#167 We'll Teach You How to Dew the Brew - Hannah Crum, Kombucha Kamp

Meaningful Marketplace Podcast

Today we reconnect with Hannah Crum, founder of Kombucha Kamp, with whom we had the pleasure of interviewing on episode #84, released in May of 2021. For a quick refresher, Kombucha is fermented tea, an ancient elixir consumed for hundreds or maybe thousands of years by civilizations all over the planet. The most commonly attributed Kombucha Benefits include better digestion, increased energy, and a clearer mind. Avid drinkers also report Kombucha helping with their digestive tract, liver detoxification, reduced cravings, and athlete support. Hannah got the idea to make kombucha a business when her landlord loved the delicious free organic k-tea that came with her rent check each month. So did her neighbor, who enjoyed sipping the Booch after yoga class as it made her knees feel better. Her husband was hooked and all of a sudden, she was struggling to keep up with the demand. It was time to educate the public on how easy it was to make kombucha to have plenty on hand. Kombucha Kamp was born, a company to show people how to make their own kombucha at home and also provide the products to do the home brew. So how has the business been operating these last years? Well for one thing, the scientific community is doing more and more validating of the health benefits of drinking kombucha, so the industry is not depending on testimonials or anecdotal stories for consumers to believe in its effectiveness. It’s being called the tea of long life, the tea of immortality and so forth, a big boost to all who are involved in getting it in the hands of more and more people. Kombucha is being recognized as a healing beverage, in particular protecting the liver and kidneys. The studies on humans have really put kombucha over the bar in not only acceptance, but in education as well as a benefit for living bodies. The studies are coming out of Georgetown University and Hannah was asked for a referral of a kombucha manufacturer who could provide not only kombucha for the study but also a placebo that tasted the same. Subjects consumed beverages for four weeks, then four weeks off, then another four week consumption, not knowing if they were drinking kombucha or the placebo. The sample size was small, but the findings dynamic enough that the scientists are seeking funds to conduct a much larger scale study. One big finding was that people with type two diabetes who drink kombucha daily for four weeks show significantly lower fasting glucose rates. The conclusion was that kombucha supported a healthier liver which helps metabolize sugar more effectively. Now, there is a mild controversy in that sugar is added to the tea to aid in fermentation to produce kombucha. The FDA has dictated that the label must show that sugar has been added, but Hannah points out that chemically speaking, the fermentation process changes the sugar molecules and do not produce the same reaction in the body as table sugar. Hannah has been a huge advocate for the industry and all the providers and continues to promote a healthier planet. Her giant book of recipes, “The Big Book of Kombucha” has sold over 375,000 copies worldwide, so she is definitely being heard. Get educated and check out their offerings online at: https://www.kombuchakamp.com/. Follow them on Twitter - https://twitter.com/kombuchakamp, Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kombuchakamp/, Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/KombuchaKamp. . Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

Thank you for Listening to The Meaningful Marketplace Podcast with your hosts, Sarah Masoni of Oregon State University's Food Innovation Center and Sarah Marshall, owner of Marshall's Haute Sauce. Connect with us on Instagram @meaningfulmarketplacepodcast.

Audio engineer, mixer, and podcast editor: Haley Bowers
Show logo was designed by Anton Kimball of Kimball Design
Production Coordinator: Kayleen Veatch