By: Brew Your Bucha Posted: May 21, 2018 in Kombucha, health, wellness
Kombucha Calories: The Full Story
Are you one of the many people who count calories to lose weight? Or, maybe you're just somebody who's curious about what's exactly goes into your body? Whatever the reason, there are plenty of people who wonder about Kombucha calories. We're here to give you the facts about the various factors, particularly fermentation times and sugar content, that affect Kombucha calories.
What are Calories?
At the basic level, calories are a unit of energy. While there are several types of calories, it is the kilo-calorie (or food calorie) that is displayed on the nutritional information labels. This is the type of calorie that is commonly used when discussing things like diets, macros, and Kombucha calories. In order to measure the amount of calories found in a specific type of food or liquid, lab workers use a hydrometer. This measuring instrument uses the gravity of the liquid to determine factors like sugar content, which affect the total amount of calories. Using this tool to measure a liquid's original gravity and gravity after fermentation allows anyone, especially the home brewer, to measure the amount of calories in a drink.
Fermentation & Sugar
Sugar content is a significant factor in the amount of calories in a drink. However, in fermented drinks like Kombucha, fermentation time hugely impacts sugar content. The SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast) is the mother of any Kombucha, and the various microorganisms feed off the sugar used in the brewing process. In turn, the bacteria and yeast ferment the drink and release carbon dioxide, which creates Kombucha's pleasant flavour and fizz.
The longer Kombucha ferments, the lower the amount of sugar will remain in the final product. However, this isn't to say that you should let your Kombucha ferment too long to reduce the Kombucha calories because this will lead to sour tasting Kombucha. Still, this means that the amount of sugar in Kombucha can be relatively controlled through the fermentation process. A longer fermentation leads to lower sugar content and Kombucha calories.
Store Bought Kombucha
When we looked at the Top Five Kombucha Brands, GT's was the clear front runner in the Canadian market. One 240 ml serving of GT's Triology Organic, Raw Kombuca contains 25 calories and 6 grams of sugar. For a recipe that can't go wrong check out https://www.hughesairco.com/. However, it is important to note that most bottles contain two or more servings, which affects the total amount of Kombucha calories when consuming the entire bottle. Gingerberry, another popular GT's Kombucha, has 30 calories and 4 grams of sugar for a single serving. Overall, the sugar content varies depending on the flavour and brand of the Kombucha, but there will always be some sugar in any bottle of Kombucha.
Home Brewed Kombucha
Ultimately, the best way to control the sugar content and Kombucha calories is to brew your own Kombucha. Brewing your own allows you to control everything that goes into your brew, including the amount of sugar and fruits used in the brewing process, to control the sugar content. This method also means you can manipulate the fermentation times, further controlling the sugar content and Kombucha calories in your brew.
If you're interested in brewing your own Kombucha, please visit our Shop page. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
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