I haven’t been into soda for over a decade, but when it comes to slightly sweet drinks, I am in love with kombucha. And I’ve discovered that the health benefits of Jun kombucha are even better than the regular variety.

I’ve gone through less-healthy periods where I drank store-bought kombucha every day(!!). And although I’m much more strict with sugar intake now, the probiotic benefits are an excuse to enjoy my favorite sweet drink on occasion.

What is Jun Kombucha?

I looked into making kombucha for myself, and discovered Jun kombucha – this is a healthier and milder version, known as the “champagne of kombucha”. It’s thought to have originated from the Himalayan monks over 1,000 years ago as a spiritual elixir to aid enlightenment!

Jun is made with green tea and honey, whereas typical kombucha is made from black tea and refined sugar. Once I found out about Jun, I was totally excited to make it for myself, especially as it meant eliminating processed, refined sugar.

Why make Jun Kombucha for myself?

Considering that a bottle of GT kombucha (my favorite) is typically $3.99, it is so much cheaper to make on your own, and it’s a fun project to try and master. Fermenting foods is kind of like a science project!

Making it myself was an obvious choice for the health benefits as well. Homemade means you can reduce the amount of sugar added – commercial kombucha often adds additional sugars to sweeten it – and if you can let the brew ferment longer, you can further reduce sugar content.

I also like knowing my tea contains the highest quality, organic ingredients. This is why I try to avoid commercially-made processed products, whose ingredients are chosen to cut costs.

Most importantly, pasteurization is required for store-bought products. However, it kills a significant amount of the probiotic bacteria that makes kombucha so powerfully healthy.

What are the health benefits of Jun Kombucha?

Like regular kombucha, Jun is full of live probiotics, which is excellent for gut health – particularly the homemade, unpasteurized kind.

Jun requires honey for feeding the culture (in my case, I choose to use organic, raw honey) instead of refined sugar. The nutrients in the honey mineralizes the drink with a load of B vitamins, antioxidants, prebiotics (to feed probiotics) and live enzymes. Raw honey, which is unpasteurized, is known to build defenses against allergies – and local honey is even better.

Green and black tea both have health benefits from polyphenols, or antioxidants in the tea (although green tea has higher amounts). These compounds prevent cell damage by decreasing “free radicals”, which play a role in aging and disease. Polyphenols are helpful in reducing the risk for cancer, heart disease, inflammation, and other conditions.

To maximize the medicinal benefits of tea, it’s important to choose the highest quality, since some of the lower-quality brands can contain contaminants: excessive fluoride, pesticides, and heavy metals. In my research on green tea, it’s best to choose a younger tea, which is not from China. I recommend this tea for your Jun.

Tea also has benefits for brain function. The mild amount of caffeine increases neurotransmitter function, boosting mood, memory, reaction time and more. Additionally, the amino acid L-theanine increases GABA, which has anti-anxiety effects. Studies have shown that caffeine with L-theanine have powerful synergistic effects in improving brain function. The catechins in green tea also have protective effects on neurons in animal studies, possibly lowering risk for dementia and neurodegenerative diseases.

Try Making Jun Kombucha for Yourself

You can order a starter kit on amazon – I recommend this high quality organic kit from Fermentaholics. If you choose to make Jun instead of traditional kombucha, you’ll need a starter culture specifically for Jun. You’ll also need to buy some glassware, and perhaps some flip-top bottles to carbonate and flavor the tea.

It’s a really fun project! I prefer these instructions for first and secondary fermentation (linked).

An Endless Variety of Flavors

One of the most fun aspects of making kombucha yourself is that you can get creative with how you flavor it.

The second fermentation is the process of adding different fruits and herbs to your tea after bottling. I love trying new combinations and ratios of different ingredients! Some of my favorites are: ginger & lemon, strawberry & mint, blueberry & lime.

Warning: you will have more kombucha than you know what to do with – especially during warmer months (the batches ferment faster). Make sure you have friends and neighbors who also like kombucha that you can share the extra bottles with!

Have fun and enjoy!