Effect of kombucha intake on the gut microbiota and obesity-related comorbidities: A systematic review

Abstract

Kombucha is a fermented nonalcoholic tea-based beverage produced through a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts. In vitro studies have demonstrated antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiproliferative, and anti-carcinogenic properties of kombucha. However, no systematic reviews have evaluated the effects of kombucha in vivo. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the evidence that exists so far about kombucha consumption on comorbidities associated with obesity as well as on the gut microbiota. The search was conducted in accordance with PRISMA and the protocol was registered in PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42020158917). The MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, LILACS, SciELO, Scopus, and Science Direct databases were used in the search considering the following terms: “kombucha” OR “kombucha tea” OR “kombucha teas” OR “tea, kombucha” OR “teas, kombucha” NOT “review.” Fifteen studies were included in this review. The results suggest that kombucha consumption attenuates oxidative stress and inflammation, improves the liver detoxification process, and reduces intestinal dysbiosis. There is evidence that kombucha consumption is beneficial for the control and treatment of obesity and associated comorbidities, as well as for the modulation of the gut microbiota in vivo.

Keywords:

• Phenolic compounds
• gut microbiome
• intestinal health
• nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
• rats
• mice

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank FAPEMIG (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais, Brazil) and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Brazil) for financial support. This study was financed in part by the CAPES Foundation (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Brazil)—Finance Code 001.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to thank FAPEMIG (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais, Brazil) and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Brazil) for financial support. This study was financed in part by the CAPES Foundation (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Brazil)—Finance Code 001.