A new study released in Frontiers in Nutrition says that people with type 2 diabetes who drink kombucha every day might be able to lower their blood sugar levels. Researchers from Georgetown University’s School of Health, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and MedStar Health did the study. They found that people with type 2 diabetes had lower fasting blood sugar levels after drinking fermented tea (kombucha) for four weeks.
The experts think that these results need to be tested on a bigger scale to find out if drinking kombucha could help people with type 2 diabetes lower their blood sugar levels.
Experts say what they think about the link between kombucha and controlling blood sugar
Dietician Kelsey Costa, who works for the National Coalition on Healthcare (NCHC), said that while the study shows that kombucha might help people with type 2 diabetes lower their blood sugar levels, more research is needed to confirm and build on these results. Amy Kimberlain, a qualified diabetes care and education expert and a spokeswoman for Academy Media, said that the study showed a big drop in people with type 2 diabetes’ fasting blood sugar levels.
The study looked at what happened to blood sugar levels when people drank kombucha every day for four weeks. The results showed that the average fasting blood glucose level dropped from 164 milligrams per deciliter to 116 milligrams per deciliter when drinking kombucha, but the difference between the control and kombucha was not statistically significant. The American Diabetes Association says that your blood sugar should be between 80 and 130 milligrams per deciliter before you eat.
Kombucha’s yeast and bacteria are good for your health
Costa pointed out that the study was small, but said that the results are in line with what scientists know about how the parts of kombucha work to lower blood sugar levels. Kombucha is mostly made up of bacteria that make lactic acid, bacteria that make acetic acid, and yeast called Dekkera. Costa says that some types of lactic acid bacteria may lower fasting blood sugar by stopping the absorption of blood sugar from the gut after a meal.
Acetic acid, which is the main ingredient in vinegar, may help people with type 2 diabetes slow the emptying of their stomachs and lower their glucose levels when they wake up. Costa thinks that the fermentation and byproducts of Dekkera yeast are part of what makes kombucha good for glucose metabolism.
Probiotics and antioxidants in Kombucha and Their Effects on Health
Kimberlain pointed out that the probiotics in kombucha may be good for your health because they can lower fasting blood glucose levels, improve cholesterol and blood pressure, and help control blood glucose levels by lowering insulin resistance. In addition to probiotics, kombucha has polyphenols, which are also called antioxidants and protect against many illnesses. Costa said that kombucha made with green and red tea is a good source of flavonoids because it is made with both types of tea.
How to Choose the Right Kombucha and Watch How Much Sugar It Has
Kimberlain says that not all of it are made the same way. The study used kombucha made by Craft. Researchers found that the bacteria and yeasts in different brands and amounts of the same brand had similar functions. Kimberlain said that future study should look into the differences between the effects of green tea and black tea, as well as the role of sugar added to the drink.
Costa told people to buy it in dark bottles so that the good chemicals wouldn’t be damaged by the light. She also warned that homemade kombucha needs to be cleaned and made with the right ingredients to avoid getting sick.
Kimberlain warned against high sugar kombucha because too much extra sugar is bad for your health and can raise your blood sugar. It’s important to read labels and choose with less sugar and fewer calories. Most servings of it with less sugar have about 4 grams of sugar.