Kombucha

This article is about the fermented tea. For the East Asian drink "konbu-cha", made from dried seaweed, see kelp tea.
"Tea mushroom" redirects here. For the tea tree mushroom used in Chinese cooking, see Cyclocybe aegerita.

Kombucha
Glass jar filled with brown kombucha beverage, including the floating culture
Kombucha tea, including the culture of bacteria and yeast, which is not usually consumed
TypeFlavored cold tea drink with fermentation byproducts
Country of origin China
Alcohol by volume <0.5% (commercial)
Proof (US)<1 (commercial)
ColorCloudy, commonly pale or dark brown and sometimes green
FlavorFermented, effervescent
IngredientsTea, sugar, bacteria, yeast
VariantsFruit juices or spices added
Related productsWater kefir, kefir, kvass, beer, iced tea

Kombucha (also tea mushroom, tea fungus, or Manchurian mushroom when referring to the culture; Latin name Medusomyces gisevii)[1] is a fermented, lightly effervescent, sweetened black tea drink. Sometimes the beverage is called kombucha tea to distinguish it from the culture of bacteria and yeast.[2] Juice, spices, fruit or other flavorings are often added.

Kombucha is thought to have originated in China, where the drink is traditional.[3][4] By the early 20th century it spread to Russia, then other parts of Eastern Europe and Germany.[5] Kombucha is now homebrewed globally, and also bottled and sold commercially.[1] The global kombucha market was worth approximately US$1.7 billion as of 2019.[6]

Kombucha is produced by symbiotic fermentation of sugared tea using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) commonly called a "mother" or "mushroom". The microbial populations in a SCOBY vary. The yeast component generally includes Saccharomyces cerevisiae, along with other species; the bacterial component almost always includes Gluconacetobacter xylinus to oxidize yeast-produced alcohols to acetic acid (and other acids).[7] Although the SCOBY is commonly called "tea fungus" or "mushroom", it is actually "a symbiotic growth of acetic acid bacteria and osmophilic yeast species in a zoogleal mat [biofilm]".[1] The living bacteria are said to be probiotic, one of the reasons for the popularity of the drink.[8][9]

Numerous health benefits have been claimed to correlate with drinking kombucha;[10] there is little evidence to support any of these claims.[8][10][11] The beverage has caused rare serious adverse effects, possibly arising from contamination during home preparation.[12][13] It is not recommended for therapeutic purposes.[10][14]

History

Kombucha likely originated in the Bohai Sea region of China.[4] It spread to Russia before reaching Europe and gained popularity in the United States in the early 21st century.[15][16][17] With an alcohol content under 0.5%, it is not federally regulated in the U.S.[18][19]

Prior to 2015, some commercially available kombucha brands were found to contain alcohol content exceeding this threshold, sparking the development of new testing methods.[20] With rising popularity in developed countries in the early 21st century, kombucha sales increased after it was marketed as an alternative to beer and other alcoholic drinks in restaurants and pubs.[21]

According to the market research firm Grand View Research,[clarification needed] kombucha had a global market size of US$1.67 billion, as of 2019 and this is expected to grow to US$9.7 billion by 2030.[6]

Etymology and terminology

The etymology of kombucha is uncertain, but it is believed to be a misapplied loanword from Japanese.[22] English speakers may have confused the Japanese word konbucha with kōcha kinoko (紅茶キノコ, 'black tea mushroom'), popularized around 1975.[23][24]

In Japanese, the term konbu-cha (昆布茶, 'kelp tea') refers to a kelp tea made with konbu (an edible kelp from the family Laminariaceae) and is a completely different beverage from the fermented tea usually associated with kombucha elsewhere in the world.[25]

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary suggests kombucha in English arose from misapplication of Japanese words like konbucha, kobucha 'tea made from kelp', konbu, from kobu 'kelp', + cha 'tea'.[26] The American Heritage Dictionary notes the term might have originated from the belief that the gelatinous film of kombucha resembled seaweed.[27]

The first known use in the English language of the word to describe "a gelatinous mass of symbiotic bacteria (as Acetobacter xylinum) and yeasts (as of the genera Brettanomyces and Saccharomyces) grown to produce a fermented beverage held to confer health benefits" was in 1944.[26]

Composition and properties

Yeast and bacteria in kombucha magnified 400 times
A SCOBY used for brewing kombucha

Biological

A kombucha culture is a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), similar to mother of vinegar, containing one or more species each of bacteria and yeasts, which form a zoogleal mat[28] known as a "mother".[1] There is a broad spectrum of yeast species spanning several genera reported to be present in kombucha culture including species of Zygosaccharomyces, Candida, Kloeckera/Hanseniaspora, Torulaspora, Pichia, Brettanomyces/Dekkera, Saccharomyces, Lachancea, Saccharomycoides, Schizosaccharomyces, Kluyveromyces, Starmera, Eremothecium, Merimbla, Sugiyamaella.[29][30][31]

The bacterial component of kombucha comprises several species, almost always including the acetic acid bacteria Komagataeibacter xylinus (formerly Gluconacetobacter xylinus), which ferments alcohols produced by the yeasts into acetic and other acids, increasing the acidity and limiting ethanol content.[32][citation needed] The population of bacteria and yeasts found to produce acetic acid has been reported to increase for the first 4 days of fermentation, decreasing thereafter.[33] K. xylinus produces bacterial cellulose, and is reportedly responsible for most or all of the physical structure of the "mother", which may have been selectively encouraged over time for firmer (denser) and more robust cultures by brewers.[34][non-primary source needed] The highest diversity of Kombucha bacteria was found to be on the 7th day of fermentation with the diversity being less in the SCOBY. Acetobacteraceae dominate 88 percent of the bacterial community of the SCOBY.[31] The acetic acid bacteria in kombucha are aerobic, meaning that they require oxygen for their growth and activity.[29] Hence, the bacteria initially migrate and assemble at the air interface, followed by the excretion of bacterial cellulose after about 2 days.[35]

The mixed, presumably mutualistic culture has been further described as being lichenous, in accord with the reported presence of the known lichenous natural product usnic acid, though as of 2015, no report appears indicating the standard cyanobacterial species of lichens in association with kombucha fungal components.[36]

Chemical composition

Kombucha is made by adding the kombucha culture into a broth of sugared tea.[1] The sugar serves as a nutrient for the SCOBY that allows for bacterial growth in the tea.[citation needed] Sucrose is converted, biochemically, into fructose and glucose, and these into gluconic acid and acetic acid.[15] In addition, kombucha contains enzymes and amino acids, polyphenols, and various other organic acids which vary between preparations.[citation needed]

Other specific components include ethanol (see below), glucuronic acid, glycerol, lactic acid, and usnic acid (a hepatotoxin, see above).[37][38][39]

The alcohol content of kombucha is usually less than 0.5%, but increases with extended fermentation times.[40] The concentration of alcohol specifically ethanol increases initially but then begins to decrease when acetic acid bacteria use it to produce acetic acid.[31] Over-fermentation generates high amounts of acids similar to vinegar.[1] The pH of the drink is typically about 3.5.[10]

Nutritional Content

Kombucha tea is 95% water, contains 4% carbohydrates and several B vitamins, such as Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin and Vitamin B-6[41]

Production

Several brands of commercial kombucha on store shelves, Eastern Pennsylvania, 2019

Kombucha can be prepared at home or commercially.[1] It is made by dissolving sugar in non-chlorinated boiling water. Tea leaves are then steeped in the hot sugar water and discarded. The sweetened tea is cooled and the SCOBY culture is added. The mixture is then poured into a sterilized beaker along with previously fermented kombucha tea to lower the pH. This technique is known as "backslopping".[42] The container is covered with a paper towel or breathable fabric to prevent insects, such as fruit flies, from contaminating the kombucha.

The tea is left to ferment for a period of up to 10 to 14 days at room temperature (18 °C to 26 °C). A new "daughter" SCOBY will form on the surface of the tea to the diameter of the container. After fermentation is completed, the SCOBY is removed and stored along with a small amount of the newly fermented tea. The remaining kombucha is strained and bottled for a secondary ferment for a few days or stored at a temperature of 4 °C.[1]

Kombucha culture fermenting in a jar, 2006

Commercially bottled kombucha became available in the late 1990s.[43] In 2010, elevated alcohol levels were found in many bottled kombucha products, leading retailers including Whole Foods to pull the drinks from store shelves temporarily.[44] In response, kombucha suppliers reformulated their products to have lower alcohol levels.[45]

By 2014, US sales of bottled kombucha were $400 million, $350 million of which was by Millennium Products, Inc. which sells GT's Kombucha.[46] In 2014, several companies that make and sell kombucha formed a trade organization, Kombucha Brewers International.[47] In 2016, PepsiCo purchased kombucha maker KeVita for approximately $200 million.[48] In the US, sales of kombucha and other fermented drinks rose by 37 percent in 2017.[21] Beer companies like Full Sail Brewing Company and Molson Coors Beverage Company produce kombucha by themselves or via subsidiaries.[49]

As of 2021, the drink had some popularity in India's National Capital Region, partly due to its success in the west.[50]

Hard kombucha

Some commercial kombucha producers sell what they call "hard kombucha" with an alcohol content of over 5 percent.[49][51]

Health claims

Kombucha tea with ice cubes

Kombucha is promoted with many claims for health benefits, from alleviating hemorrhoids to combating cancer.[52] Although people may drink kombucha for such supposed health effects[which?], there is no clinical proof that it provides any benefit.[1][8][53][54] In a 2003 review, physician Edzard Ernst characterized kombucha as an "extreme example" of an unconventional remedy because of the disparity between implausible, wide-ranging health claims and the potential risks of the product.[10] It concluded that the proposed, unsubstantiated therapeutic claims did not outweigh known risks, and that kombucha should not be recommended for therapeutic use, being in a class of "remedies that only seem to benefit those who sell them".[10]

Adverse effects

Reports of adverse effects related to kombucha consumption are rare, but may be underreported, according to a 2003 review.[10] The American Cancer Society said in 2009 that "serious side effects and occasional deaths have been associated with drinking Kombucha tea."[13] Because kombucha is a commonly homemade fermentation, caution should be taken because pathogenic microorganisms can contaminate the tea during preparation.[14][29]

Adverse effects associated with kombucha consumption may include severe hepatic (liver) and renal (kidney) toxicity as well as metabolic acidosis.[55][56][57]

Some adverse health effects may arise from the acidity of the tea causing acidosis, and brewers are cautioned to avoid over-fermentation.[12][58][40] Other adverse effects may be a result of bacterial or fungal contamination during the brewing process.[40] Some studies have found the hepatotoxin usnic acid in kombucha, although it is not known whether the cases of liver damage are due to usnic acid or to some other toxin.[56][36]

Drinking kombucha can be harmful for people with preexisting ailments.[59] Due to its microbial sourcing and possible non-sterile packaging, kombucha is not recommended for people with poor immune function,[12] women who are pregnant or nursing, or children under 4 years old:[40] It may compromise immune responses or stomach acidity in these susceptible populations.[12] There are certain drugs that one should not take with kombucha because of the small percentage of alcohol content.[60]

A 2019 review enumerated numerous potential health risks[which?], but said "kombucha is not considered harmful if about 4 oz [120 mL] per day is consumed by healthy individuals; potential risks are associated with a low pH brew leaching heavy metals from containers, excessive consumption of highly acidic kombucha, or consumption by individuals with pre-existing health conditions."[54]

Caffeine

Kombucha contains a small amount of caffeine.[61][62]

Other uses

Kombucha culture, when dried, becomes a leather-like textile known as a microbial cellulose that can be molded onto forms to create seamless clothing.[63][64] Using different broth media such as coffee, black tea, and green tea to grow the kombucha culture results in different textile colors, although the textile can also be dyed using other plant-based dyes.[65] Different growth media and dyes also change the textile's feel and texture.[65] Additionally the SCOBY itself can be dried and eaten as a sweet or savory snack.[66]

See also

References

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