A "health" drink that has become popular are these Synergy Kombucha drinks, and I know lots of people who have seen them, wondered about it, and are curious, but not curious enough to pay $2.99 for a bottle of the unknown stuff. So, I'll share what I think of them because I was curious enough to buy a couple bottles.
First of all, the kombucha used in the Synergy drinks is a Chinese tea that has basically been fermented with cultures much like how vinegar is made. There is a slight amount of alcohol too because of the fermentation, and in the bottle those things you see floating around are the cultures. Kombucha also has natural carbonation so don't shake up the bottle like you wouldn't a soda can. Synergy claims that during their process, nutreints form like Active Enzymes, Viable Probiotics, Amino Acids, Antioxidants, and Polyphenols.
Health benefit wise there are no scientific proven benefits to kombucha according to places like the Mayo clinic, but in the natural healing circles, kombucha is best known for its digestion and immune system benefits amongst other healing benefits.
Taste wise, honestly, the Synergy kombucha drinks are an acquired taste. I do know people who love this drink, but there are many people I know who will not like the flavor at all even with the fruity flavorings. My first reaction was not a good one because I first tasted the Original Raw Kombucha and its like taking a swig out of a vinegar bottle. It's better to start with the flavored drinks, and the ones that agreed with me were the Guava, Mango, and Strawberry. I suggest that if you absolutely hate the taste of vinegar, then do not try these as the drink has a very strong vinegar like tang.
I would not call the Synergy Kombucha drink a most enjoyable experience, but I did notice that the drink did help quell some digestion issues for me, so I sucked up the semi-yucky vinegary taste. Do not drink the whole bottle in one sitting, it's too much on the body. Drink about 4 oz at a time followed by some water. It helps as kombucha is known to have detoxing properties.
Is it worth buying? I'd say it is worth trying if you can for free. Like I mentioned before, Whole Foods will let you try anything, so just ask someone. I'd drink it if it was around, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it. My two cents, my assumption is that there are other ways to get similar health benefits without an overbearing taste.
