Health, Wellness, and Safety Aspects of the Consumption of Kombucha

Abstract

Functional foods have been identified as whole foods and fortified, enriched, or enhanced products which have a potentially beneficial effect on health when consumed as part of a varied diet on a regular basis, at effective levels. As consumer awareness on functional food escalates, the interest towards conducting scientific studies in this field has also proportionately increased. Many of the traditional food products are known to possess bioactive components, thus qualifying as functional food. Kombucha tea is produced by fermenting sugared black tea with a mixed culture of yeast and bacteria. Kombucha tea has gained immense popularity in recent times due to many associated health benefits. The therapeutic effects of this beverage are thought to be derived from the chemical composition of this beverage, mainly the polyphenols and secondary metabolites which are produced during fermentation. However, the safety aspects of the beverage also need to be taken into account when qualifying the beverage as a functional food. Nevertheless, Kombucha tea could be easily recognized as a beverage which is able to replace the consumption of carbonated beverages due to its possession of health benefits and therapeutic properties.

A review on health benefits of kombucha nutritional compounds and metabolites

“…The taste of the beverage is slightly acidic and slightly carbonated, which provides greater acceptance among consumers. Some metabolic products of Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY), like acetic acid and other organic acids, posses antibacterial activity and prevents contamination of the drink by pathogenic bacteria (Watawana, Jayawardena, Gunawardhana, & Waisundara, 2015).…”

“…Before adding the SCOBY or a bit of prepared kombucha, the beverage should be at a temperature close to 20°C. It is extremely important to use sanitized utensils and work in clean areas while making kombucha, in order to have control over the growth of microorganisms and to prevent unwanted contamination (Watawana et al, 2015). Likewise, it is important to control pH levels during fermentation of kombucha, and preferably stop this process when a pH level of 4.2 is reached, since the overproduction of acetic acid may be counterproductive (Kovacevic et al, 2014).…”

“…Likewise, it is important to control pH levels during fermentation of kombucha, and preferably stop this process when a pH level of 4.2 is reached, since the overproduction of acetic acid may be counterproductive (Kovacevic et al, 2014). Other food safety methods include pasteurizing the final product to prevent overproduction of alcohol and carbon dioxide, as well as the addition of 0.1% of sodium benzoate and 0.1% of potassium sorbate as food preservatives, and finally, keeping it refrigerated (Watawana et al, 2015).…”

“…Kombucha fermentation period is typically known to require a minimum of 3 days to a maximum of 60 days, depending on cultural practices (Watawana et al, 2015). The fermentation of kombucha is carried out at room temperature, optimizing fermentation time.…”

“…Organic acids produced during this fermentation process diminished the tea's pH value, which leads to a lack of oxygen induced by the acidity. Due to this, the number of possible pathogenic microbial cells, if any, diminishes, resulting in a safe beverage for consumption, despite having a microbial origin (Watawana et al, 2015).…”