Kombucha – a.k.a. fermented probiotic tea – is flying off the shelves at Whole Foods and other natural grocery stores. But what most consumers don’t know, is that not all kombucha is created equal.
In fact, many of the big kombucha brands are:
- Fermented in plastic containers, which like anything cooked/packaged in plastic, may be harmful to our health
- Artificially carbonated, rather than letting the good-for-you bacteria do the fizzing
- Fermented with chemicals or powders, not real kombucha culture
- Made with concentrates, dyes or flavorings, instead of real fresh fruit & naturally-occurring flavor
As is often true with foods that become popular, companies are taking advantage of consumers by producing kombucha that really doesn’t offer the health benefits of real kombucha.
Real kombucha is beneficial for the following reasons:
- It’s full of live active cultures – like kefir or yogurt – which are good for your digestion and overall health
- May help boost immunity, like other naturally-occurring probiotics are thought to do
- Provides a natural, healthy energy boost when you need a little pick-me-up but don’t want much caffeine or sugar
How do you know if you’re buying real kombucha?
Read the label and ingredients. Call your kombucha company and ask about their production process. Or, buy Health-Ade. It’s the only brand in my area that’s made the old-fashioned way: in glass containers (never plastic), 100% organic, authentically fermented and unpasteurized, and in small batches to ensure quality.
If you love real kombucha and want to support a company whose doing it right, here’s your chance:
Health-Ade is currently running a Kickstarter campaign so they can scale up without selling out. They’re super popular in Los Angeles and want to begin serving other cities, but they need your help to make it happen!
Support Health-Ade here
Health-Ade is owned by my good friends, but I whole-heartedly believe in their product and recommend it to anyone who likes kombucha!
4 Comments
Michael
August 8, 2013 at 4:05 pm“Or, buy Health-Ade. It’s the only brand in my area that’s made the old-fashioned way”
I assume you live in Los Angeles. While I agree that Health Ade makes a good product, We’ve also got a handful of great local organic kombucha companies in LA including Better Booch, Brassica and Brine, and Probiotic Boost (to name a few). Taste-wise, some of those kombuchas outshine Health Ade, and they are all organic and use glass etc as far as I know.
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance
August 8, 2013 at 11:34 pmYUM! I would love to try this Kombucha. I hate that most Kombucha that is sold has added sugars and artifical flavors.
Amelia
August 9, 2013 at 11:57 amI don’t think most kombucha has artificial flavors, but some use artificial carbonation or kill the beneficial bacteria in various ways before the kombucha reaches you. And, all kombucha has added sugar (including Health Ade) because that’s part of what feeds the yeast and keeps the yeast/bacteria ratio in balance. So as long as you account for the calories in your beverage, the sugar shouldn’t be a problem – it’s minimal compared to soda or juices.
Amelia
August 9, 2013 at 12:00 pmThanks for alerting people to those other brands, Michael. Those are new to me. It’s definitely uncommon to brew in all-glass, so I’ll look into those too to learn more about their practices.
I personally like to support small companies and my friends with businesses. But of course it’s my readers’ choice on whether or not they decide to do so.