Health benefits of Kombucha + how to brew your own

You might know it as the fizzy, slightly sour-tasting drink that’s taken off in popularity — but how much do you know about kombucha? Let’s explore what it is, the benefits of kombucha and whether kombucha is all it’s cracked up to be.

What is kombucha? 

Kombucha is a fermented drink made from tea, sugar and a scoby — a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeasts. The scoby feeds on the sugar, turning it into ethanol and acetic acid, which is what gives kombucha its slightly sour taste.

What are the benefits of kombucha?

There are many benefits to drinking kombucha!

• Probiotics — kombucha is a fermented food which contains live microorganisms like probiotics, as well as several species of lactic-acid bacteria which have a probiotic function. That’s why drinking kombucha can balance your gut microbiome, improve your digestion and even promote weight loss.

• Antioxidants — kombucha is rich in antioxidants that protect the body from oxidative damage caused by free radicals (molecules that can damage your cells). Kombucha made with green tea has been shown to have antioxidant effects in the liver.

• Bacteria killer — fermenting kombucha produces acetic acid, which is able to kill many potentially harmful microorganisms. Kombucha made from black or green tea has antibacterial properties which can fight bacteria and Candida yeasts.

• Vitamin boost — kombucha contains small amounts of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, B1, B6 and B12.

Are there any risks from drinking kombucha? 

While a glass of kombucha is great for most people, there are some risks.

I recommend checking with your naturopath before drinking kombucha if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have a compromised immune system.

Also, if your digestion is way out of balance and you are reactive to yeast or amines, then kombucha is not going to be good for you initially.

If you decide to try homemade kombucha, make sure it’s properly prepared. Contaminated kombucha may cause more harm than good. If you’re not sure, have a chat with your naturopath and see if kombucha is right for you.

How to brew kombucha 

Kombucha is expensive to buy and commercial brands are often full of extra sugar, so why not save your dollars and make your own! It’s super simple to make and once you’re in the swing of it, it takes barely any effort.

Ingredients:

• Sugar

• Cold filtered water

• Black, green or white tea (bags or loose leaf)

• Scoby — ask a friend, buy online or brew your own from scratch

Method

1. Method 

   1. Brew 3 green tea bags and 3 white tea bags in a pot of filtered water*  ​

    

   Bring to the boil and dissolve 2 cups of white sugar in the water.

   Allow to cool.

   

   Pour sweetened tea into a dispenser with Scoby and pour a some of your previous kombucha or good quality store bought kombucha in.

   

   Fill the dispenser the rest of the way with filtered water.

   

   Cover with a cloth and rubber band – don’t use a metal lid.

   

   Leave between 5 – 12 days to ferment. You will not need to ferment as long when the weather is warm, during winter you will need to ferment up to a full 2 weeks.

   Once fermented, pour your kombucha into jars (remember to reserve a small amount for your next batch). Place apple and ginger in jars and leave out for 2 day to ferment (this is called a second ferment)

   After 2 days, place in the fridge.

   Enjoy!

   You can experiment with any flavours you like, lime and ginger, blueberry and raspberries, strawberry – the options are endless!

   We have scoby’s available at the clinic to help get you started, call us on 02 4961 4075 to collect.

   *It is important to use filtered water so that you avoid any chemicals.