Kombucha’s Fat-Burning Potential Shown in Study

A look at the possible health benefits and risks of drinking kombucha, a popular fermented tea beverage.

LightField Studios/Shutterstock

Kombucha, an ancient beverage made from a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast, has been taking the wellness world by storm lately. As its popularity surges, new research suggests that kombucha may offer an enticing metabolic boost—no calorie counting or burpees necessary.

Potential Fat-Fighting Powers

Kombucha has been touted for its potential health benefits, including the ability to lower blood pressure, prevent cancer, and protect against metabolic diseases.

These advantages are believed to stem from the probiotic microbes in the drink, but rigorous scientific scrutiny of these effects has been limited.

In a new study, researchers investigated the effect of kombucha tea microbes on metabolism, using the microscopic roundworm C. elegans as a model organism. The study, published in PLOS Genetics, revealed that the yeast and bacteria from kombucha tea colonized the worms’ intestines, inducing metabolic changes reminiscent of fasting.

Story continues below advertisement

These probiotic microbes altered the expression of genes involved in fat metabolism, leading to an increase in proteins responsible for fat breakdown and a decrease in those involved in synthesizing triglycerides, the body’s most common types of fat. This metabolic shift resulted in reduced fat accumulation in the worms, according to the researchers.

These findings suggest that simply drinking kombucha could potentially reduce body fat without requiring any reduction in food intake.

Microbes Induced a ‘Fasting-Like’ State

“These findings suggest that the microbes in Kombucha Tea trigger a ‘fasting-like’ state in the host even in the presence of sufficient nutrients,” the study authors said in a statement.

Rob Dowen, assistant professor at the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, told The Epoch Times that he was “very surprised” to discover that the probiotic microbes in kombucha could colonize the worms’ guts and stimulate a fasting-like metabolic response, even though the animals showed no defects in intestinal nutrient absorption.

“Incredibly, this response was only seen in animals consuming microbes isolated from a long-term, fully fermented kombucha tea culture, and not a simple mix of non-fermenting kombucha-associated microbes,” he said.

Story continues below advertisement

This suggests that microbial metabolites produced during the fermentation process could be shaping metabolic pathways in the host, according to Mr. Dowen.

“Our results will need to be substantiated and expanded upon in mammalian model systems to further inform how kombucha consumption impacts human physiology,” he said.

Kombucha Is Not for Everyone

Although kombucha is a rich source of probiotics and antioxidants, the beverage can have unpleasant side effects for some people.

Kombucha tea has been known to cause stomach upset, jaundice, and allergic reactions in some people. Pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and those with weakened immune systems are also advised to avoid consuming it.

Additional issues can arise when kombucha is home-brewed rather than store-bought. A major concern is the risk that dangerous bacteria will grow under improper home-brewing conditions, making the kombucha unsafe to drink.

Another potential problem is lead poisoning, which could occur if the kombucha is brewed in ceramic pots containing lead, as the compounds in the tea may cause the lead to leach from the ceramic glaze.

Kombucha is also highly acidic and typically packed with sugar, which is not ideal for dental health.