By Lauren Incarnato, Student Nutritionist It's been less than a month since classes began for the semester, but that hasn't stopped the germs from spreading and the colds from beginning. Lack of sleep, stress, and the extremely close living situations (wherever they may be), have led to a variety of different sicknesses. With that, it is super important to keep the immune system strong and healthy so you are at your best! Personally, I like to be very conscious of the amount of probiotics that I am taking in order to keep my gut healthy and make sure my immune system is at it's best. One of my favorite sources of probiotics is kombucha, which hit the health market a few years ago as a newer trend. Many expected it to be a fad, but I personally think kombucha is here to stay for a long time, or as long as I can help it. First off, kombucha is a fermented tea that is usually flavored with berries, ginger, chocolate, or other fruits and vegetables. Since it is fermented, it contains trace amounts of alcohol and caffeine, and is a great energy-boosting drink as well. However, do not fear----the trace amount of alcohol in kombucha is so low that majority of kombucha brands are able to be sold in the supermarket. Kombucha's fermentation process also provides it with one of its major benefits...probiotics! What are probiotics? In simple terms, probiotics are healthy little bacteria that live in your gut and digestive system. Probiotics are available in capsule form, but are also present in yogurt, kimchi, tempeh, miso soup, and of course, kombucha! Probiotics work to keep a balance of the "good" and "bad" bacteria in your body to keep you healthy. What does it taste like? This depends on several different factors including individual taste buds and flavor, but most kombucha has a somewhat strong apple cider vinegar taste. Depending on the flavor, some berry kombucha flavors have more of a tart taste while others are more mild. My personal favorite part about this drink is that it is super versatile. There are dozens of brands and hundreds of flavors so it is virtually impossible to get sick of it! Another added bonus, the different flavors of kombucha can provide added benefits. Ginger for digestion, turmeric for inflammation, elderberry for immune function...the list goes on. Also shameless promotion for my favorite kombucha that you should all try...its the Health Ade Pink Lady Apple. It's AMAZING. Try it. That is all.
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