Be aware of the risks of drinking kombucha & bull; hello healthy

What is kombucha tea?

Kombucha tea is the result of the fermentation of a tea solution with sugar which is then added with a microbial starter, namely bacteria Acetobacter xylinum and some yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Zygosaccharomyces bailii, and Candida sp. As a result of the fermentation process that occurs, kombucha tea contains various substances such as acetic acid, folate, essential amino acids, vitamin B, vitamin C, and alcohol.

Many refer to kombucha tea as mushroom tea because this tea is left to “mushroom” in the process of making it. The time needed to ferment this tea is about 8 to 12 days at a temperature of 18 to 2 degrees Celsius, but in an environment where the temperature is higher, the fermentation will take place faster. The length of fermentation will affect the physical quality, content and taste of the tea. In 400 ml kombucha tea contains a total of 60 calories of energy.

Benefits of drinking kombucha tea

Many opinions say that kombucha tea has many benefits, such as for digestion, lowering the risk of atherosclerosis, and helping to remove toxins from the body. Most of the benefits of kombucha tea come from the results of studies conducted on animals. From research conducted on animals, it appears that kombucha tea has various effects on health, namely as an antioxidant, antibacterial, improves intestinal microflora, and can increase body resistance and reduce blood pressure.

In addition to research conducted on animals, several groups who regularly consume kombucha claim that kombucha tea has good health effects, such as boosting the immune system, preventing cancer, and improving the function of the digestive system and liver. Kombucha tea also contains probiotic bacteria, which are good bacteria to boost the immune system. However, to maintain the function of probiotic bacteria, kombucha tea should go through a pasteurization process or a heating process to remove other bad bacteria.

The negative effects of consuming kombucha tea

Although some groups say kombucha tea is good for health, on the other hand, drinking this tea can actually cause some adverse effects on the body, such as stomach pain after drinking it, infections, and allergies. The bacteria in kombucha tea can cause infections in people whose immune system is low. In healthy people, consuming kombucha tea causes stomach upset, infection due to bacteria in kombucha tea, allergies, yellowing of the skin surface, nausea, vomiting, headaches. Whereas in people who are sensitive and have low body defense systems, such as people with HIV / AIDS, consuming kombucha tea will further decrease their body's defenses due to bacterial infection.

There have been reports that in Iran there are 20 people who contract anthrax from drinking kombucha tea. Even in 1995 Center for Disease Control issued a statement that kombucha tea is the cause of metabolic acidosis that occurs in this group of women. Metabolic acidosis is a condition in which the blood contains too much acid, due to consuming foods that contain too much acid, such as kombucha tea.

In addition, the use of kombucha tea must be considered and monitored for people with certain diseases, such as diabetes, alcoholism, and irritable bowel syndrome. In diabetics, consuming kombucha tea can affect blood sugar, causing a decrease in blood sugar levels in the body (hypoglycemia). This tea is also not suitable if consumed by people who are experiencing diarrhea and sufferers irritable bowel syndrome , because this tea contains a lot of caffeine and this can exacerbate existing symptoms.

How is the safe consumption of kombucha tea?

Although there has been evidence of the benefits of kombucha tea for the body, the cleanliness and quality of the tea must be maintained so that it does not cause bad effects, such as poisoning or bacterial infection. Preferably, kombucha tea goes through a pasteurization or heating process to remove bad bacteria contained in it. In addition, further scientific research is still needed to prove the benefits of consuming kombucha tea.