Key Takeaways
- Kombucha may reduce how quickly sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream, leading to more stable blood sugar.
- It may also help improve the body’s ability to use insulin, a hormone that helps move glucose from the blood into cells for use as energy.
- Drinking kombucha regularly may also improve your gut health, which can help manage blood sugar over time.
Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage often hailed for its health benefits. Among these benefits, kombucha may help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Research suggests it helps slow the rate at which glucose enters the bloodstream while enhancing insulin sensitivity.
1. Slowed Sugar Absorption Rate
When you eat, your body breaks down the food and converts the carbohydrates into glucose (sugar), which enters the bloodstream for use as energy. Certain carbohydrates are absorbed faster, leading to blood sugar spikes, whereas others are absorbed more slowly, resulting in a steadier rise in blood sugar.
Drinking kombucha may improve the rate of glucose absorption. The acids in kombucha help slow the rate at which food leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine, leading to slower carbohydrate breakdown and, in turn, slower glucose absorption.
Antinutrients and Glucose Absorption
Kombucha also contains antinutrients, such as tannins, that reduce the body’s ability to absorb other nutrients. Research suggests that these antinutrients can also slow carbohydrate digestion.
2. Improved Insulin Sensitivity
Animal research suggests that kombucha may also improve insulin sensitivity, which is how well the body uses insulin to manage blood glucose levels. Kombucha does this by acting as a probiotic, which helps to feed beneficial bacteria while reducing inflammation and regulating the body’s metabolism. However, more research is needed.
Kombucha and Diabetes
Research has shown that drinking kombucha is also effective in helping people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels. One study found that people with diabetes who drank kombucha for four weeks had lower fasting blood glucose levels than those who drank a placebo.
3. Improved Gut Health
Better gut health also drives better glucose management. Some animal research suggests that kombucha may improve gut health in several ways, including:
- Rebalancing good and bad gut bacteria
- Increasing the levels of intestinal microorganisms, such as formic, acetic, and butyric acid, that help maintain overall gut health
- Improving intestinal permeability, which is the intestinal lining’s control over what gets into the bloodstream from the digestive tract
- Reducing gut inflammation and intestinal damage
When the gut is healthy, compounds and hormones that improve insulin resistance and sugar absorption function more effectively, leading to better blood sugar management.
Other Things to Consider
Some kombuchas are also sweetened with high amounts of sugar, which can cause higher spikes in blood sugar. It’s important to choose types that are the lowest in sugar if blood sugar management is your goal.
Kombucha also contains live bacteria, so it’s essential to check with your doctor before drinking it or making your own at home if you’re pregnant or have a weakened immune system.
Other Health Benefits of Kombucha
Aside from its ability to manage blood sugar and improve baseline blood glucose level in people with diabetes, kombucha may also:
- Reduce oxidative stress and inflammation caused by free radicals due to its antioxidants
- Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
- Reduce the risk of colorectal cancer
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