Gut Health: How Can Kombuchas Help?

Kombucha tea is a health fad that is here to stay. Not only does the fermented beverage taste good, but it confers a whole lot of health benefits too. The promising health benefits of Kombucha include improved metabolism, a natural fat burner, reduced inflammation and much more. Read through to learn all about Kombucha and its role in gut health.

What is Kombucha?

Kombucha is a fermented tea. It is prepared by brewing green or black tea leaves with white sugar. Upon cooling, a culture containing various bacteria and yeasts is added to it. The fermented culture added to the tea is called SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast). Then it is left to ferment for a week or more. The result is a probiotic, carbonated beverage called Kombucha tea.

Process of Making Kombucha Tea

Kombucha tea is prepared through fermentation. The steps include:

1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Add sugar to the boiling water.
3. Add green, black, or oolong tea leaves.
4. Let the mixture brew for some time on low flame.
5. Turn off the flame and let it cool. 
6. Let the mixture cool down to room temperature. 
7. Add SCOBY. It can be purchased from a commercial outlet. ‘Mother’ taken from a previous batch of kombucha tea can also be used as SCOBY.
8. Pour the mixture into a glass jar.
9. Seal the jar with a tight-weave fabric or coffee filter paper.
10. Set aside the jar at room temperature for 7–10 days for the mixture to ferment.

Kombucha tea can be home-brewed or commercially brewed. Commercially brewed Kombucha tea is sold in bottles with a marked shelf life. Furthermore, they are available in different flavours like ginger, raspberry, blueberry, dragonfruit, lemon, etc., making them more delectable.

Benefits of Kombucha

As Kombucha undergoes the fermentation process, a series of compounds are released. Each compound helps the body differently. No wonder the health benefits of Kombucha are innumerable. These include:

1. Boosting metabolism 
2. Helpful in weight management
3. Helpful in reducing inflammation
4. Helpful in preventing cancers
5. It acts as an immunity booster
6. Promotes cardiovascular health
7. Helpful in managing Type 2 Diabetes
8. Promotes liver health
9. It acts as a potent vitamin and mineral supplement
10. Acts as an antibiotic
11. Helpful in relieving depression symptoms
12. It acts as a potent hair and skin tonic

Kombucha for Gut Health

In addition to the above-mentioned benefits of Kombucha, the most pronounced is its role in improving gut health. Being a probiotic, Kombucha is one of the good gut health foods. Read on to understand how Kombuchas help improve gut health.

1. Symbiotic Beverage

Kombucha is a rich source of acetic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and yeasts. Together, they have probiotic potential. The fermented tea also contains bacterial cellulose. These act as prebiotics in the gut and support the probiotic bacteria. 

2. Antimicrobial Attributes

Kombucha tea has a low pH balance. Thus, its antimicrobial and antifungal attributes thwart the growth of disease-causing bacteria like the staphylococcus aureus, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, E. coli, Helicobacter pylori, etc. This makes Kombucha tea a potent therapeutic beverage for the gut.

3. Role of Live Bacterial Cultures

The live bacterial cultures in the Kombucha perform a range of functions for the gut. They are essential for the assimilation of nutrients and play a crucial role in the digestion of many nutrients. The scores of live bacteria present in Kombucha help synthesise crucial nutrients used by the body for several vital functions. Bacteria in our gut also help release serotonin, the body’s happy hormone. They also check the release of neurochemicals which boost good gut-brain chemistry.

4. Enhances Pre-Digestion

As fermented foods undergo the breakdown, the compound-dense foods are broken down into elementary foods. These compounds are easy to digest as the body can assimilate nutrients from them quickly.

5. Removes Toxins

Fermented foods improve gut health by removing the toxins from our food. These benign elements make the food unhealthy and difficult to digest. Thus, the removal of toxins makes them suitable for consumption.

6. Increases Mineral and Vitamin Bioavailability

The process of fermentation enhances the mineral and vitamin bioavailability of the body. These are then used by the body for different vital body functions.

7. Helps Maintain Gut Balance

The use of antibacterial products like hand wash and sanitisers increases and destroys all the bacteria whether it is a good and harmful bacteria from the body, leading to gut and hormonal imbalances. Drinking chlorinated water and using antibiotics and antacids disturb the natural gut balance. But regular use of Kombucha tea helps to replenish the healthy bacteria in our gut consciously. 

8. Improves Digestive Health

Increased count of good bacteria in the gut helps reduce inflammation and combat typical digestive troubles like diarrhoea and constipation. According to research findings, the probiotic helped reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhoea by more than half. The beverage also helped in slowing down the gut transit time by 12.4 hours. It increased the number of weekly bowel movements by 1.3 and effectively helped soften stools, making them easier to excrete.

How to Consume Kombucha?

Kombucha is a carbonated beverage which is usually consumed plain. It can also be added to fruits and fruit juices. The length of the fermentation process gives Kombucha its unique taste. So, fermenting it for another 2-3 days will make the drink fizzier. Some people prefer to flavour Kombucha with additional spices and herbs. One can also opt for commercially brewed kombucha that has added sugars and is available in different flavours.

How Much Kombucha can be Consumed Daily?

For someone new to Kombucha, a slow start is recommended. Start drinking 60-120 ml daily and observe your body for any adverse reactions. Consuming an equal amount of water is advisable.

If you like the taste and the feeling of consuming Kombucha and do not experience any ‘detox’ symptoms, the intake can be gradually increased to 180 – 240 ml per day. Remember, the increase in Kombucha intake must be slow and gradual and must be backed by an adequate amount of water.

Risks Associated with Kombucha Consumption

The quality and goodness of Kombucha will depend upon the degree of hygiene observed during its preparation. Contaminated and over-fermented kombucha can cause serious health troubles. Thus, commercially brewed Kombucha fares better on this front. 

Also, Kombucha must be consumed within the recommended limits. Overconsumption of Kombucha has been linked to a large number of health conditions. These include:

1. Metabolic acidosis
2. Liver damage
3. Food poisoning
4. Fungemia, i.e. fungal infection of the blood
5. Bacteremia, i.e. bacterial infection of the blood

Although Kombucha is invariably well-tolerated by all, its consumption is not recommended for the following category of people. These include:

1. People who are diabetic
2. People who are allergic to acidic foods
3. Teetotallers
4. Pregnant women
5. Breast-feeding mothers
6. People with a compromised immune system

Conclusion

Kombucha is an ancient remedy which has been in use for thousands of years. From a humble start in China to a globally acclaimed health drink, kombucha is a miracle drink with innumerable benefits.

Main Kombucha ingredients include sugar, green or black tea leaves and active culture of yeast and bacteria. The mixture is left to ferment for almost a week. The result is a delectable carbonated tea that features among the top gut health foods. However, utmost safety and care are required during its preparation, storage, and consumption. Commercially brewed Kombucha is consequently considered more hygienic and safe as it has a predetermined shelf life.

Overconsumption can lead to metabolic acidosis and liver damage. Also, drinking contaminated Kombucha can damage gut health by increasing the risk of food poisoning, fungemia, and bacteremia.