Kombucha Microbes Mimic Fasting by Breaking Down Fat Stores Effortlessly

While kombucha might not suit everyone’s taste, it could offer some benefits similar to fasting, minus the challenge of actually fasting. Researchers have found that when the yeasts and bacteria from this fermented, slightly sweetened tea colonize the gut, they can influence fat metabolism without requiring any other dietary adjustments, leading to reduced fat storage.

At the core of these findings is kombucha tea’s SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeasts)—a gelatinous, microbe-rich layer that forms during fermentation. This culture includes probiotics like Acetobacter, Lactobacillus, and Komagataeibacter, which have previously been associated with health benefits such as lowered blood pressure.

A team from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently discovered how, in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, kombucha microbes can directly impact the gene expression in the intestines, particularly those genes that regulate fat metabolism. These introduced microbes boosted proteins essential for breaking down fat, while also suppressing proteins involved in building triglycerides, the most common form of fat in the human body.

Kombucha’s Impact on Fat Metabolism

Triglycerides play a crucial role in energy storage, but an excess can lead to obesity-related health issues such as heart disease. By altering fat metabolism and modulating specific proteins, kombucha consumption created cellular changes similar to fasting, but without food restriction.

“We were surprised to observe that animals on a diet containing kombucha microbes showed less fat accumulation, lower triglyceride levels, and smaller lipid droplets compared to other diets,” the researchers stated. “This suggests that kombucha’s microbes can induce a ‘fasting-like’ state, even with ample nutrients available.”

While this study was conducted in C. elegans—a microscopic worm that doesn’t experience fat storage quite like humans—the researchers believe that similar metabolic effects might occur in humans.

Growing Evidence for Kombucha’s Health Benefits

This adds further support to the health claims surrounding kombucha, which recent studies have linked to blood sugar regulation in people with type 2 diabetes. Other research has shown kombucha’s potential as an antioxidant, an anti-inflammatory, and an antibacterial agent. However, some studies have yet to find significant health impacts from kombucha.

As for this research, scientists emphasize that more studies are needed to confirm whether kombucha’s “fasting-like” effects might apply to humans aiming for weight management.

“We want to clarify that we are not making any definitive claims about kombucha tea’s role in human health practices or recreational use,” the researchers noted. “Our findings offer an exciting look into how kombucha microbes may reprogram host metabolism and pave the way for future studies in mammals to uncover the biological basis of kombucha tea’s potential health benefits.”

Read Original Article: New Atlas

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