Ancient Chinese elixir Kombucha becoming next food trend

PLAYA VISTA, Calif. (KABC) -- For a drink that's thousands of years old, Kombucha tea is causing quite a stir.

"I'm a kombucha addict honestly, I'm really really hooked on this stuff. It's insanely good for you," said Cris Hernandez, of Culver City.

Kombucha consists of tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast, which sits for a time as it brews and ferments.

"Someone told me it kind of tastes like soda so I tried it," South Los Angeles resident Charles Kidd said.

It doesn't taste like soda but it is slightly bubbly, tangy, with a dash of sweet, and Kombucha fans note other benefits.

"It helps you use the restroom easily. It's the best thing in the world and it's really energizing," Hernandez said.

He likes getting his probiotics from kombucha because he's vegan and can't eat dairy, so yogurt is out.

"In the past, there has been a lot of claims as to what Kombucha can do. That's unfortunate because many of these claims are unfounded," Superfood chef Julie Morris said.

There's little evidence to support claims that Kombucha boosts immunity, prevents cancer or improves liver function. But Morris agrees that probiotics make a great digestive aide.

"Any time you're eating fermented food you're getting a lot of the beneficial flora that help your digestive tract maintain its balance," clinical nutritionist James La Valle said.

But La Valle said people should watch their portions. Many people buy jugs, called "growlers," that contain at least four servings.

Drinkers should also check single serving bottles because many actually contain two servings.

"You've got to watch the sugars because once again your body doesn't identify, 'Oh that's an organic friendly sugar' or it's white sugar. Sugar is sugar is sugar," La Valle said.

Those concerns aside, this ancient tonic is a big hit.

Whole Foods Playa Vista Astro pub and The Hive in Santa Monica have it on tap, and countless restaurants and coffee houses carry slick, hip bottles of the elixir.

But heads up, you may find a warning label stating it may contain about 1 percent alcohol due to fermentation.