Kombucha lowers blood glucose level

Kombucha is a sweet, fizzy drink made from bacteria, yeast, sugar, and tea. It is usually a yellow-orange color and has a slightly sour taste. To make kombucha, sweetened green or black tea is fermented with a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast. During the fermentation process, the yeast breaks down the sugar in the tea and releases friendly probiotic bacteria. Kombucha becomes carbonated after fermentation, which is why the drink is fizzy.

A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition looked at whether kombucha lowered blood glucose levels in adults with Type 2 Diabetes. The study was a randomized double-blinded crossover study where 12 participants were asked to drink either a kombucha product or a placebo control (each 240 ml) for 4 weeks. Fasting blood glucose levels were measured in week 1 and 4. Data regarding overall health, insulin requirement, gut health, skin health, mental health, and vulvovaginal health was collected via a questionnaire at both these times.

Kombucha lowered average fasting blood glucose levels at 4 weeks compared to week 1 whereas the placebo did not.

American Diabetic Association recommends replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with healthy option like water. However, despite the sugar used in the fermentation process of kombucha, daily consumption did not raise fasting blood glucose levels to unhealthy levels in people with Diabetes. The researchers of the study have stressed that with only 12 participants it was not sufficient to provide a definitive conclusion. Future studies are needed to evaluate the safety of kombucha for people with Diabetes.

Frontiers in Nutrition, 2023