Things to know about "Kombucha tea" – Fermented tea

Kombucha tea is considered a great drink, sweet and sour, even with gas. But is Kombucha tea really a healthy drink?

Kombucha is a type of sugary tea, fermented with the same fungus and the main ingredients are tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast. Kombucha originated in China, used about 2,000 years ago as a natural functional food to help treat digestive disorders, hypertension, diabetes, and even cancer. It is a popular item in health food stores and consumers of health products who use it for the purpose of providing numerous health benefits to the body.

Things to know about "Kombucha tea" - Fermented tea
Kombucha tea is used as a functional food.

To make Kombucha tea – a symbiosis of bacteria and yeast or a fungus like ” SCOBY” ( SCOBY stands for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast – a symbiosis of bacteria and yeast, a form of raw material is used. in the fermentation and production of kombucha Fermentation is a chemical process in which forms of carbohydrates such as sugars and starches are converted to alcohol or acids.The shape of the SCOBY can vary but is usually quite thick. , round, rubbery, and slightly translucent with a slight vinegar-like odor.If you smell an unusual odor like mold or cheese, the SCOBY may be in a decayed state that can no longer be used. The disc-like SCOBY consists mainly of insoluble fiber (also known as cellulose (it is host to many yeasts and bacteria that aid in the fermentation process) needs tea and sugar to be added to the mix to ferment. The result is a drink called Kombucha tea, which some say smells like beer and tastes like apple cider vinegar. Others say it’s like wine, others say it’s like vinegar. Although there are no mushrooms in Kombucha tea, it is sometimes called Kombucha mushroom tea .

In addition, this carbonated drink is called by other names such as: Manchurian tea ( Manchurian tea ), Russian tea ( Russian tea ) and water ginseng tea ( Kargasok tea ).

Although it has not been officially proven yet, Kombucha tea lovers have claimed for themselves the health benefits of Kombucha tea such as: restore hair color, make hair grow more, dissolve gallstones, reverse Signs of aging, lower cholesterol and high blood pressure, boost the immune system, ease menopause symptoms, and improve digestive and liver function. People even say that Kombucha tea detoxifies the body and can even prevent cancer.

Rebecca Shenkman , director of Villanova University’s MacDonald Nursing Center for Obesity Prevention and Education (COPE ), says: ” Kombucha tea contains a full spectrum of B vitamins, probiotics (probiotics) bio) and antioxidants but there haven’t been any formal medical studies on the benefits of this drink, so pay attention to the health claims. Maybe you’re just drinking it because I like its sour, sweet and sour taste, not drink it because I want to improve liver function or strengthen the immune system “.

While there has been no direct research on the benefits of Kombucha tea, research has shown that Kombucha tea contains probiotics ( probiotics ). According to the National Institutes of Health, probiotics have been shown to be healthy because they improve the balance of the intestinal flora.

Things to know about "Kombucha tea" - Fermented tea
Kombucha tea originated in China, used about 2,000 years ago.

During the natural fermentation process, Kombucha tea has produced many good active ingredients that are beneficial to health. Those active ingredients are:

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Currently, there is little evidence that Kombucha tea is good for the body, on the contrary it can make the body’s condition worse. Some people who drink Kombucha tea have become confused. digestive upsets, infections and allergic reactions. This could be due to the sterile conditions where the tea is produced or to the Kombucha tea itself .”

The Peninsula School of Medicine did a systematic review of the medical literature on the health benefits of kombucha tea. The article concludes: “No clinical studies have been found to relate the efficacy of this therapy. A number of reported cases and case series have raised doubts about safety. safety of Kombucha tea. Suspected liver damage, metabolic acidosis and skin anthrax infection. There has been one death recorded “.

Things to know about "Kombucha tea" - Fermented tea
Kombucha is a very special fermented tea.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC ), healthy adults should only drink about 113.4 grams ( 4 ounces ) of kombucha tea per day to avoid potential risks. can yield if it is exceeded. People with medical conditions, as well as women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, should consult their doctor before using Kombucha tea.

To ensure safety when using kombucha, people should note a few issues such as:

There is no record of how long Kombucha tea has a shelf life . However, that does not mean that the tea is not spoiled. If properly stored, tea will be used for a long time. However, if stored improperly, the tea will be damaged, moldy and harmful to health. So when storing Kombucha tea, you need to keep a few things in mind:

To make this drink at home, people need ingredients and tools such as tea bait (fermented tea), glass jars sterilized with boiling water, cloth covers. You can buy ready-made seed sets for easier and faster processing.

Then, you brew the tea with boiling water and filter the grounds, then put in a glass jar, add sugar and stir until dissolved. When the tea pot has cooled, you put the SCOBY and tea bait into the pot. Leave the kombucha at room temperature for a week or 10 to 12 days. Attach a cloth to the top of the jar with an elastic, instead of a lid, so that the SCOBY can breathe.

Note , if you see spots on the tea surface with black, blue, orange, white, … along with fibers, the tea may have been infected with mold. At this time, you should not drink tea because it can be poisoned.

Overall, there are many studies on the health effects of kombucha, but data are limited, and human studies are few. However, kombucha still offers certain health benefits if used correctly. People can consult a specialist doctor when using this drink, especially for pregnant or lactating women.