In keeping with Rob Dowen, PhD, professor of cell biology and physiology within the College of Drugs at The College of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and lead creator of this examine, it is very important uncover new methods for individuals to cut back fats accumulation and decrease triglyceride ranges within the physique as a result of trendy illnesses together with diabetes, hypertension, and heart problems are among the many main contributors to early demise.

“These illnesses fall into the class of metabolic syndromes, which are sometimes related to dysregulation of lipid homeostasis, leading to excessive plasma triglycerides, elevated blood stress, and weight problems,” Dowen defined to Medical Information Immediately.

“Investigation of useful meals which will immediately enhance lipid homeostasis throughout metabolic illness, or that might function a complement to conventional therapeutic approaches, is paramount to figuring out new methods to help long-term well being within the trendy age,” he added.

For this examine, Dowen and his workforce targeted on kombucha tea as a possible manner of reducing triglyceride ranges.

“This historic beverage, which has roots in Japanese conventional drugs, has seen a gentle resurgence in reputation for the reason that flip of the century and is prevalent within the beverage retail house regardless of a putting lack of mechanistic details about how its consumption impacts the buyer,” Dowen defined.

Kombucha tea is a fermented drink comprised of black tea and a symbiotic tradition of micro organism and yeast (SCOBY). The addition of micro organism and yeast additionally makes it a probiotic beverage.

Earlier animal and small-scale human research counsel kombucha could also be useful within the therapy of a number of illnesses, together with diabetes, liver illness, and intestine well being.

Different animal and pre-clinical analysis has discovered that kombucha could help with completely different points of cardiovascular well being, comparable to reducing levels of cholesterol and hypertension.

You will need to notice that previous analysis does present that some individuals could expertise unintended effects when consuming kombucha together with a quickened heartbeat or heartburn attributable to extra caffeine from the drink.

A case examine printed in June 2022 suggests kombucha consumption could typically have cardiotoxic results.

Researchers primarily based their examine on a worm mannequin.

“Our favourite animal mannequin system to make use of within the lab is the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which consumes micro organism as (its) major meals supply,” Dowen mentioned. “This enables us to immediately examine the connection between the host and the probiotic microbes present in kombucha tea in a genetically tractable mannequin system.”

By way of the worm mannequin, scientists discovered that after ingesting kombucha tea, microbes from the tea colonized the worms’ intestines, creating metabolic modifications related to people who happen throughout fasting.

“We had been very stunned to seek out that the probiotic microbes in kombucha tea might colonize the worm intestine and stimulate a fasting-like metabolic response within the host, which occurred even supposing these animals confirmed no defects in intestinal nutrient absorption,” Dowen defined.

“Extremely, this response was solely seen in animals consuming microbes remoted from a long-term, totally fermented kombucha tea tradition and never a easy mixture of non-fermenting kombucha-associated microbes. This commentary urged that microbial metabolites produced in the course of the fermentation course of may very well be shaping host metabolic pathways,” he added.

Dowen and his workforce additionally found by way of the worm mannequin that animals ingesting a eating regimen together with probiotic microbes present in kombucha tea skilled a discount in fats accumulation and a reducing of triglyceride ranges.

“These findings are important as they’re in keeping with purported human well being advantages of kombucha tea, which embody safety towards metabolic illnesses, improved liver operate, and lowered fats accumulation.”
— Rob Dowen, PhD

“A lot of this proof is anecdotal or is just not supported by detailed mechanistic research. Thus, our findings are very thrilling as they corroborate the human well being advantages of kombucha tea and supply mechanistic perception into how host metabolism could also be altered by kombucha-associated probiotic microbes,” Dowen continued.

“You will need to level out that our examine was carried out in a mannequin organism within the lab, and thus, our outcomes will have to be substantiated and expanded upon in mammalian mannequin programs to additional inform how kombucha consumption impacts human physiology,” he famous.

After reviewing this examine, Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board licensed interventional heart specialist and medical director of the Structural Coronary heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Heart in Laguna Hills, CA, instructed MNT this examine is fascinating and hypothesis-generating and positively generally is a stepping stone for future analysis.

“We all know that saturated fats consumption is a giant danger issue for heart problems. Weight problems, saturated fats consumption (and) levels of cholesterol — they’re all danger components for coronary heart illness. If there was a approach to adapt your intestine in order that it received’t soak up as a lot of the saturated fat and received’t metabolize as a lot of them, then it might have well being advantages (for) the cardiovascular system,” Chen defined.

“It will be nice to review these kinds of results in additional advanced organisms, perhaps even in mammals, and ultimately this could assist information the course of analysis for the advantages of kombucha in people,” he added.

MNT additionally spoke with Monique Richard, a registered dietitian nutritionist and proprietor of Diet-In-Sight, about this examine.

Richard mentioned that at present there’s a lack of ample proof for important scientific advantages of kombucha.

“(This) is to not say there aren’t any well being advantages from consuming kombucha comparable to from the tea — black or inexperienced — itself which gives polyphenols and extra components comparable to B nutritional vitamins, however I’d additionally urge shoppers to take into accounts one, the quantity of sugar that’s within the kombucha (and) two, the quantity of caffeine,” she defined.

“You will need to notice kombucha can work together with diabetes medicine, though price noting, from research on animal fashions, and may have hypo (low) glycemic, or low blood glucose results, relying on the components, individual, and medicine interplay. It may well additionally work together with antabuse medicine,” Richard added.

Earlier than downing bottles of kombucha or working towards harnessing SCOBY in your personal kitchen, Richard suggested to fulfill with a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) to determine the basis reason for what could also be contributing to elevated fats accumulation or excessive triglycerides.

“Trace — it seemingly may very well be a mix of eating regimen, way of life, and genetics, along with different components that ought to be addressed,” she added.