The Science Behind The Organic Acids in Kombucha
What is it that makes it healthy?
What do you love about kombucha? For us it’s the refreshing taste. We can’t get enough of that unique acidic twang. We also love the fact that the slightly sharp (and totally addictive) taste we enjoy in our craft-brewed booch has brilliant added benefits.
The fermentation process we use to turn our green tea brew into kombucha produces a collection of beneficial and delicious organic acids. But what are these acids and what are they doing for us?
What are the organic acids in kombucha
Awesome acetic acid
Acetic acid is what gives vinegar its acid kick and kombucha its distinctive flavour. It’s the most abundant of the three commonly-occurring organic acids in kombucha. The other two are glucuronic acid and gluconic acid. They’re all produced as a by-product of the fermentation process used to make kombucha.
A study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry in 2000 found that kombucha was effective at inhibiting the growth of some common bacteria pathogenic to humans. This means that under lab conditions, kombucha restricted the growth of harmful bacteria. The bacteria in this study included E. coli, salmonella and campylobacter and listeria. All bad bugs that can cause the stomach upsets, sickness and diarrhoea associated with food poisoning. This means that drinking kombucha regularly could help us fight off nasty food poisoning bugs.
And this is down, in part, to acetic acid, a known anti-bug agent. According to a health review published in the scientific Wiley Online Library in 2014, acetic acid is largely responsible for these antibacterial effects of kombucha. It also works in conjunction with the proteins in kombucha to increase this effect.
Best supporting acid
The glucuronic acid in kombucha has a variety of health-supporting roles in the body. A study published in 2004 in the CyTA Journal of Food explains that this acid helps support the liver’s detoxing duties, helping it do its job of processing drugs, chemicals and pollutants. Glucuronic acid also helps keep the balance of our sex hormones such as oestrogen and progesterone in check and helps to increase the activity of antioxidants.
Boosting good gut health
Kombucha contains gluconic acid, which was proven in a study way back in 1994 to support the growth of good gut bacteria called Bifidobacteria. They help support a healthy gut and for this reason, they’re often added to probiotic supplements. The more support we give these good guys with gluconic acid from the mighty kombucha, the happier our gut!
Sharp operators
Kombucha is also linked with supporting a healthy immune system due to its antioxidant content. One of these antioxidants is ascorbic acid, better known as vitamin C. And kombucha contains glucaric acid which showed promising antioxidant results in a study in 2011. Antioxidants help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress that can damage our cells, leaving us vulnerable to disease.
So, there we are, a collection of awesome acids, present in kombucha with health benefits we can all benefit from by enjoying our daily kombucha. What’s not to love?
