17 Benefits of Kombucha -How to Make Kombucha Tea

Do you know what is kombucha? What are the Benefits of Kombucha? Kombucha is a fermented drink made from sweetened black tea fermented by yeast and bacteria that are good for your health, so it is a drink that strengthens the immune system and improves bowel function.

Its preparation is similar to that of homemade yogurt and kefir, but black tea is used instead of milk as the main ingredient.

Black tea with white sugar is the most common ingredient used to make it, but you can also use other herbs and additional ingredients, such as green tea, hibiscus tea, mate tea, fruit juice, and ginger for a more gentle flavor.

What is kombucha?

It is also called tea mushroom, or Manchurian fungus when referring to the culture; the botanical name Medusomyces gisevii is a fermented beverage, composed of known beneficial species of bacteria and yeasts.

Kombucha tea is made by fermenting kombucha and bacteria in a sweet environment: tea or herbal tea + white sugar (70 g / liter) or honey and grape juice. It is traditionally prepared in Russia and China with green tea or sweet black tea.

Now it is made domestically around the world and is also bottled and sold commercially by various companies.

It is usually made from black tea, but sometimes green tea is also used.

Once the tea leaves (or bags) have been added to a pot of boiling water and left to steep, the tea leaves are removed and some sugar is added.

After the tea has cooled, you can add the “tea that was made before” (pre-fermented kombucha tea) and SCOBY, which stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. This brew is then left to ferment and breed bacteria.

15 Main Benefits of kombucha

It originates in China and tastes like sparkling apple juice, and its consumption brings the following health benefits:

1. It contributes to weight loss because it regulates appetite and reduces obesity
2. Fighting gastritis, by working to eliminate the gates of the malformed bacteria, which is one of the main causes of gastritis
3. Preventing intestinal infections, by fighting other bacteria and fungi that cause intestinal diseases
4. It acts as a detoxifier, by binding to toxic molecules in the body and stimulating their elimination through urine and feces
5. Relieve and prevent problems such as gout, rheumatism, arthritis, and kidney stones by removing toxins from the body.
6. Improving the functioning of the intestines, by balancing the intestinal flora which has a laxative action
7. Balancing the pH of the blood makes the body stronger naturally to prevent and treat diseases
8. Reduce stress and fight insomnia, being a good choice for periods of stress or exams
9. Reduce headaches and migraines.
10. Improving the functioning of the liver is a good option after taking antibiotics
11. Strengthens the immune system, is rich in antioxidants, and works in the intestines
12. It prevents diseases such as diabetes and cancer because it improves the functioning of the whole body (1)
13. A potential source of probiotics. It contains several types of lactic acid bacteria that may have a probiotic function. Probiotics supply your gut with healthy bacteria. These good bacteria can improve many aspects of health like digestion, inflammation, and even weight loss. (2)
14. Normalize blood pressure.
15. Reducing symptoms of menopause.
16. Preventing urinary tract infections as it is a good source of fluids that excrete more urine.
17. It can reduce the risk of heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the world. Rat studies show that kombucha can significantly improve two markers of heart disease, bad LDL cholesterol, and “good” HDL cholesterol, in as little as 30 days. (3)

The benefits of kombucha are greater than when black or green tea is consumed in its traditional form, which is why this drink has been used as a powerful health aid. Learn about the benefits of black tea.

How to Make Kombucha Tea at Home

To prepare the kombucha base, which is also called the first fermentation, you must follow these steps:

Ingredients for the first fermentation:

1. 3 liters of mineral water
2. Stainless steel, glass, or ceramic frying pan
3. 1 cup refined sugar (white sugar)
4. 5 black tea bags
5. 1 kombucha mushroom, also called scoby
6. 1 glass bowl of steaming hot water
7. 300ml ready-made kombucha, equivalent to 10% of the total volume of kombucha to be produced (optional)

Preparation mode:

Wash hands and utensils thoroughly, using hot water and vinegar to help eliminate any contamination with microorganisms.

We put water in the pan and let it heat up. When the water boils, add the sugar and mix well. Then turn off the heat and add the tea bags, and let the mixture steep for 10 to 15 minutes.

Put the tea in a glass container and wait for it to cool to room temperature.

Then add the kombucha mushrooms and 300ml of the prepared kombucha, and cover the glass jar with a piece of cloth and a rubber band, which will allow the air to circulate without leaving the mixture exposed.

Keep the bottle in a well-ventilated place without much light for 6 to 10 days, by which time the finished drink will be ready with a vinegary scent and no sweet aftertaste.

At the end of the process, a new kombucha colony is formed on top of the first, which can be kept in the refrigerator or donated to someone else.

Benefits of Kombucha- Tastiest Kombucha Recipes

Also called second fermentation kombucha, it can be flavored with ingredients such as ginger, pears, grapes, strawberries, lemons, pineapples, oranges, and other fruits, giving the drink a new flavor and adding fruity benefits.

Fruits and other ingredients must be added to the ready-made kombucha base, and in this fermentation, the drink will be deflated, much like a soft drink.

Lemon and ginger kombucha tea

Ingredients:

1. 1.5 liters of kombucha
2. 3-5 slices of ginger
3. Half a lemon juice
4. 1.5-liter plastic bottle

Preparation mode:

Put the ginger slices and lemon juice into a clean plastic bottle.

Add the kombucha to the bottle, filling well until filled, until there is no air left in the bottle.

Cover and let stand for 3 to 7 days, which is the time required for a new fermentation, but generally, the flavored drink will be ready after 5 days of fermentation.

However, the drink produces gases quickly, and some consumers like its taste only 24 hours after the second brewing.

To make it with other flavors, puree the fruit in a blender, strain and add to the bottle with the kombucha base, and wait after 5 days for the new fermentation that will give flavor to the drink.

Where to buy kombucha

Ready-to-eat kombucha can be found at health food and nutrition stores and is available in traditional flavors and fruit and spice flavors.

Scoby, a mushroom or kombucha chip with the fungi and bacteria responsible for fermenting the drink, can be found on websites or online forums that offer Scoby for free, just like kefir.

Because a new scoop is created with each fermentation, kombucha consumers often donate their scoops to others who want to make the drink at home.

Kombucha Tea and its Side Effects

It must have occurred to you that kombucha tea is a fermented beverage, but it contains only 0.5% of alcohol, but this percentage may rise to 5% when stored for long periods.

Regardless of the presence of alcohol in it, drinking kombucha tea means exposing your body to thousands of microbes. Among the side effects of this tea:

1. Acidity

Since kombucha tea contains acetic acid and its derivatives, we always recommend drinking this tea under medical supervision, especially if you have a stomach ulcer or something else.

Likewise, drinking old Kombucha tea may cause severe acidity (high acid levels in the body), which may lead to death if not treated.

2. Severe sensitivity and nausea

For some people, the bacteria in kombucha tea may cause skin irritation. It may also cause nausea, headache, diarrhea, or pain in the neck.

In this case, reduce the dose you take, and if these symptoms persist, refrain from drinking this tea and consult a doctor immediately.

3. It may lead to problems for people with diabetes

Kombucha tea contains a large amount of sugar, which can cause an increase in the level of glucose in the blood, causing organ failure for diabetics. Consult a doctor before consuming the tea if you are diabetic.

4. Risk in case of a weakened immune system

Certain conditions may weaken your immune system, such as viral infections (AIDS or immunodeficiency virus) or after surgical operations.

Since kombucha tea is full of many types of bacteria, in the case of a weakened immune system, it may lead to chronic bacterial and fungal infections.

If these injuries are ignored, they may become life-threatening.

5. Pregnancy and breastfeeding

There is no information about whether drinking this tea is safe during pregnancy and lactation or not, so it is better to stay away from it during this stage of life to avoid any unnecessary complications.

The Final Thought

Many people believe that kombucha helps treat all kinds of chronic health problems.

However, human studies on the effects of kombucha are few, and evidence of its health effects is limited.

If you try homemade kombucha, make sure you brew it properly. Contaminated kombucha may cause more harm than good.