Kombucha; What The Heck Is It?
- meadowrain
- Jan 20, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 21, 2024
Kombucha is a fermented black or green tea and sugar mixture. Active yeast digests the sugar in the mixture, creating a fermentation byproduct. It is then mixed with fruit, honey, herbs, or more sugar to create a delicious drink.
What Are The Benefits?
Probiotics
Kombucha is made by adding specific strains of bacteria, yeast, and sugar to black or green tea and then allowing it to ferment. During this process, bacteria and yeast form a SCOBY on the surface. SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. The fermentation process produces acetic acid (also found in vinegar) and several other acidic compounds, trace levels of alcohol, and gases that make it carbonated. Kombucha contains several species of lactic acid bacteria that may have a probiotic function. Probiotics provide your gut with healthy bacteria. These bacteria may improve many aspects of health, to include digestion, reduce inflammation, and even weight loss.
Benefits of Tea
Green tea contains many bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants in the body. Kombucha made from green tea contains many of the same plant compounds. Studies show that drinking green tea regularly can increase the number of calories you burn, reduce belly fat, improve cholesterol levels, help with blood sugar control, and more. Studies also show that green tea drinkers have a reduced risk of prostate, breast, and colon cancers.
Liver Health
Antioxidants are substances that fight free radicals, reactive molecules that can damage your cells. Kombucha, especially when made with green tea, appears to have antioxidant effects on your liver.
May Kill Harmful Bacteria
One of the main byproducts produced during the fermentation of kombucha is acetic acid, which is also abundant in vinegar. Like the polyphenols in tea, acetic acid can kill many potentially harmful microorganisms. Kombucha made from black or green tea has strong antibacterial properties, particularly against infection-causing bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella typhi. These antimicrobial effects reduce the growth of undesirable bacteria and yeasts in test tube studies, but they do not affect the beneficial, probiotic bacteria and yeasts involved in kombucha fermentation.
May Reduce Heart Disease Risk
Studies show that kombucha can greatly improve two markers of heart disease, “bad” LDL and “good” HDL cholesterol, in as few as 30 days.
Even more importantly, tea (especially green tea) protects LDL cholesterol particles from oxidation, which is thought to contribute to heart disease.
May Help Manage Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes affects over 462 million people worldwide. It’s characterized by high blood sugar levels and insulin resistance.
A 2012 study in diabetic rats found that kombucha slowed down the digestion of carbs, which reduced blood sugar levels. It also improved liver and kidney function. In a 2023 pilot study, participants who consumed kombucha (240 mL/day for 4 weeks) had lower fasting blood sugar levels than baseline, while the placebo group did not. A 2023 randomized controlled trial found that kombucha lowered the blood sugar response to high glycemic index meals in healthy adults.
May Help Protect Against Cancer
In test-tube studies, kombucha helped prevent the growth and spread of cancerous cells, possibly due to its high concentration of tea polyphenols and antioxidants.
How Do I Make It?
Supplies List
First Ferment: Glass beverage dispenser, chlorine free water, sugar, black Tea, SCOBY and starter liquid
Second Ferment: Glass beverage dispenser, flavor ingredients
Final: Plastic strainer, funnel, pressure tested bottles
First Ferment Recipe
Container Size | Tea | Sugar | Water | Starter Liquid |
1 quart | 2 tea bags | 1/4cup | 2-3cups | 1/2cup |
1/2 gallon | 4 tea bags | 1/2cup | 6-7cups | 1cup |
1 gallon | 8 tea bags | 1cup | 13-14cups | 2cups |
The Method to the Madness
First Ferment
-Place SCOBY and starter liquid into the glass beverage dispenser
-Always keep your container covered with a breathable cloth, secured with a rubber band. this will ensure that the ferment process can occur, while keeping bugs out.
-Make the sweet tea, using the above recipe, in a separate container. Once it has COMPLETELY COOLOED, add to the starter liquid
-Allow it to ferment for 7-14 days. Most people will taste test their first ferment to make sure it is to their desired vinegar level before moving on to second ferment.
Second Ferment
-Transfer the first ferment (minus the SCOBY and the starter liquid that needs to remain for another batch to brew) to a separate glass beverage dispenser
-Add your desired flavor ingredients (fruit and herbs)
-Always keep your container covered with a breathable cloth, secured with a rubber band.
-Allow to ferment for 2-5 days until it reaches your desired taste preference.
Final
-Pour the second ferment through a plastic strainer, through a funnel, into your final storage containers
-Store covered in the fridge
-When covered it will build pressure due to the carbonation developing. Burping the bottle will reduce pressure and reduce carbonation
Legal Disclaimer
Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health conditions.
Studies
The Effects Of Probiotics on Inflammatory Biomarkers: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Green Tea and the Risk of Prostate Cancer
Green Tea Consumption and the Risk of Breast Cancer
And Inverse Association Between Tea Consumption and Colorectal Cancer Risk
Hepatoprotective properties of kombucha tea against TBHP-induced oxidative stress via suppression of mitochondria dependent apoptosis
Chemical Constitution of Antimicrobial Activity of Kombucha Fermented Beverage
Green tea catechins prevent low-density lipoprotein oxidation via their accumulation in low-density lipoprotein particles in humans
Hypoglycemic and antilipidemic properties of kombucha tea in alloxan-induced diabetic rats
Kombucha tea as an anti-hyperglycemic agent in humans with diabetes - a randomized controlled pilot investigation
Glycemic index and insulin index after a standard carbohydrate meal consumed with the live kombucha: A randomized placebo-controlled, crossover trial
Downregulation of signalling molecules involved in angiogenesis of prostate cancer cell line (PC-3) by kombucha (lyophilized)