Kombucha Tea: Health Benefits, Uses, Risk and More

13/04/2020

If you’re a fan of catching the waves of food trends, then you’ve probably heard of Kombucha tea in the past decade. For those unfamiliar with it, Kombucha tea is not a new variety of tea leaves and neither is it available in your local tea shop because (1) it hardly even tastes like tea, it is more of a sour carbonated drink, (2) you can’t just steep a teabag of Kombucha tea, there’s a whole new art to it.

Table of Contents

What is Kombucha Tea?

Kombucha tea is a sweetened fermented drink commonly made with brewed black or green but sometimes white tea, oolong tea or a mixture of these types of tea are used. However, teas that are not used for Kombucha tea are those that contain oils like flavored teas and earl grey tea.

The tea is mixed with sugar and a symbiotic culture of bacteria, yeast, and sometimes herbs like oak leaves. After a week of fermentation, a growth of mushroom-like bacteria surfaces the liquid, this is called SCOBY, and hence why Kombucha tea is also sometimes called mushroom tea. It works its magic with the sugar breaking down and fermenting over time within the container for about 1-3 weeks, the tea is then bottled and refrigerated for another 1-2 weeks this then slows down the fermentation and carbonation.

There are two possible outcomes when you try Kombucha tea for the first time, you either hate it and can’t stand how tangy, sour, and fizzy it is; or you simply fall in love it with, perhaps start drinking in more than once a day, and maybe visit and hang out in one of those Kombucha bars now. Being able to appreciate the strong odor and taste of Kombucha tea is an acquired taste but don’t worry if you didn’t like it at first, once you start realizing the health benefits of Kombucha tea, then maybe the good will start to outweigh the bad.

History of Kombucha Tea

Kombucha tea isn’t an all-new product, in fact it, was originally referred to as Manchuria in Northeast China dating back 200 B.C. The name Kombucha was derived from the Korean doctor, Dr. Kombu, who brought the fermented tea to Japan, and is later on called Kombucha, coined by the Russians during its international expansions. In Japanese, the term kombucha – 昆布茶 which is “kelp tea”. There was a decline in demand caused by the shortage of supply of tea and sugar during WWII, then only recently has it seen a resurgence in popularity when consumers began to be more health-conscious in their dietary preferences.

Health Benefits of Kombucha Tea

To begin with, Kombucha tea is made from either green or black tea, and these teas are already rich in health benefits such as the presence of Polyphenols which are known to help with weight loss, blood sugar control, reduce risks for certain types of cancer, and helps boosts the immune system. And at the same time, they are high in antioxidants which helps support and protect kidney and liver function.

Just like any fermented food, it boasts of high quantities of glucosamine, organic acids, and probiotics. The organic acids help with detoxifying the liver, while glucosamine is one of the chemical compounds that makes up cartilage, the presence of glucosamine in Kombucha tea can help promote healthy joints. The main benefits of probiotics are that it fosters good health in the gut area, helps to improve the immune system, reduces the risk of gastrointestinal diseases, prevents certain cancers from developing in the body, and improves mood and brain health. Probiotics are also antibacterial which can help fight certain types of bacteria like E. coli, salmonella, Candida infection/yeast infection but note that drinking Kombucha tea does not treat any severe pre-existing health conditions it does, however, helps mitigate the infections.

Risks from Drinking Kombucha Tea

Where there are benefits, also come risks. Several accounts have tied Kombucha tea with cases of skin allergies, bouts of upset stomach, or even lactic acidosis which can be fatal. So if you’re a big fan of Kombucha tea, consumption is advised to be limited to 12oz per day and the reason behind it is because of the acids present, this can pose a problem to people with underlying stomach problems, and since bacteria is the key element to producing Kombucha tea, sometimes it ends up compromising those with immunodeficiency disorders, similarly how some people can safely digest raw sashimi versus some people who end up getting diarrhea from it.

Uses of Kombucha Tea

Kombucha tea is normally consumed straight up on its own, and apart from its health benefits, there are many other uses for Kombucha tea such as: as a marinade for meats, dressing for salads, as a condiment, Kombucha tea can be blended with some fresh fruits as a smoothie or made as popsicles; Kombucha tea can be used for soaking grains, used as an acidic ingredient for certain drinks and cocktails, and as a hair cleanser and moisturizer. The uses of Kombucha tea are truly wide and varied!

Is There Alcohol in Kombucha Tea?

Kombucha tea does contain alcohol, basically, the fermentation process can control the amount of alcohol and carbon dioxide. Commercial brands only contain less than 0.5% alcohol and meet the regulations set by the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau that allows their Kombucha tea to be labeled as functioning beverages or non-alcoholic drinks. However, home-brewed Kombucha tea often contains 3% or more alcohol. Prudence is therefore needed in order to assess first if Kombucha tea is something that your body can accept, as it is also noteworthy to point out that due to the fermentation process, there is an alcohol content, those that are allergic to alcohol should be wary of this detail.

Best Kombucha Tea Brands

The Kombucha tea market is a multimillion-dollar industry that sees a healthy year-on-year growth, it’s the resurgence in popularity has led to a lot of mainstream and even independent producers making a name for themselves and challenging each other for that healthy slice of the market. Here are some of the top Kombucha tea brands currently available out there: Health-Ade Organic Kombucha, Brew Dr. Organic Kombucha, GT’s Enlightened Organic Raw Kombucha, Kombucha Wonder Drink, Better Booch, Wild Kombucha, Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha, Forage Kombucha, Humm Kombucha, Kosmic Kombucha, Holy Kombucha, and Trader Joe’s Organic Kombucha.

How to Make Kombucha Tea at Home

Before considering home-brewing your Kombucha tea, it is best for one to be aware of the additional risk when this is done incorrectly, fermenting in an area and with equipment that is not sterile can cultivate bacteria that is harmful to the body. Expert’s advice for those without brewing and fermenting experiences is to stick with ready-to-drink store-bought Kombucha tea instead, where commercial brands are assured to have undergone the right fermenting process and contains the bacteria we expect in our Kombucha tea. However, for those who are highly interested in crafting their Kombucha tea, it is highly doable even for amateur brewers.

Ingredients

3½ quarts water, 1 cup sugar (regular granulated sugar works best), 8 bags (or 2 tablespoons loose tea) of black tea, green tea, or a mix, 2 cups starter tea from last batch of kombucha or store-bought kombucha (unpasteurized, neutral-flavored), 1 SCOBY per fermentation jar (homemade or purchased online)

Tools

Large glass container, cloth (large enough to cover the opening of the glass container), a small funnel, and storing bottles.

Steps

Step 1: Boil water in a pot then start by steeping your choice. While the tea is still hot, dissolve a fair amount of sugar. Then let it cool down.

Optional: If you want to speed up the cooling process, place the pot in an ice bath.

Step 2: When the tea has sufficiently cooled down, remove the teabags and transfer to a glass jar then and add starter tea from the last batch of kombucha or store-bought. Then gently slide the SCOBY with your clean hands.
Step 3: Cover the container with a cloth and let it ferment for seven days 14 days at room temperature while keeping it out of direct sunlight. (The key to using a cloth cover for the container is because you want the whole mixture to be able to breathe during the fermentation process.)

Optional: After day 7, you can start tasting your Kombucha tea by taking some for the jar to a cup. For first-time brewers, you won’t be able to tell but each day the sweetness and tanginess differ, so find the sweet-spot for you then begin step 4.

Step 4: Gently remove the SCOBY and set aside a batch of Kombucha for your next brewing session.
Step 5: Transfer the Kombucha tea to your sterile bottles using a funnel and refrigerate. (This is known as the second fermentation process, and the lack of awareness for this extra step led to misregulation of alcohol content in Kombucha tea in the recent years)

Kombucha Starter Kit

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Few things to keep in mind

Avoid prolonged contact with metal, especially reactive metals like aluminum, this can give the Kombucha tea a metallic flavor and weaken the SCOBY over time.
The position of your SCOBY and differ it can float on the top, bottom, or sideways in the jar. Developing different SCOBY appearances is also normal like if it forms brown strings below or has holes, bumps, dried patches, darker brown patches, or clear jelly-like patches.
The smell of the Kombucha tea will progressively become more vinegary as the brewing progresses. If it starts to smell cheesy, rotten, or otherwise unpleasant, this is a sign that something has gone wrong and the mixture should be discarded.
The SCOBY can be repeatedly used for the succeeding brewing process unless it becomes black, that is a sign that it has passed its lifespan or develops green or black mold, it has become infected.

Easy Recipes with Kombucha Tea as Base

Recipe #1 Kombucha Tea Cocktail

For those that want to add a little excitement and find Kombucha tea a little humdrum. Try this orange-infused drink for a cool, refreshing, and healthy twist to drinking Kombucha tea.

Ingredients

50ml vodka, Kombucha tea (store-bought or home-brewed), 2 oranges, and ice

Steps

Step 1: Squeeze 2 oranges and pour juice into a tall glass filled with ice.
Step 2: Pour an equal amount of Kombucha tea into the glass.
Step 3: Add 50ml of vodka into the mix. Stir and enjoy!

Cocktail Glasses Set

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Recipe #2 Kombucha Tea Float

For those who don’t fancy an alcoholic beverage and want something that’s more kid-friendly, this could be for you. Since Kombucha tea in itself is already a fizzy drink, it would work perfectly to substitute with Coke. And with Kombucha tea’s taste being a little off-putting, adding some ice cream ought to remedy that!

Ingredients

2 scoops ice cream (any flavor preferably vanilla flavor), Kombucha tea (store-bought or home-brewed)

Steps

Step 1: In a tall glass, add in two scoops of your preferred flavor of ice cream.
Step 2: Pour the Kombucha tea slowly into the glass until almost full. Take note that you will need to pour in the Kombucha tea slowly as this will fizz. Use a straw to sip and enjoy!

Silicone Straws, BPA-Free!

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Some may be inclined to brew Kombucha tea at home given the very basic ingredients required, but it is very easy to taint the good bacteria and end up with a bad fermented batch that may even be fatal to you. It is for these reasons that you are better off buying Kombucha tea from the shelves of specialty health stores to ensure consistency and quality of good bacteria. Drinking Kombucha tea moderately can help to create the balance needed for healthy gut flora. As with anything in life, consuming anything in excess (even if it is touted as being healthy), can also be detrimental.