Yugen kombucha review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Yugen kombucha. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition and flavour of this organic kombucha.
For this review we have taste-tested the mango turmeric version.
This kombucha is available in some organic food stores in the UK. It is made in Belgium.
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 Yugen kombucha
Yugen kombucha is organic and uses some interesting, real ingredients.
The specific ingredients (as the label states) are: Yugen Kombucha (water, kombucha culture, sugar, infusion (tea, lemon balm, corn flower, chilli pepper)) (95%), mango purée (4%) and turmeric juice (1%).
A note on some ingredients:
Lemon balm is a herb from the mint family with a mild citrus aroma. It’s traditionally used in teas for its calming taste
Cornflower petals are mostly there for aroma and colour. It gives a slightly sweet, floral scent
It has 15 calories per 100ml which is moderate to high for a real-ingredient kombucha.
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Benefits of Yugen kombucha
Live cultures
Live cultures in kombucha come from a mixed community of bacteria and yeasts which work together during fermentation. This community is held within a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) which is a cellulose layer that forms on top of the brew.
Each kombucha will vary, but Gluconobacter, Acetobacter and Zygosaccharomyces are the core organisms found in most fermentations. These groups ferment the sugars and produce the acids which give kombucha its tang.
As is common with kombucha, Yugen doesn’t list which specific live cultures are present or the number of them (ie colony forming units).
Postbiotics
Postbiotics are compounds produced by live cultures during fermentation. In kombucha, these include organic acids and small amounts of short-chain fatty acids that contribute to the drink’s acidity and flavour.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants help protect cells from everyday oxidative stress.
This kombucha contains various ingredients which contain antioxidant compounds:
Tea – the main source of antioxidants, providing polyphenols
Lemon balm – contains polyphenols
Mango purée – provides small amounts of vitamin C and carotenoids
Turmeric juice – contains curcuminoids
Appearance
As the picture below shows, it has a dark, orange-brown appearance.
Carbonation
Despite what the picture suggest, it is nice and lightly carbonated and didn’t cause any burping or bloating.
Flavour
The aroma is mainly of mango.
The taste is quite complex. The earthiness of the turmeric is most prominent, followed by the sweetness of mango and the heat of the chilli. There’s also a deep herbal background. The acidity is moderate.
In summary, the flavour is very good and has a great depth and complexity which represents the various real ingredients used.
Cost of Yugen kombucha
We bought a 325ml bottle for £3.99 from an organic food store in London - which is on the more expensive end for a premium kombucha in a bottle of this size. However, it’s a quality product so I don’t think the price is unreasonable.
Review summary
Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Yugen kombucha is organic and uses various interesting ingredients which give it a unique and complex flavour.
Pros
organic
uses real ingredients
source of various antioxidants
very good flavour with complexity and depth
good level of carbonation
Cons
on the higher end of calories for a real-ingredient kombucha
no information on the live cultures included or the amount of them
a little on the expensive side
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 review was written by Travis, founder of Hello Gut Health.
A long-time gut health writer and advocate with over ten years of experience exploring the science of the microbiome and fermentation.
He combines careful research with practical testing to help readers make informed, trustworthy choices.
He has reviewed over 150 gut health products.
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