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Nutrition Nugget: Kombucha

Published on: 28th August, 2026

Nutrition Nugget! Bite-sized bonus episodes offer tips, tricks and approachable science. This week, Jenn is talking about Kombucha. Is this fizzy, tangy drink really the gut health hero everyone on social media claims it to be, or is it just another trendy beverage riding the wellness wave straight into your grocery store fridge? Jenn digs into what kombucha is, how it is made, and what the research says about its impact on digestion, immunity, skin, blood sugar, and even your liver. There is a lot to like here, and yet there are also a few catches that most labels will not tell you, from hidden sugar to a serving size most people are drinking way past. So is kombucha worth the hype, or the price tag? Jenn breaks down both sides before landing on her verdict. Like what you're hearing? Be sure to check out the full-length episodes of new releases every Wednesday. Have an idea for a nutrition nugget? Submit it here: https://asaladwithasideoffries.com/index.php/contact/

RESOURCES:

Become a Happy Healthy Hub Member

Jenn’s Free Menu Plan

A Salad With a Side of Fries

A Salad With A Side Of Fries Merch

A Salad With a Side of Fries Instagram

A Review on Kombucha Tea—Microbiology, Composition, Fermentation, Beneficial Effects, Toxicity, and Tea Fungus - Jayabalan - 2014

National Library of Medicine Article - Microbial and Chemical Profiles of Commercial Kombucha Products

The Effect of Probiotics

How Probiotics Can Help You Lose Weight and Belly Fat

National Library of Medicine Article - Chemical Constitution and Antimicrobial Activity of Kombucha Fermented Beverage

National Library of Medicine Article: Hepatoprotective Properties of Kombucha Tea Against TBHP

National Library of Medicine Article - Green Tea and the Risk of Prostate Cancer

National Library of Medicine Article - Green Tea Consumption and Risk of Breast Cancer

National Library of Medicine Article - An Inverse Association Between Tea Consumption and Colorectal Cancer Risk

Taylor & Francis - A Review on Health Benefits of Kombucha Nutritional Compounds and Metabolites

ScienceDirect: Downregulation of Signaling Molecules Involved in Angiogenesis of Prostate Cancer Cell Line (PC-3) by Kombucha

ScienceDirect: Effect of Green Tea Extract on Obese Women: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial

National Library of Medicine Article - Hypoglycemic and Antilipidemic Properties of Kombucha Tea in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

National Library of Medicine Article - Kombucha Tea as an Anti-hyperglycemic Agent in Humans with Diabetes – a Randomized Controlled Pilot Investigation

National Library of Medicine Article - Glycemic Index and Insulin Index after a Standard Carbohydrate Meal Consumed with Live Kombucha: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Crossover Trial

National Library of Medicine Article - Green Tea Catechins Prevent Low-density Lipoprotein Oxidation via their Accumulation in Low-density Lipoprotein Particles in Humans

National Library of Medicine Article - Protective Effect of Kombucha on Rats Fed a Hypercholesterolemic Diet is Mediated by its Antioxidant Activity

National Library of Medicine Article - Does Tea Affect Cardiovascular Disease? A Meta-Analysis

CDC - Unexplained Severe Illness Possibly Associated with Consumption of Kombucha Tea -- Iowa, 1995

Mayo Clinic - Kombucha Tea: Does it Have Health Benefits?

Jenn Trepeck, Nutrition Nugget, Salad With A Side Of Fries, Health Tips, Wellness Tips, Kombucha and Gut Health, Kombucha Benefits, Kombucha, Fermented Tea, Scoby, Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria And Yeast, Gut Health, Probiotics, Microbiome Diversity, Digestive Health, Immune System Support, Skin Health, Antioxidants, Acetic Acid, Antibacterial Properties, Green Tea, Black Tea, Liver Support, Liver Toxicity, Cancer Prevention, Polyphenols, Cardiovascular Disease, Metabolic Health, Weight Management, Blood Sugar Balance, Fasting Blood Sugar, Glycemic Response, Cholesterol Levels, Belly Fat Reduction, Calories Burned, Soda Alternative, Sugar Content, Food Additives, Serving Size, Fermentation Process, Alcohol Content, Caffeine Content, Wellness Trends, Nutrition Coaching, Healthy Beverages, Functional Foods, Weight Loss, Health Benefits Of Drinking Kombucha Daily, Does Kombucha Help With Gut Health And Weight Loss

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About the Podcast

Salad With a Side of Fries Nutrition, Wellness & Weight Loss
Nutrition tips that actually work. Real-life healthy eating, balanced diet tools, and weight loss tips you can use today with coach Jenn Trepeck.*

If you have searched for nutrition tips, tried to keep a healthy lifestyle, or felt stuck following popular weight loss tips, this podcast is for you. Get straightforward wellness advice that works in real life, plus strategies for a balanced diet, sustainable healthy eating, and a smarter approach to fitness and nutrition. Is your diet making you hungrier, crankier, or less healthy? Tune in and find out.*

Free gift: Schedule a 15-minute curiosity call with Jenn to explore what is possible for you. https://asaladwithasideoffries.com/contact/

Welcome to Salad with a Side of Fries, where wellness meets real life. Award-winning host Jenn Trepeck, health and lifestyle coach and author of Uncomplicating Wellness, cuts through the noise with clear answers you can trust. Ranked in the top 1.5% of podcasts worldwide, the show won Ear Worthy’s Best Health Podcast in 2024 and 2025 and was nominated for Best Independent Podcast both years. Jenn also won Women Who Podcast’s Stellar Interview award in 2025 after being named one of Podcast Magazine’s 40 under 40 in 2022.

Jenn’s motto is “wellness without the weirdness.” With more than 17 years coaching after solving her own food struggles, she knows how confusing the industry can be. Each week you get the foundations of a balanced diet, sustainable healthy eating, metabolism basics, and long-term holistic health, plus straight talk on fad diets and supplements.

What you will get by listening:
✅How to eat and how to cheat, guilt-free
✅Nutrition tips that work in the real world
✅Weight loss tips that are effective, never restrictive
✅How to build a balanced plate at home, on the road, and eating out
✅Smart strategies for sustainable habits that include your favorite foods
✅Evidence-based insights on fitness and nutrition
✅Conversations about holistic health that go beyond food
✅Wellness advice you can use right away


About Jenn Trepeck:
Jenn is a health coach, speaker, and consultant who blends humor with practical science. She has helped thousands improve energy, metabolism, and confidence in their choices through one-on-one coaching, group programs, her book, and this podcast.

Connect with Jenn and the show:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenntrepeck/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saladwithasideoffriespod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jenntrepeck
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferTrepeck/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/425796548337541/
Website: https://asaladwithasideoffries.com/

If you are ready to trade guilt for freedom, confusion for clarity, and boring salads for fries on the side, press play. Health gets doable here.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This podcast and its guests are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

About your host

Profile picture for Jennifer Trepeck

Jennifer Trepeck

“My passion for nutrition and helping others stems from “kicking my food issues” with my own weight management saga.” ~ Jenn

I believe that the greatest accountability is paying it forward! That’s why I teach the nutrition education we are all supposed to know but no one ever taught us, along with the science behind food, fitness, and health.

After I graduated from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, I founded Better Life Now LLC while working full-time in hedge funds. In 2019, I took my practice from side-hustle to full-time self-employment and launched my podcast, Salad With a Side of Fries. On the show, we offer science-based tips and tricks for how to achieve wellness and weight loss for real life – because who wants a life without fries or dessert?!

Topics we tackle on the podcast include debunking fad diets, food myths, misinformation in marketing, bad science, and general nutrition. I encourage guests whose expertise is different from my own focus on weight management to bring their unique, fact-based perspectives to talk about subjects they are educated in and passionate about.

Due to my decade-long experience of working with clients, I have gained insight into the health and food industry and the how-tos of building a business.

Some specific health and wellness topics I can speak to include debunking fad diets, exposing the BS we are fed by the food and diet industry, how the people around us can positively and negatively impact our health journey, and shifting mindsets in order to overcome inappropriate barometers of success to instead achieve happy, healthy, and meaningful change.

On the subject of business, I can help you by teaching my critical pieces every entrepreneur should know, how to make your side-hustle into your full-time job, ways to sustainably achieve success without burning out, contemporary networking, and how to prioritize wellness while pursuing your projects.

When I find some free time, I’m typically working out at Physique57, discovering hidden gem restaurants in NYC, or traveling to spend time with friends and family.

I’d love to have an in-depth conversation with you, whether it’s leveling up in business or debunking food myths!