There are quite a number of health drinks to choose from, one of which is kombucha, which is made from tea with a sweet and sour taste.
Come on, get to know more about this drink!
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Kombucha Is A Fermented Drink
Photo: Kombucha (Healthline.com)
Quoted from Mayo Clinicit is said that kombucha is a fermented drink made with the basic ingredients of tea, sugar, bacteria, and yeast.
Although it’s sometimes referred to as kombucha mushroom tea, kombucha isn’t a mushroom, but rather a colony of bacteria and yeast.
The mixture is left for a week or more. During that time, bacteria and acids build up in the drink, as well as small amounts of alcohol.
This process is known as fermentation, and is similar to how cabbage is cured as sauerkraut or kimchi, or how milk is turned into yogurt.
These bacteria and acids form a layer on top of the liquid which is called SCOBY or symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (symbiotic colonies of bacteria and yeast).
You can use SCOBY to ferment more kombucha.
Kombucha bacteria include lactic acid bacteria that can work as probiotics. Kombucha also contains a healthy dose of B vitamins.
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Kombucha Benefits for Health
Photo: Kombucha Tea (Cookist.com)
Launching from Healthline, here are the benefits of kombucha tea for health.
1. As a Source of Probiotics
Kombucha is made by adding certain strains of bacteria, yeast, and sugar to black or green tea and then letting it ferment for a week or so.
During this process, bacteria and yeast form a fungus-like layer on the surface of the liquid. This is why kombucha is also known as “mushroom tea”.
These clumps are symbiotic colonies of live bacteria and yeast or SCOBYs and can be used to ferment new kombucha.
The fermentation process produces acetic acid (also found in vinegar) and several other acidic compounds, alcohol content and gases which make them carbonate.
A large number of bacteria also grow in the mixture.
Although there is still no evidence of the probiotic benefits of kombucha, kombucha contains several species of lactic acid bacteria that may have probiotic functions.
Probiotics provide your gut with healthy bacteria. These bacteria can improve many aspects of health, including digestion, inflammation, and even weight loss.
For this reason, adding a drink like kombucha to your diet can improve your health in many ways.
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2. Helps Reduce Fat
There are various benefits of kombucha made from green tea.
Green tea contains many bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, which function as powerful antioxidants in the body.
Kombucha made from green tea contains many of the same plant compounds and may offer some of the same benefits.
According to a study in the journal Obesity, Green tea can help reduce body fat and bad cholesterol, which in turn can prevent obesity and cardiovascular disease.
3. Contains Antioxidants
Antioxidants are substances that fight free radicals, reactive molecules that can damage cells.
Antioxidants from food and drink are better for your health than antioxidant supplements.
Kombucha, especially when made with green tea, has a great antioxidant effect on the body.
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4. Helps Fight Bacteria
One of the main substances produced during kombucha fermentation is acetic acid, which is also abundant in vinegar.
Like the polyphenols in tea, acetic acid is capable of killing many potentially harmful microorganisms.
Kombucha made from black or green tea appears to have strong antibacterial properties, especially against infection-causing bacteria.
5. Maintaining Blood Sugar Stability, and Maintaining Liver and Kidney Function
Photo: Blood Sugar Check (Clevelandclinic.org)
From a study in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine who used rats as research objects showed that kombucha can suppress the increase in glucose in the blood.
Not only that, there was also an improvement in liver and kidney function in rats with diabetes.
Even so, further studies are needed to determine its benefits in controlling blood sugar in humans.
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To date, valid medical studies on the role of kombucha tea in human health are very limited. However, there is nothing wrong if you want to consume it if you really like it.
Those are some of the highlights about kombucha, the energy drink with all its benefits.
Are you interested in consuming it regularly?
