

Kombucha tea is being touted as a health energiser and it’s not without reason. Research suggests that the sweet-sour, acidic, and lightly carbonated drink has the potential to cure many health issues, especially those related to digestive health. But what is Kombucha? Read through to know more about Kombucha origin, its ingredients, and the process involved in rolling out the beverage.
What is Kombucha?
Kombucha is a fermented green or black tea. It is prepared by adding a variety of variety of yeast, bacteria, and sugar to the brewed tea. The fermented culture, also called the SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast), is the biofilm layer that converts regular tea into a probiotic drink.
Kombucha Origin and History
The history of this drink is nearly 2,000 years old. The beverage was first brewed in northeast China. Its use was widely prevalent as it promised health and longevity. With increasing popularity, this tea was soon made and consumed by people in Japan and Russia. Today, Kombucha tea enjoys a reputation as a health and energy drink. It is marketed globally, with Europe and the United States being its most promising markets.
Kombucha Ingredients
Kombucha tea is regular black or green tea with a culture which is added to ferment it. The basic ingredients include tea, sugar, and culture which includes a wide variety of active yeasts and bacteria. The active yeasts of SCOBY include strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other yeasts, along with bacteria, primarily Gluconacetobacter xylinus.
Kombucha Process
Making Kombucha involves fermentation. The process is similar to the one used to turn milk into yoghurt. The process of preparing this beverage includes the following steps:
- Boil water to 100 degrees Celsius.
- Add sugar to the boiling water.
- Add tea leaves. One can use green, black, or oolong tea leaves.
- Let it brew for some time before the flame is turned off.
- Once the mixture has cooled and is down to room temperature, add SCOBY bought from a commercial outlet or use ‘mother’ taken from a previous batch of Kombucha.
- Put the mixture in a glass jar and cover it with a tight-weave fabric. You can also use a paper coffee filter to cover it.
- The mixture in the jar will ferment at room temperature for 7–10 days before it is ready for use.

Commercial Kombucha vs Home–Brewed Kombucha
Commercial Kombucha is the one that is brewed industrially and you buy it from a store near you. Although this can save you from all the effort of preparing it at home, it limits the benefits that one can enjoy by consuming the one that is home brewed. Listed below are some of the major ways in which both the types differ from one another:
- Commercially brewed Kombucha is sold in bottles. To increase shelf life and to prevent the continued carbonation of this drink which could result in a possible explosion, the quantity of culture used is halved. It also has fewer varieties of yeast and bacteria which reduces its efficacy.
- Commercial Kombucha is invariably pasteurised. The heat during the pasteurisation process kills the microorganisms in the beverage. This negates the many health benefits one can derive from the probiotic drink.
- The commercially brewed type is expensive. Brewing the same quantity at home can be done at a much cheaper cost.
- When commercially brewed, it has a longer shelf-life and will be good for consumption for almost a year. The one that is home brewed must be consumed within three months.
- Commercially brewed Kombucha tea is available in different flavours like ginger, raspberry, blueberry, dragonfruit, lemon, and more.
Food Safety Tips for Making Kombucha at Home
The following food safety tips are to be kept in mind and observed for making homemade Kombucha:
- Maintaining proper hygiene is the first and the most crucial food safety rule. Use clean utensils to brew tea and pour it into properly sterilised glass containers to ferment it. Practise proper hand washing throughout.
- Use table sugar for preparing kombucha. Sugar is an important ingredient as it acts as the food for the added bacteria and yeast. Each quart of tea will require 1.76 ounces of regular table sugar.
- Use regular green or black tea leaves. Do not use herbal tea leaves.
- Boil the tea and cool it rapidly. Add culture to tea at room temperature. Let it stay for fermentation at temperatures between 62 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit for 7-10 days.
- Do not keep it for fermentation in the sun or a hot and humid place.
- Once fermented, refrigerate it.
- Leaving fermented Kombucha capped at room temperature for prolonged periods beyond the suggested duration will result in carbon dioxide accumulation in the jar. This can lead to a possible explosion of the glass jar.
Kombucha Health Benefits
Being a probiotic, the most important health benefit of kombucha is its effect on the digestive system. It helps with diarrhoea and irritable bowel syndrome.
Rich in antioxidants, the drinks rids your body of toxins. Other bioactive compounds like polyphenols also act as antioxidants and protect the cells from damage. This strengthens the immune system and protects the body from diseases like cardiac ailments and a range of cancers.
Research shows that drinking this beverage can lead to lowering of high blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. But more research is required in this domain.
When made from green tea leaves, it acts as a natural fat burner that aids in weight loss.
Therapeutic Uses of Kombucha
Kombucha helps treat a range of health conditions. These include:
- Arthritis or inflammation of joints
- Hair loss (alopecia)
- Hypertension or high blood pressure
- Cancer
- Hangovers
- Digestive ailments
- Disorders related to immune system functioning
Kombucha Chemical Reaction
Kombucha tea is a result of a series of chemical reactions that the ingredients in it go through during the process of fermentation. These chemical reactions lead to the formation of:
1. Organic Acids
- Acetic Acid
- Citric Acid
- Malic Acid
- Gluconic Acid
- Glucuronic Acid
- Carbonic Acid
- Tartaric Acid
- Lactic Acid
2. Phenolic Compounds
- Catechins
- Epigallocatechin
- Epicatechin
- Epigallocatechin Gallate
- Epicatechin Gallate
3. Other Compounds
- Carbon dioxide
- Ethanol
Kombucha Nutritional Benefits
As Kombucha undergoes fermentation, a range of amino acids, minerals, and vitamins are also produced. The compounds found in it include:
1. Vitamins
- B1
- B2
- B6
- B12
- C
2. Minerals
- Copper (Cu)
- Iron (Fe)
- Manganese (Mn)
- Zinc (Zn)
3. Sugars
- Sucrose
- Fructose
- Glucose
Every 240 ml serving of unflavored kombucha contains approximately 30 calories and up to 3 grams of sugar.
How to Consume Kombucha?
Once it is prepared, it can be consumed plain or added to fruit or fruit juices. As its taste depends upon the length of the fermentation process, fermenting it for 2-3 more days will make it fizzier and add to its effervescence. Kombucha can also be flavoured with additional spices and herbs. The commercially brewed type has added sugars and flavours which make it a ready-to-use fizzy beverage.

How Much Kombucha Should You Consume?
How much kombucha can be consumed per day will depend upon its quality, whether it is home-brewed or commercially brewed. The consumption of commercially brewed type can be higher.
If you are new to this drink, it’s better to start slow and observe how your body reacts to it. Start with drinking 60-120 ml per day. Remember to consume an equal amount of water with it.
If you feel good and do not have any ‘detox’ symptoms, increase the dose to 180 – 240 ml ml per day. Increase the dose gradually and let your body tolerate the increased dose before graduating to the next level. And the key point is to stay hydrated.
Risks Associated with Kombucha Consumption
Overconsumption of Kombucha has been linked to a large number of health conditions. These include:
- Metabolic acidosis
- Liver damage
- Food poisoning
- Bacteremia i.e. bacterial infection of the blood
- Fungemia i.e. fungal infection of the blood
Who Should Avoid Consuming Kombucha?
While Kombucha is generally well-tolerated by all, it must be avoided by the following categories of people.
- If you are diabetic
- If you are allergic to acidic foods
- If you are non-alcoholic
- If you are pregnant or breast-feeding
- If you have a compromised immune system
Conclusion
What is Kombucha? A humble beverage of ancient times which now captures a substantial market share in the beverage market globally. Main Kombucha ingredients are sugar, green or black tea leaves and active culture of yeast and bacteria.
It is prepared through the process of fermentation which makes it a perfect probiotic. Furthermore, the compounds released during the process confer a range of other health benefits. But utmost safety and care are required in its preparation, storage, and consumption. Overconsumption and consumption of contaminated Kombucha tea can lead to severe health issues.