Researchers have found that kombucha tea’s microbes produce fasting-like effects on fat metabolism in worms, suggesting potential health benefits for humans, though further study is required. A recent study has revealed that the microbes present in kombucha tea influence fat metabolism in the intestines of a model worm species in a way that mirrors the metabolic effects of fasting. The research, conducted by Robert Dowen and his team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was recently published in the journal PLOS Genetics .
Kombucha is a sweetened, fermented tea beverage that has surged in popularity recently, in part due to its supposed health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, preventing cancer, and protecting against metabolic disease and liver toxins. These benefits are believed to come from the drink’s probiotic microbes and their effects on metabolism, but the associated health claims have not been well studied in humans. Research Methodology and Findings Dowen’s team investigated how microbes from kombucha tea impact metabolism by feeding them to the model nematode worm C.
elegans. The researchers found that the yeast and bacteria colonize the worms’ intestines and create metabolic changes similar to those that occur during fasting. The microbes alter the expression of genes involved in fat metabolism, leading to more proteins that break down fats and fewer proteins that build a type of fat molecule called triglycerides.
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