With its bitter flavor, supposed health benefits, vague origin, and aesthetic presentation, Kombucha has become the nation’s latest trend. In Williamsburg on a sunny day, you are bound to see someone sipping on this beloved probiotic tea. While hipsters, health nuts, and myself have all jumped on the Kombucha bandwagon, it seems that science is not too far behind. Researchers at McGill University have found that a combination of probiotics and an herbal supplement called Triphala led to 60% prolonged life expectancy in fruit flies.
This study suggests evidence that the gut microbiome and health may be intertwined, a notion widely believed in the practice of holistic health. Senior author of the study, Satya Prakash, stated “Probiotics dramatically change the architecture of the gut microbiota, not only in its composition but also in respect to how the foods that we eat are metabolized”.
Fruit flies have 70% similarity to humans in regard to their biochemical pathways, making the study promising for fellow Kombucha drinkers! The authors of the study cite the “gut-brain axis” , a communication system between the brain and microorganisms of the gut, as an explanation for their findings.
While Triphala may be hard to come by, some foods with a high probiotic content include sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, yogurt, and of course, my personal favorite– Kombucha. So while it seems science may catch up, you and I can be well ahead!
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