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How Does Drinking Kombucha Help with Stress and Anxiety?
Kombucha is a fermented tea drink that has gained popularity in recent years for its many purported health benefits. In this article, we will delve into the ways in which how does drinking kombucha help with stress and anxiety – with scientific references rather than just another blog talking about kombucha health benefits!
What is Kombucha?
Kombucha is produced through a symbiotic process between yeast and bacteria, that are added as the ‘culture’ to a either black or green teas, or a mixture of them both. The yeast, commonly the Saccharomyces Cerevisiae strain, ferments the sugar in the sweet tea mix to produce alcohol (ethanol) and carbon dioxide. Then the bacteria – usually Acetobacter – then converts the ethanol into acetic acid and other organic acids, such as gluconic acid and lactic acid, through a process known as acetic acid fermentation. This acetic acid is what gives kombucha its sourness and a lot of its superpowers (we’ll get into the actual how does drinking kombucha help alleviate stress and anxiety for you, in the next section)
This mixture of amino and other organic acids – along with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, makes kombucha a nutritionally-rich super drink. It is also a source of probiotics, as the bacteria present in the drink can aid in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome.
How Can Drinking Booch Help with Stress and Anxiety?
There are several ways in approaching how does drinking kombucha help alleviate stress and anxiety. Here’s the 4 I have researched by reading scientific papers (I’m a kombucha nerd, I know):
1. Probiotics
The probiotic content of kombucha plays a crucial role in regulating our stress and anxiety levels.
The gut-brain axis is a communication system between the gut and brain, and it’s regulated by the gut microbiome. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, showed that by supplementing with probiotics, mice showed significantly reduced anxiety and depression-related behaviours.
Now obviously we’re not mice, but it stands to reason that a human healthy gut is also the foundation of good overall human health too: The presence of probiotics in kombucha promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria – and suppress the growth of harmful bacteria.
Want better news for cracking open a bottle of KombuchaWOW?
How Probiotics Can Help With Your Gut
The common probiotics found in your bottle of kombucha can improve gut permeability, which can lead to a reduction in inflammation.
Inflammation has been linked to several mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, through various mechanisms. Research suggests that chronic inflammation can affect brain structure and function, leading to changes in mood and behaviour.
Studies have found that individuals with depression and anxiety often have elevated levels of inflammatory markers in their blood compared to healthy individuals.
The blood markers and gut permeability are linked in the sense that elevated levels of inflammatory markers in the blood of individuals with depression and anxiety are thought to be a result of an increase in gut permeability. When the gut is permeable, or “leaky”, it allows bacteria and other toxins to enter the bloodstream and trigger an immune response, leading to increased inflammation.
Reduce Inflammation, Increase Mental Health?
Treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression in some patients, likely by reducing the levels of inflammation in the body. Now even though there’s no scientific papers on this yet; Drinking fermented drinks containing these probiotics – such as kombucha – might also help to reduce inflammation and improve mental health by preventing harmful substances from entering the bloodstream and triggering an immune response.
Therefore, by reducing gut permeability, kombucha might also help to improve mental health by reducing inflammation, which has been linked to a variety of mental health conditions including depression and anxiety.
Overall I’d answer how does drinking kombucha help alleviate stress and anxiety, by saying we’ve explored that the probiotics found in kombucha have been shown to have a positive impact on gut health and the gut-brain axis, which can lead to improved mood and reduced stress and anxiety levels.
Drinking 250ml of kombucha daily would help to promote a healthy gut microbiome and support a positive mental state, as long as you’re also treating it as part of an overall healthy diet.
2. Antioxidants
Kombucha contains antioxidants, including ascorbic acid and gallic acid, which protect the body from oxidative stress and damage. The presence of antioxidants in kombucha helps to reduce the levels of oxidative stress and damage in the body, leading to a reduction in stress and anxiety levels.
When the patients in this trial took ascorbic acid, (also known as vitamin C), it was actually found that this supplementation with vitamin C led to significant reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder.
Gallic acid, on the other hand, is of interest to scientists due to its anxiolytic effects, meaning that it helps to reduce anxiety levels. Gallic acid is found in kombucha as one of the many organic healthy acids created in the kombucha brewing process
It is important to note that the antioxidant content of kombucha can vary depending on the type of tea, sugar, yeast, and bacteria used in the brewing process. It’s also hugely important to also note that although kombucha does have ascorbic acid as part of the other organic acids creating through its fermentation process, it’s your varied everyday diet that is going to doing a lot of your health ‘heavy lifting’. The kombucha will help, sure – but eat right, sleep tight and train like a demon with weights in the gym or at home, ok?
3. B Vitamins
Kombucha is a fermented drink made from tea that is a good source of B-vitamins, including B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), and B3 (niacin). These vitamins are produced during the fermentation process when yeast and bacteria consume the sugars in the tea base.
B-vitamins play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy nervous system, including our regulating mood and emotions. For example
- B1 (thiamin) helps convert glucose into energy, which is essential for a healthy nervous system.
- B2 (riboflavin) is needed for the production of neurotransmitters
- B3 (niacin) plays a role in maintaining the health of the nervous system and skin.
Studies have shown that a deficiency in B-vitamins can lead to mood changes, anxiety, and depression. On the other hand, supplementing with these vitamins has been shown to improve symptoms and help reduce stress and anxiety levels. For instance, this large study found that B-complex vitamins reduced anxiety symptoms in patients with anxiety disorders, saying, “significantly decreased depression score scales by increasing response to standard pharmacological treatment or as monotherapy, including partial or complete remission”.
It’s obviously not as catchy as asking how does drinking kombucha help with stress and anxiety, and getting an simple answer of “just drink your bottle of kombucha”, but it’s certainly pointing to your varied diet with kombucha playing a major part in your better mental health.
How Much Vitamin B Is In Kombucha?
Note these are average values, and will vary hugely between different brands of kombucha!
| B Vitamin | Average amount in 250 ml kombucha (mg) | Male RDA (mg/day) | % of RDA | Female RDA (mg/day) | % of RDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 (Thiamin) | 0.03 | 1.2 | 2.5% | 1.1 | 2.7% |
| B2 (Riboflavin) | 0.05 | 1.3 | 3.8% | 1.1 | 9.1% |
| B3 (Niacin) | 1.0 | 16.0 | 6.3% | 14.0 | 7.1% |
| B6 (Pyridoxine) | 0.07 | 1.3 | 5.4% | 1.3 | 5.4% |
| B9 (Folate) | Not commonly found in kombucha | 400 | N/A | 400 | N/A |
| B12 (Cobalamin) | Not commonly found in kombucha | 2.4 | N/A | 2.4 | N/A |
It is important to note that these values are estimated and may vary depending on the specific recipe and production process of the kombucha. Additionally, these values should not be used as a substitute for a balanced and varied diet.
4. Amino Acids
Kombucha is also a rich source of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. These amino acids play a crucial role in neurotransmitter function and can help regulate mood, reduce stress, and improve mental clarity.
Studies have shown that consuming amino acids can help to balance neurotransmitter levels, which can lead to improved mental clarity, reduced stress, and improved mood. For example, the amino acid L-Glutamine has been shown to have a positive impact on mood, while L-Theanine has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety.
L-glutamine In Kombucha
There is no established Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for L-glutamine specifically, however it is an amino acid that is found in many foods and can also be produced by the body. Despite not being considered an essential nutrient, some studies suggest that supplementing with L-glutamine may have potential health benefits for certain populations, such as athletes, individuals undergoing surgical procedures, and mature aged people. The appropriate dosage and safety of L-glutamine supplements are still being studied and more research is needed to determine the optimal amount for different populations.
L-Theanine In Kombucha
L-Theanine is an amino acid commonly found in tea leaves, particularly green tea. Research suggests that L-Theanine may have potential health benefits, particularly in reducing stress and anxiety as well as improving cognitive function. This is thought to be due to its ability to increase levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and GABA in the brain, which can lead to a calming effect.
A review article on the potential benefits of L-Theanine supplementation published from Aston University, UK describes several studies demonstrating L-Theanine’s potential ability to reduce stress and anxiety in a variety of populations, including individuals with high levels of stress and those with anxiety.
In summary: Including kombucha in your varied diet can still provide a source of these important amino acids.
So, Does Drinking Booch Help with Stress and Anxiety?
Yes it does, and I think we’ve explored fact-based evidence on exactly how does drinking kombucha help with stress and anxiety, too. Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage that has been found to have many health benefits, particularly in reducing stress and anxiety levels due to its probiotic content, antioxidants, and B-vitamins – all of which play a crucial role in regulating the gut-brain axis, reducing oxidative stress and damage, and maintaining a healthy nervous system.
While more research is needed to fully understand the extent of kombucha’s benefits for mental health, drinking kombucha regularly can help support a positive mental state and alleviate stress and anxiety levels. When choosing kombucha, it is important to select a high-quality product such as KombuchaWOW! that is rich in antioxidants and probiotics to reap the full benefits.
Booch on!