SciTechDaily: scientists have confirmed the effectiveness of kombucha in burning fat in a living body
Experiments by scientists have shown that the microbes present in kombucha, or as it is also called — kombucha tea, affect fat metabolism in such a way that they repeat the metabolic effects of fasting. The study, conducted by Robert Dowen and his team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was recently published in the journal PLOS Genetics.
According to SciTechDaily, kombucha has grown in popularity recently, thanks in part to its purported benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, cancer prevention, protection against metabolic diseases and liver toxins. These benefits are thought to be due to the presence of probiotic microbes in the drink and their effect on metabolism, but the associated health claims have not been well studied in humans.
Dauen's team studied how the microbes in kombucha affect on metabolism by feeding them to the nematode worm C. elegans. The researchers found that yeast and bacteria colonized the worms' guts and caused metabolic changes similar to those that occur during fasting. Microbes change the expression of genes involved in fat metabolism, leading to an increase in the amount of proteins that break down fat and a decrease in the amount of proteins that form fat molecules called triglycerides. Taken together, these changes reduce the fat reserves in the worms' bodies.
Scientists believe that kombucha can have the same effect on the human body — but so far this is only speculation.