Ever heard of kombucha tea? For Indonesian people, this type of tea may still sound foreign to them. But did you know that kombucha tea has actually been known and consumed by the world community for a long time? In most cases, this tea has many benefits for the health of the body. Kombucha tea is obtained from a fermentation process, where tea, yeast, and sugar are mixed and then fermented for a week or more. During the fermentation process, this tea contains various substances such as acetic acid, folate, essential amino acids, B vitamins, vitamin C, and alcohol. This combination gives kombucha tea a unique taste, which is sharp, sour, and has a vinegar-like aroma.
Kombucha tea is also known as tea mushroom because during the fermentation process, the bacteria and yeast in the tea will gather on the surface of the liquid and look like mushrooms. This type of tea is believed to provide various health benefits and has been consumed by Chinese people for almost 2000 years.
There are various benefits that are said to be obtained from consuming kombucha tea because this tea contains B vitamins, antioxidants, probiotics, sodium, and sugar. If consumed regularly, it helps maintain the digestive system, reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, and helps remove toxins from the body. Most of the benefits of kombucha tea come from research conducted on animals. From the research conducted, it appears that kombucha tea has various health effects, namely as an antioxidant.
In addition, kombucha tea also contains ingredients that have antibacterial properties, improve intestinal microflora, increase the body's immune system, lower blood pressure, prevent cancer, and improve the function of the digestive system and liver. However, to maintain the function of these probiotic bacteria, kombucha tea should go through a pasteurization process or a heating process to remove other bad bacteria.
Although some groups say this tea has a good impact on health, on the other hand, drinking it can actually cause various adverse effects on the body such as stomach ache, infection, and allergic reactions. For example, for people who are sensitive and have a low body defense system, such as people with HIV/AIDS, consuming this tea will further reduce their body's defenses due to infection with bacteria.
There are reports that there are 20 people in Iran who contracted anthrax as a result of drinking this tea. Even in 1995, the Center for Disease Control issued a statement that this tea is the cause of metabolic acidosis that appears in a 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 this type of tea.
In addition, consuming this type of tea must be considered and supervised for people with certain diseases, such as people with diabetes, alcoholism, and irritable bowel syndrome. Kombucha tea is also not suitable for people who are experiencing diarrhea and people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), due to it containing a lot of caffeine which can exacerbate existing symptoms.
Although there seems to be evidence of the benefits of kombucha tea for the body, the cleanliness and quality of the tea must be maintained so as not to cause adverse effects. So, are you down for a cup of kombucha tea?
