No 1 Living Immune Kombucha + Adaptogen Review
It’s my first kombucha review at Immortal Wordsmith! I thought I’d kick things off with No 1 Living Immune Kombucha, a flavoured kombucha with ginger and yuzu. If you are new to kombucha, it is basically fermented tea. Tea leaves, water, a little sugar, and live cultures are fermented together to create a tangy tea beverage.
I will write a more in-depth dive into kombucha teas at some point (search the blog to see if it’s live) but for now, let’s dig into this gingery kombucha from No 1 Living. This beverage is sold in several places across the UK but Amazon typically offers the best delivery.
In my review below, I will explore the flavour and aroma of the kombucha as well as the supposed immunity and adaptogen properties.
No 1 Living Plus Immune Kombucha at a Glance
Izzy's Rating
3.5/5
- Ingredients: Kombucha with yuzu, ginger, reishi mushroom and vitamin D
- Flavour: Mellow ginger and sour citrus with a gentle kombucha tang
This is a smooth and gentle kombucha – not the vinegary liquid some brands serve. The ginger notes are the strongest flavour with a nice fire in the aftertaste and an overall revitalising sensation.
Full Review – Immune and Adaptogen Kombucha Drink
Izzy's Rating
3.5/5
- Type: Canned, ready to drink
- Tea: Kombucha (filtered water, golden cane sugar, sencha green tea, live kombucha cultures)
- Additives: Reishi mushroom extract, yuzu extract, ginger extract, algae (natural vitamin D3), natural flavourings
- Flavour Notes: Light, mellow ginger, spicy, sour citrus, gentle
- Aroma: Ginger pickle, citrus pith, fresh, powerful
- Where to Buy: No 1 Living or Holland & Barrett or Amazon UK
This kombucha is inside a 250ml can. There are 35 calories in the entire can with 6.3g of sugar remaining. With many kombucha teas, the sugar is entirely used during the fermentation process leaving none left in the can by the time you drink it. But with sugar in this kombucha, I was expecting a slightly sweeter experience.
The aroma from this bubbly beverage has that sharp edge that kombucha is known for. It tickles your nose with a hint of ginger pickle and notes of citrus pith. Lemon and lime (or yuzu, in fact).
Once poured into a glass, the flavour of No 1 Living Immune kombucha is surprisingly light and mellow. There’s a distinct ginger note but it’s softer than a ginger beer, quite mellow and gentle on your tongue. There’s also a sour sweet note from the yuzu but this is very subtle too.
This is definitely a gentle kombucha!
It’s refreshing and drying on the top of your tongue and lips, with a rush of moisture in the back of your mouth. I can definitely see myself drinking this kombucha when I’m a little under the weather. Whether it boosts your immune system or not, I think it will certainly lift your spirits.
How to Drink Kombucha
Drinking kombucha is simple – just crack open the can and enjoy it. I do highly recommend drinking kombucha chilled. You can either keep it in the fridge or pour over ice when you want to drink it… or both.
Think of kombucha as like a lemonade or sparkling soft drink that’s ideal for a hot day. It’s refreshing and bright but I also find that the best kombuchas are not sweet. Like freshly pressed lemonade it’s the sharpness that really makes kombucha good.
Sometimes kombucha can be a bit rough on an empty stomach, but the gentleness of No 1 Living Immune kombucha with the fresh citrus and spicy ginger notes is very comforting. You might find that it actually settles your stomach instead.
About No 1 Living Kombucha Beverages
No 1 Living are a British kombucha brand who, as far as I can tell, only sell their kombucha in the UK. The brand was founded by Jonny Wilkinson who you might recognise as one of the most famous rugby players of recent times.
The brand is all about listening to your body and taking care of it through fermented beverages. They have a great line up – I have sampled most of them over the past year or so – that are all 100% vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and full of live cultures.
If you want to reconnect with the foods you put into your body, No 1 Living could help. They also have water kefir and health shots, but I can’t vouch for these as I haven’t tried them.
Can Kombucha Aid Immunity?
So the label on No 1 Living Immune Kombucha clearly indicates that is designed for immunity with adaptogen ingredients. But let’s examine this a little closer. The ingredients in Immune Kombucha are as follows:
- 01% ginger extract
- 01% yuzu extract
- Natural vitamin D3 from algae
- Reishi mushroom extract
The yuzu is purely for flavour, as far as I can tell, but the ginger was added for ‘natural immunity’. A large part of the immune system is all about controlling inflammation and ginger is a known anti-inflammatory ingredient. So, this makes sense!
Vitamin D3 can also aid immunity. According to Healthline, individuals who are deficient in vitamin D are at an increased risk of infections and autoimmune diseases.
Reishi mushroom is where controversy steps in, however. Although there is a very long list of health benefits supposedly linked to these mushrooms, there is little to no scientific evidence for them. We have no idea if reishi mushroom actually benefits the immune system.
Summary
Ultimately, No 1 Living Immune Kombucha is delicious, gentle and well-flavoured. Although the ingredients are a little disappointing – I’d like to see more ginger and yuzu – their immunity benefits are mostly founded in science with the exception of reishi mushrooms.
If you are new to kombucha, this is a good one to try as it won’t throw you in the deep end with strong tangy acid notes. You can find it on Amazon using the link below or head to your nearest Holland & Barrett.
Tea Recommendation
Writing about the teas and kombucha beverages that I sip allows me to create something of a diary. It’s so interesting to see how my tastes change over time and explore how different flavour combinations can completely alter the drinking experience. If you would like to start a tea journey, you can use my Tea Review Templates to get started.