IS KOMBUCHA PALEO/KETO/VEGAN?

Kombucha is known as the “immortal health elixir” and dates back to the Chinese Qin Dynasty from 220 BC. It has been around for centuries, and to date, this ancient drink has proved to be a popular choice among health enthusiasts. So, what exactly is kombucha?

Kombucha is a drink made by fermenting black or green tea using a culture of bacteria and yeast called SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). The SCOBY is a jelly-like substance and resembles a mushroom cap. It eats up the sugar in the tea as it grows, converting it to vinegar. This gives kombucha a tart taste and carbonates it to give it some fizziness.

Once the SCOBY has fermented the tea, the tea is packaged into glass bottles, and the SCOBY is removed. However, some SCOBY strands are left behind, and active cultures continue to grow.

Kombucha has numerous health benefits; it’s a probiotic drink, which aids in digestive health. In addition, it reduces oxidative stress in cells, which is a common contributor to cancer and boosts immunity.

Given its benefits, many people wonder whether kombucha is suitable for those on paleo, keto, or vegan diets. If you’re wondering the same thing, then you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading to find out which diets kombucha complies with and whether it has any effect on your insulin levels and blood sugar.

Can You Drink Kombucha on Paleo Diet?

The paleo diet aims to emulate the food choices of our hunter-gatherer predecessors. Our ancestors led healthy and active lifestyles based on a wholesome food diet. Such practices may be why they had presumably lower diabetes, obesity, and heart disease rates compared to present times.

The crux of a paleo diet is to follow the life of Paleolithic humans, which includes whole foods and no processed foods. Thus, those on a paleo diet should eat as much of the following as possible:

Grass-fed meat;
Eggs;
Fish;
Fruits and vegetables;
Healthy fats;
Herbs.

The paleo diet also restricts the following:

Sugar;
Dairy;
Artificial sweeteners;
Processed foods;
Trans fat.

Kombucha has a somewhat conflicted status in the paleo world. Since paleo must consist of our hunter-gatherer ancestors’ diet, kombucha was not a part of it.

Moreover, there is no kombucha without sugar. After all, the SCOBY ferment the sugar in the tea to give it an acidic taste. Some argue that the use of sugar makes kombucha impermissible in the paleo world.

However, it can become a little bit complicated from here. There is no doubt kombucha is an excellent source of probiotics; the paleo diet recognizes the importance of healthy gut flora, and kombucha fits that criterion. Certain foods were not available during ancient times to be a part of the paleolithic diet.

Still, they check all the requirements to be certified as paleo. A famous example can be seen in raw broccoli and the fact that it is a modern vegetable but still widely used in paleo diets due to its high fiber content and anti-cancer properties.

The real question regarding kombucha’s status in the paleo world is if our hunter-gatherer ancestors knew about fermentation, would they have incorporated kombucha in their diet. It’s not hard to imagine paleolithic humans letting food sit in a hole or shell for a while and realize that doing so helped develop a better taste and lasted longer. Had they known about the benefits of fermentation, it would likely have become a part of their diet.

So, kombucha lies somewhere in the grey area regarding official paleo certification, even if the cane sugar in kombucha is a cause for concern. Still, its beneficial effects on intestinal flora make it paleo-friendly. If you genuinely want to make a paleo kombucha, consider replacing cane sugar with honey or coconut sugar.

Is Kombucha Considered Keto-friendly?

A ketogenic diet utilizes fat as the primary energy source and limits carbohydrates such as bread, sugars, and grains. Consuming a low carbohydrate diet uses up your sugar storage and burns fat for energy, putting your body in a state of ketosis. A keto diet is highly effective for weight loss and other conditions like diabetes and epilepsy.

As with paleo, kombucha lies in a similar grey area when it comes to the keto diet. However, kombucha can be keto-friendly, depending on how it’s brewed.

The main component of kombucha is sugar, something that a keto diet disallows. But the SCOBY feeds off this sugar, leaving behind a minimal amount. So if you consume this version of kombucha, it is keto-friendly as it is low in sugar and carbohydrates.

However, all kombucha is not made the same way. The sugar content depends on the manufacturer. After fermentation, kombucha has a tart, vinegary taste, which may not be appealing to everyone. So, many manufacturers add more sugar for sweetening purposes or ferment it a second time where they add extra flavors and fruits. Naturally, adding sweeteners and flavors increases the sugar content, making this type of kombucha unsuitable for keto diets.

Make sure you check the labels to see the sugar and carbohydrate levels in the kombucha. If you have a daily sugar allowance, ensure that you only consume the required amount so that your body continues to stay in ketosis.

Kombucha – Vegan or Not?

Given that kombucha does not incorporate any animal products, it can be a part of the vegan diet. But it’s not that simple because there are still some things you need to be careful about.

The vegan diet is 100% plant-based. It avoids animal products, including meat, dairy, honey, even leather, and fur coats. Veganism and vegetarianism are often confused – the difference is that the latter allows for dairy and egg products, but not meat.

Kombucha can be both vegan and vegetarian since there are no animal products or by-products. The only point of contention is the SCOBY, as it is a living, breathing culture of bacteria and yeast, but it is not an animal product. So, kombucha comes under the vegan domain.

The problem for vegans is artificial sweeteners. There’s no problem if manufacturers use flavors such as fruits, spices, botanicals, and herbs. But if they use honey, then the kombucha becomes non-vegan.

The only way to know for sure is to read the labels carefully. Manufacturers mention honey in the ingredients, while others may only use “natural sweeteners.” The term “natural sweeteners” is ambiguous and may include non-vegan sources like maple syrup, honey, etc. Thus, make sure you read the complete list of ingredients before buying kombucha.

Does Kombucha Spike Insulin?

Kombucha does spike insulin levels. Along with complying with numerous diets, kombucha is also an excellent choice for people with diabetes. Research shows that kombucha increases insulin production and reduces blood sugar hemoglobin A1C levels.

Other promising studies are working on the effects of kombucha on beta cells in the pancreas, responsible for insulin production. In addition, kombucha contains polyphenols; organic compounds occur naturally in plants, fruits, vegetables, and teas.

The polyphenols in kombucha prevent damage and even the death of pancreatic beta cells. Some studies have even mentioned how polyphenols play a part in the regeneration of beta cells. Thus, kombucha has favorable effects on insulin production and blood sugar levels, making it a suitable drink for people with diabetes.

Another study showed that black tea kombucha was more effective at lowering blood sugar than regular kombucha. Furthermore, studies have also shown green tea kombucha is even more potent than traditional green tea or black tea kombucha. Compared to black tea kombucha, green tea kombucha resulted in lower blood glucose, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels.

Hence, kombucha is highly effective in controlling blood sugar levels and increasing insulin production. It is widely known that beverages like green tea reduce blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity. But given kombucha’s probiotic and antioxidant properties, the health benefits are amplified compared to unfermented tea

The Bottom Line

Given the different varieties of kombucha in the market and the abundance of manufacturing companies, there is no definitive answer to whether kombucha complies with paleo, keto, and vegan diets. You will have to individually scrutinize each bottle and read the ingredients label carefully to decide whether or not it complies with your specific diet. But what matters is that kombucha’s overall health benefits encompass all diets and are also suitable for people with diabetes.

Generally speaking, most kombucha does conform to different diets like paleo, keto, and vegan. There are no animal products, and the SCOBY uses most of the sugar, leaving a negligible amount behind. So all that’s left to look out for are the types of sweeteners. Even then, you can make homemade kombucha if you don’t trust or like what’s available in the market.

So, whether you follow paleo, keto, or vegan, there’s nothing that should stop you from enjoying a nice, cold, freshly brewed bottle of kombucha!

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