Kombucha is a fermented drink from China that has become a well-known beverage internationally. It has many health benefits, and recent research suggests that it may even help to assist fat metabolism. This article will examine this beverage, its benefits, and whether this claim is true.
This fermented drink uses a cellulose mat or pellicle consisting of bacterial cultures, known as a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), to ferment sweetened tea (1). The fermentation process takes seven to thirty days if you make it yourself. However, you can also find the drink at health and grocery stores.
Before discussing how kombucha may help with fat metabolism, it is important to understand exactly what it is. This term refers to the body's breakdown, absorption, and fat storage.
When you consume fats, they are transported to your intestines. In your intestines, a molecule called a chylomicron is formed. Chylomicron consists of a group of fatty acids that have formed a chain, also called medium or long-chain triglycerides. This compound transports these fatty acids into your lymph fluid and filters them into your blood. Once in your blood, the fatty acids can circulate to cells and are stored if not used.
The fat that is stored forms adipose tissue. There are two kinds within your body, these are:
Subcutaneous fat is just underneath your skin, and visceral fat is the deeper fat surrounding your organs. It's natural and healthy for your body to have subcutaneous and visceral fat. However, in large amounts, they can have dangerous effects on your health, especially visceral fat. Some concerns of high visceral fat are an increased risk of:
Additionally, accumulating these types of fats can result in a higher weight and waist circumference and increase the occurrence of cellulite.
If you have a slow metabolism, your body will burn less energy than a fast metabolism. Many different strategies may help to boost your fat metabolism. These include:
While there is not much evidence on the effects of kombucha on fat, a study on worms may shed some light on its effects. A 2024 study focused on the effects of KTMs (kombucha tea microbes), the microbes found within kombucha, on fat metabolism in the worm C. elegans.
The team noted several things happening. First, there was an increase in enzymes responsible for lipophagy, a process within cells where the cells break down their fat stores. Additionally, the kombucha also helped to decrease the production of certain fats within the body. They found that this effect was similar to the effect of fasting but without the act of fasting. Additionally, the food intake of the worm remained the same and was not reduced.
The researchers found that some of these effects, such as increased enzymes responsible for breaking down fat, occurred even when the worm was not consuming kombucha. This suggests that the KTMs within kombucha may help increase body fat metabolism and may help with weight management (2).
While promising, this study was only performed on worms with different fat storage mechanisms. However, researchers believe the effects on fat metabolism would be similar in humans. As this is a new study with a new finding, more research is necessary to determine whether kombucha does help with fat metabolism.
While the jury is still out on whether kombucha helps with weight loss due to its effects on fat metabolism, it may also indirectly help by supporting gut health. Poor nutrition and frequent medications are some of the factors that can cause a decline in gut health. This happens as the population of beneficial bacteria in your gut reduces and the population of harmful bacteria increases.
This change in gut health not only causes gut symptoms but can also cause sugar cravings and weight gain. Drinking kombucha, the KTMs can help populate your gut with beneficial bacteria. This may improve gut health, lower inflammation, and improve digestion, assisting with weight management.
Additionally, it may help to promote a feeling of fullness. One study found that the KTMs decreased the different species of harmful bacteria in your gut while increasing another strain of beneficial bacteria. This bacteria, mucispirillum, correlates to the amount of leptin in your body. Leptin is a hormone that is involved in appetite. Leptin is released into your body as you eat to promote a feeling of fullness. Increasing the amount of leptin produced in your body can provide a feeling of fullness and may reduce the total energy consumed, potentially assisting in weight management (3).
If you do not like the taste of kombucha and are looking for other ways to get the benefits of probiotics without taking kombucha, a range of probiotic supplements can help.
Fermplex A and C by Dr. Lam are fermented supplements using live bacteria. Both use a microorganism base and add adaptogenic herbs, providing a range of adrenal and immune benefits.
Fermplex A contains herbs such as ashwagandha, ginseng, and holy basil. This combination can help during stress, improve aches, and enhance libido and fertility.
Fermplex C instead uses holy basil and black tea. Both are antioxidants. Holy basil is known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties and can help relieve stress. Black tea also has antibacterial properties.
With both supplements, the microorganism base will help to provide probiotics. These may help to improve gut health, reduce sugar cravings, and indirectly help with weight loss or weight management.
Managing stress is another strategy that may help to improve fat metabolism. However, first, you must understand how stress can impact fat metabolism.
During short-term stress, your adrenal glands produce stress hormones, and your body's NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response System helps you manage stress effectively. However, when the stress persists, your adrenal glands become depleted. This results in low levels of stress hormones, and imbalances within the NEM system can start to occur. This results in the onset of adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is a condition where the body cannot keep up with long-term stress, resulting in various non-specific symptoms depending on where the imbalance occurs in the NEM system.
One of the circuits within the NEM system that can become imbalanced is the bioenergetics circuit. This circuit is responsible for managing your blood sugar levels and metabolism. Your pancreas, thyroid, and liver are responsible for this circuit. Imbalances here can result in sugar cravings and weight gain. Strategies, such as the use of kombucha, may help to assist with some of these symptoms.
Using kombucha to increase your fat metabolism may seem enticing, especially if you are experiencing symptoms of weight gain due to adrenal fatigue. However, there are some cautions to be mindful of.
Kombucha is generally made with a base of black tea and contains caffeine. Caffeine is an ingredient that can cause stress to your body, which may exacerbate your symptoms.
Additionally, your body can become very sensitive to some foods with adrenal fatigue. If you use store-bought kombucha, it may have other ingredients to react to, which may set you back in your healing journey. Fortunately, kombucha can be made using another base, such as green tea, which contains less caffeine, or rooibos and hibiscus tea, which do not contain caffeine.
Making kombucha yourself can help you use a base with less or no caffeine. It will also help to avoid preservatives and food chemicals.
Starting small is important if you want to add kombucha to your health regimen. You can start with 30-100ml of kombucha and either drink it or add it to fruit juice if the flavor is too strong. After you drink it, be mindful of your body and how you feel. You may find that your gut takes time to adjust to it. Starting with a smaller amount of kombucha can help to reduce side effects such as bloating.
You can incorporate it into your diet a few times per week or daily. The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) has found that drinking 100g of kombucha daily has no adverse effects, although drinking over 340g daily may have adverse effects (4).
Kombucha can have many health benefits. While research is still very early on whether it improves fat metabolism in humans, it may also help in other ways including:
This research suggests that kombucha may assist with weight loss and management. If you are currently finding that your weight is challenging to manage, our team at Dr. Lam can help. You can call us at +1 (626) 571-1234 for a free initial call.
Enhance Your Gut Health
Wang, Boying, et al. “Kombucha: Production and Microbiological Research.” Foods, vol. 11, no. 21, Oct. 2022, p. 3456. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11213456.
DuMez-Kornegay, Rachel N., et al. “Kombucha Tea-associated Microbes Remodel Host Metabolic Pathways to Suppress Lipid Accumulation.” PLOS Genetics, vol. 20, no. 3, Mar. 2024, p. e1011003. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011003.
De Campos Costa, Mirian Aparecida, et al. “Kombuchas From Green and Black Tea Modulate the Gut Microbiota and Improve the Intestinal Health of Wistar Rats Fed a High-Fat High-Fructose Diet.” Nutrients, vol. 14, no. 24, Dec. 2022, p. 5234. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14245234.
Batista, Patrícia, et al. “Kombucha: Perceptions and Future Prospects.” Foods, vol. 11, no. 13, July 2022, p. 1977. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11131977.
One group of individuals who may benefit from enhancing fat metabolism are individuals who are looking at reducing weight. Some of the best ways to boost it include good nutrition, exercise, and adequate sleep. Kombucha may also help, although the research is has not yet been done on mammals or humans.
