everyday if more stores around me sold it - the one that does I am lucky if I can get more than one or 2 bottles at a time and it is a 25+ minute drive for me to get there. The whole bottle is 10 calories.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    Hypsibius wrote: »
    YalithKBK wrote: »
    There is no evidence that Kombucha has any significant health benefits. Save your money.

    I don't think it cures cancer, no -- but anecdotally I can say with confidence that helps me personally with digestion. And I just straight up love its tangy, fermented flavor.

    Yeah, it's a little thing, like yoghurt or kefir that helps make your gut happier and healthier. It's not going to change your life, but it has benefits.
  • _dixiana_
    _dixiana_ Posts: 3,262 Member
    Another vote for GT's Trilogy. That one is my favorite. I also like Kevita Ginger and Wonder Drink Asian Pear and Ginger.
  • monica_delarosa
    monica_delarosa Posts: 22 Member
    I used to make my own water kefir. It is much easier to make than Kombucha and I believe it is better for your digestive system. I like to make it with grape juice for a bubbling grape soda.
  • Myzzlone
    Myzzlone Posts: 34 Member
    clicketykeys wrote: »
    Scared? Bad taste, or feeling bad, or...?

    There was some scoby that i didnt see and im a child when it comes to chunkies in my drinks :s
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    I've tried a couple of kombucha varieties recently and wasn't particularly thrilled with either of them. I've got a mother growing in a cabinet now for 3+ weeks and will be ready to make a batch of my own in a few days. I don't know enough to give advice at all. It's a probiotic option for me, that's all.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Oh, jeez, I'd forgotten all about brewing kombucha! (Mushroom tea.) I agree it was kind of scary. Plus no magical benefits.

    Note that they say both "pasteurized kombucha tea is generally considered safe for healthy people" and "In order to maintain the probiotic benefits, the tea must not be pasteurized, which also increases the risk of contamination."

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-about-kombucha#2

    ...Kombucha’s popularity is in part due to the probiotic content of good-for-you bacteria that studies show can benefit digestion and boost immunity. In order to maintain the probiotic benefits, the tea must not be pasteurized, which also increases the risk of contamination.

    Helm says yogurt is a better choice if you want to boost your probiotics because it also contains a wealth of healthy nutrients like protein, calcium, and potassium. And, often it is fortified with vitamin D.

    Drinking 4 ounces daily of commercially available pasteurized kombucha tea is generally considered safe for healthy people. However, it would be prudent for pregnant women, elderly people, children, and anyone with a compromised immune system to avoid it.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    YalithKBK wrote: »
    There is no evidence that Kombucha has any significant health benefits. Save your money.

    Kombucha is fermented, like yogurt is fermented. Yogurt has a billion dollar industry trying to prove that it's a health food. Kombucha doesn't.
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
    Any fermented food or drink needs to be raw/un-pasturized in order for it to have probiotic benefits. So even store yogurt is pointless UNLESS they add some probiotics after they heat it. But even then, it's likely the probiotics don't survive real well. That said, raw fermented foods are well known to have health benefits from the probiotics they provide. They are also a MUCH cheaper way to get a lot of probiotics into the gut.

    I struggle with kombucha. It just tastes nasty to me. BUT, I have made tons of water kefir and really enjoy it. It's fairly easy to make, is way cheaper then buying kombucha pre-made, and you can play with the flavors and amount of fizziness. The grains are a lot easier to manage then a kombucha scoby (mother) or dairy kefir grains.
  • mallory_2014
    mallory_2014 Posts: 173 Member
    I love the Rise brand kombucha. The hibiscus and rose hips is my favourite flavour but all of them are great.
  • serenityfrye
    serenityfrye Posts: 360 Member
    Myzzlone wrote: »
    clicketykeys wrote: »
    Scared? Bad taste, or feeling bad, or...?

    There was some scoby that i didnt see and im a child when it comes to chunkies in my drinks :s

    We pour our homemade kombucha through a sieve and into a glass when we drink it - mostly to sift out the fruit chunks from the second ferment but it also gets rid of Scoby chunks and those yeasty floaters. Could try that!
  • Amberonamission
    Amberonamission Posts: 836 Member
    I grew a kombucha for a while. Didn't notice any great health benifit. Stank up the house big-time. It's taste was interesting but not worth the work in my opinion
  • Lovee_Dove7
    Lovee_Dove7 Posts: 742 Member
    GT Dave's Grape or Strawberry
    Trader Joe's Gently Gingered Kombucha (in a can). It tastes quite a bit like a beer!
  • ladipoet
    ladipoet Posts: 4,180 Member
    I like GT's brand as well. My two favorite flavors are Mojito and Raspberry Chia!
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    YalithKBK wrote: »
    There is no evidence that Kombucha has any significant health benefits. Save your money.

    This. Some can even contain alcohol but below the legal limit to be sold as such. I had a co-worker who drank it all the time. He was alcohol tested (the tongue dip test) and it came back positive. He also had a low blood alcohol level..... he's never had alcohol a day in his life (religious reasons).
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    ronjsteele1 wrote: »
    The grains are a lot easier to manage then a kombucha scoby (mother) or dairy kefir grains.

    What language are you speaking?

    The thread had me at "sour drink", but lost me with the jargon. :smile:

    You people with your crunchy words, I bet you all have dreadlocks and long toenails. :smiley:

  • lgill1127
    lgill1127 Posts: 47 Member
    Kevita is a good entry point into the 'buch world. My favorite Kevita flavors are Ginger, Lavender Melon, and Peach Pineapple.

    I personally would not recommend GT's Trilogy to a newbie. It was my first taste of kombucha and it immediately turned me off to all kombucha because it tasted like straight vinegar.
  • Rusty740
    Rusty740 Posts: 749 Member
    You can make your own and flavor it how you like. There are ways of growing the scoby you can look up online, I think one way is to find some pure apple cider vinegar, but not sure. I had one given to me. You can use different types of tea bags for the flavor and you can mix it with fruit juices to your liking.

    I found it too much of a pain to keep drinking it or tossing it if you didn't use it, but it is pretty hardy.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    I make my own. I have two scobys and feed then different things to influence the taste. Love it so much more than bottled!
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