Lidl Solevita kombucha review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Lidl Solevita kombucha. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition and flavour of this good value kombucha.
For this review we have taste-tested the wild berry version.
This kombucha is available in Lidl supermarkets in the UK.
You might also be interested in reading our article on the best probiotics in the UK if you want to add more healthy microbes to your diet.
Ingredients of Lidl Solevita kombucha
Lidl Solevita kombucha uses real ingredients for the berry flavours (rather than flavourings) but uses a natural sweetener.
This specific ingredients are kombucha tea (water, sugar, green tea, kombucha cultures), raspberry purée, blueberry purée, hibiscus infusion, steviol glycosides from stevia and carbon dioxide.
So while it’s good to see they use actual berry ingredients for flavour, I’d prefer it if they didn’t use a sweetener. More on this below.
Are sweeteners bad for you?
Regular readers will know that I don’t love sweeteners - whether they are natural or artificial. This is because artificial sweeteners have been shown to negatively affect gut microbe composition - and so it could be that natural sweeteners also have a negative affect on your gut. There are other potential side effects of these natural sweeteners, but more research is needed.
In any case, I’d prefer to avoid sweeteners altogether to be on the safe side. This is a personal choice though and essentially a trade off between some sugar (which is not good) and natural sweeteners (which may or may not be shown to be unhealthy in future).
Read more about the current research done on stevia.
Our favourite gut health products in the UK
YourBiology Gut+ probiotic not only offers 10 strains of probiotics, but also includes two types of prebiotics, three digestive enzymes and vitamin D for gut health support. All this means it offers a lot more benefits for gut health and general health than most probiotic supplements do
Healthpath gut health test is the UK’s most comprehensive gut health test. It tests over 100 biomarkers, checks your digestion and immune response, analyses leaky gut and provides a clear and understandable report on your microbiome
YourBiology SuperGreens+ is a superfood and greens supplement which makes it very easy to get a huge amount of nutrition - vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fibre, polyphenols and more - in one glass. Great for supporting gut health, skin health, energy, mental clarity and immunity.
Read more about the best gut health products in the UK.
Benefits of Lidl Solevita kombucha
This drink offers the usual health benefits of kombucha.
Live cultures
Probiotics are live, beneficial microorganisms that have been proven to support health. They are a specific type of live culture.
Unfortunately Lidl doesn’t give any information on which live cultures are included, so we don’t know whether any are probiotic.
They also don’t mention the actual number of these cultures (ie colony forming units).
Learn more about the benefits of probiotics.
Postbiotics
In very simple terms, postbiotics are essentially beneficial things microorganisms produce during fermentation. These include healthy short-chain fatty acids which nourish our gut lining and may help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Green tea
Green tea contains polyphenols which are strong antioxidants.
Studies have shown green tea may also:
increase the amount of calories you burn
improve cholesterol levels
help control blood sugar levels
Read more about the evidence-based benefits of green tea and kombucha.
Raspberry and blueberry purees
Together, the raspberry and blueberry purées add a small amount of antioxidant compounds such as anthocyanins, flavonols and polyphenols. These antioxidants may help reduce oxidative stress and support overall cell health.
However, because the purées are used in very small amounts and the drink is filtered, their nutritional impact is modest - they contribute minimal fibre, vitamins or minerals.
Hibiscus
The hibiscus infusion provides further antioxidants such as anthocyanins and polyphenols.
Low in calories
Compared to some other real-ingredient kombucha this drink has fewer calories with 15 calories per 100ml.
But compared to low-calorie kombucha (which largely rely on sweeteners and flavourings for their flavour) this level is high as these kombucha often have around 1-3 calories per 100ml.
Appearance
As the picture below shows, it has a bright red appearance.
Carbonation
The carbonation is low and fine bubbled so it doesn’t cause any unpleasant burping.
Flavour
The aroma is mostly of raspberry with a bit of kombucha farmyard funk.
The taste is again is mostly of raspberry with the blueberry showing through also. There’s a decent depth to the flavour, rather than the superficial, empty flavour you often get with flavourings. I think it is a bit sweet though. And it has a moderate acidity.
In summary, the flavour is generally good but a little on the sweet side. I think it would have tasted better without the added stevia to be honest.
Cost of Lidl Solevita kombucha
You can buy a 330ml bottle for £1.69 from Lidl - which is among the cheapest we have reviewed.
Review summary
Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Lidl Solevita kombucha is great value and uses real berry ingredients. It is a little sweet though and could do without the natural sweetener.
Pros
great value
lower in calories compared to some other real-ingredient kombucha
uses real ingredients for the berry flavours
good flavour…
Cons
…but the flavour is a little sweet
uses a natural sweetener
no information on the live cultures included or the amount of them
Now read about the best kombucha in the UK!
Factors we consider in our ratings
The factors we consider when doing a review (and the weightings of each of these) may vary depending on the product we are testing, but here are the key general factors we consider when we settle on a rating for a product.
Health benefits
We find out how the product will be good for your health and outline the benefits for you in simple language. This often involves doing research so you don’t have to. We often link to scientific studies or articles summarising scientific findings so you can dig deeper if you want to.
Things detrimental to health
We want to highlight where a product might include something bad for your health - even if the product might be good for you in another way. This could include such things as pointing out certain additives it contains or high sugar levels.
How it’s made
This will vary depending on the product, but we want to see a quality process for making it and quality ingredients. For example, we want to see a kombucha traditionally fermented with lots of different microbial strains and we want to see a yoghurt made with fresh milk and not milk powders.
Price
While we expect quality products to be more expensive, they still have to be priced within reason. On the other side of things, a product which is priced very competitively will get a ratings boost based on the value it provides.
Flavour
For some products flavour won’t be a factor (eg probiotic tablets), but for others, like yoghurt or kimchi, flavour is a key aspect because these products are made to be enjoyed as well as being healthy! We will try to be as subjective as possible and describe the flavour in detail so you can get an idea of whether you would like it or not.
Our favourite gut health products in the UK
YourBiology Gut+ probiotic not only offers 10 strains of probiotics, but also includes two types of prebiotics, three digestive enzymes and vitamin D for gut health support. All this means it offers a lot more benefits for gut health and general health than most probiotic supplements do
Healthpath gut health test is the UK’s most comprehensive gut health test. It tests over 100 biomarkers, checks your digestion and immune response, analyses leaky gut and provides a clear and understandable report on your microbiome
YourBiology SuperGreens+ is a superfood and greens supplement which makes it very easy to get a huge amount of nutrition - vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fibre, polyphenols and more - in one glass. Great for supporting gut health, skin health, energy, mental clarity and immunity.
Read more about the best gut health products in the UK.
Your reviewer
This hands-on review was written by Travis, the founder of this website, long-time gut-health enthusiast, science nerd and passionate kombucha maker of over 10 years!
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