Kombucha or Conbucha?
Posted on September 16 2026
Kombucha seems to be everywhere at the moment. You’ll find it in supermarkets, cafés and health food stores, with plenty of claims about why this fizzy fermented tea is so good for us.
But what exactly is kombucha, and is it really the health drink it’s made out to be?
This week, Lisa from LisaSaidSo and Oomph Health takes a closer look at kombucha, how it’s made, what’s actually in it, and some of the things you might want to consider before jumping on the kombucha bandwagon or brewing your own at home.
From Lisa ... Kombucha or Conbucha?
IS KOMBUCHA HEALTHY?
Culture Club
If you google Kombucha, you’re either going to get people raving about this effervescent beverage, or you’ll get people saying there is no evidence to substantiate any of its purported health claims (while this drink has apparently been around for centuries, it only started ‘trending’ in the last decade).
It has been claimed that this probiotic beverage will improve your immune and digestive systems. Kombucha also apparently enhances your libido, increases your energy, stabilises your moods and detoxes you.
So, what to make of all of this? You must make your own conclusions!
Hopefully, not only will you take into consideration the information available to you, but you’ll also use your own nouse, to determine whether you’ll regularly partake or not.
Me? I don’t drink this beverage. I have tried it a couple of times, but found it too sweet to drink without diluting it 50:50 with sparkling H20. But professionally? I would neverrecommend it to my clients for their health.
Note: As a Naturopath, I have to make sure the probiotics I recommend to my clients are genus, species and strain specific e.g. Lactobacillus acidophilus (NCFM), Bifidobacterium lactose (Bi07), or Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG). These highly ‘specific’ bacteria have been researched and are known to make safe passage through and onto the intestinal tract in humans. I also have to make sure there are therapeutic levels of viable bacteria, that the bacteria have been produced, stored and transported correctly, and that there is no chance of harming my client.
I would only ever indulge in a commercially brewed, unpasteurised Kombucha (as I did for this article). At least this way, there is some sort of consistency or standard in what is being produced.
The makers will be trying very hard to regulate the sugar and alcohol content of their product. They will also hopefully be au fait with bacteria and yeast specimens, the brewing process, and hygiene regulations!
Note: Unfortunately, you’ve got to ask yourself who are the so-called experts producing this product, and promoting its health benefits? Are they really in a position to be doing so? Are they batch-testing to ensure quality, safety, and consistency? And, prior to their product being available in-store, how are they storing and transporting it?
When imbibing a bottle of ‘Booch’, I am under no illusion that this drink is going to contribute to my good health, or that this product contains meaningful amounts of B-vitamins, antioxidants, specific acids or whatever else they think may be in my bottle of brew. I just hope that it doesn’t harm my health in anyway!
Note: Did you know that you make your own B-vitamins? The good bacteria in your gut make them for your own use! This is why it is important to supplement your diet with a B-vitamin complex while taking antibiotics.
FYI: Lisa also wrote this article about your body’s microbiome.