What is Kombucha?

Kombucha (or booch) is a naturally fermented tea drink, with a tart taste. When left to ferment in bottles for extended times, it becomes carbonated and fizzy. It contains B-vitamins and enzymes, and a high concentration of gluconic, acetic and lactic acids, as well as a number of other metabolites like glucosamine!

As a result of the acetic fermentation process, unflavored Kombucha does contain trace amounts of alcohol which generally measure anywhere between .03 – 0.1% (similar to an overripe fruit)--drinking in bulk does not cause intoxication.

What is the history of Kombucha?

The history of Kombucha consumption starts with records of consumption in China, 221 B.C. It was highly esteemed for having healing properties and was even called ‘Elixir of life.’ Legends say that there was a doctor named Kombu who brought this fungus to Japan in order to heal a Japanese emperor.

According to the story, the emperor was healed and the fermented tea drink was thereafter named Kombu-cha. Cha is the Japanese word for tea. Other accounts report that it is named after Japanese seaweed called kombu, because the kombucha mushroom lives on water.

Regardless of which account is true, the drink became exceedingly popular in Japan. In the 19th century this tea drink became popular in Russia. In the 1920’s the first studies about kombucha were published in Russia. After World War II, kombucha became much less popular due to lack of sugar and other ingredients which are necessary to grow kombucha.

In various countries around the world, Kombucha is consumed, however it has many names such as: Saudi Arabia: Al Nabtah Japan: Kocha Kinoko (red tea mushroom or fungus) China: Hong Cha Jun 红茶菌 or Hong Cha Gu 红茶菇 (red tea mushroom or fungus) Taiwan: Haipao Germany: Hongo

What are the Experimental health benefits?

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Consumed as a health beverage in many countries, for centuries. It has gone through periods of popularity, such as in the 1970’s, 90’s and more recently.

Kombucha’s popularity is mostly attributed to the beneficial living organisms it contains. In addition, it offers a tasty and healthier alternative to other sugary soft drinks on the market.

Scientific studies support beneficial claims that Kombucha May: 

• Aid in digestion
• increase antimicrobial activity
• Relieves indigestion, bloating, allergies
• Maintains skin and gut health
• Reduces Inflammation
• Reduces blood pressure and cholesterol levels
• Glucosamine is used to treat arthritis
• Regulates blood pH levels
• promotes better liver function by removing toxins
• Improves energy levels

*Do note that information provided by Craft & Culture is not intended to treat or diagnose physical medical conditions. In the event that any adverse reactions occur, please exercise good judgement and decide if medical attention is required.

Disclaimer: All experimental benefits listed can vary from person to person. Our products are helpful for many but may have no effect on some.

How Much Should I be taking? 

To detox and reduce bloating (and potential weight loss), start your day with a 250 ml bottle of Kombucha on an empty stomach. Sip in the afternoons to inhibit cravings.

Storage

Best By Dates are entirely dependent on how raw Kombuchas are stored post delivery:

• Up to 3 days at room temperature (chia seed kombucha)
• Up to 7 days at room temperature (no chia seed kombuchas)
• Up to 1 month in a 2-4 degC fridge
• ** Do not store brews in wine chillers as the average temperature is around 10-15 degC.

What type of teas are used in Kombucha?

Any caffeinated green or black tea. Craft & Culture uses organic Black tea.

However, teas that won’t work in brewing Kombucha include the following:

• Decaffeinated green or decaffeinated black tea
• Earl grey tea (as it contains bergamot oil)
• Other herbal teas as they may contain antibacterial properties, which work against the beneficial bacteria’s and yeasts.

For decaffeinated kombucha, we also use rooibos tea or hibiscus tea (made to order). 

What about Caffeine in Kombucha?

The fermentation process will remove most of the caffeine content from your Kombucha brew. Kombucha is safe for children above the age of 1 to consume. 

Kombucha's pH Levels?

Kombucha has a pH levels of around 3-4.5, this low pH range creates a vinegar and creates an acidic environment, which inhibits mold and other pathogens but allows the bacteria and yeast strains found in Kombucha to thrive.

The sweeter the kombucha, the higher the pH, and the the lower the pH the tarter the taste. Please note: pH levels will never fully determine if your Kombucha brew is ready.

Is Kombucha Probiotic?

Lactobacillus has been identified in the SCOBY, and isolated in the Kombucha liquid in several studies.There are a few common probiotic yeast strains such as Saccharomyces boulardii which used to be identified seperately to S. cerevisiae, but due to their similarity it has now been classified as a strain of S.cerevisiae which is predominantly identified in Kombucha’s liquid, and in the Kombucha SCOBY.

Whilst every batch of Kombucha will vary in what strains are identified, Saccharomyces boulardii/ cerevisiae is one of the undisputed yeast strains that are found abundantly in Kombucha and is probiotic in nature.

We consider Kombucha a probiotic, but will leave it to you to decide, and science to prove in the future either way.

What bacteria and yeasts make up kombucha?

Microbial profiles of Kombucha from various origins differ significantly. This means that your home brewed Kombucha may or may not contain any, or all of the strains mentioned below.

Every batch of Kombucha is unique, and is made up of a living colony of bacteria and yeasts based on it’s surrounding environment. Fermentation is not something that can be standardized. However, rest assured the acidic and vinegary environment found in Kombucha, provide a natural environment to protect against any harmful pathogens.

We have put together a list of strains that you may find in Kombucha derived from published scientific papers. This is list is not exhaustive, and cannot be relied upon exclusively, and does not constitute itself as medical advice in any way.

Kombucha isolated Yeasts

• Schizosaccharomyces pombe (Mayser et al. 1995; Teoh, Heard & Cox 2004; Tietze 1996; Wang et al. 2014)
• Saccharomycodes ludwigi (Mayser et al. 1995; Tietze 1996; Wang et al. 2014)
• Pichia fermentans Schizosaccharomyces pombe (Tietze 1996) Pichia fermentans (Marsh et al. 2014; Mayser et al. 1995)
• Pichia membranaefaciens (Mayser et al. 1995)
• Hyphopichia burtonii (Mayser et al. 1995) Mycoderma (Mayser et al. 1995)
• Brettanomyces bruxellensis (Teoh, Heard & Cox 2004; Wang et al. 2014)
• Zygosaccharomyces bailii (Mayser et al. 1995; Teoh, Heard & Cox 2004; Wang et al. 2014)
• Zygosaccharomyces kombuchaensis (Wang et al. 2014)
• Candida Kefyr (Mayser et al. 1995; Ramadani & Abulreesh 2010)
• Candida krusei (Mayser et al. 1995; Ramadani & Abulreesh 2010; Wang et al. 2014)
• Candida stellata (Teoh, Heard & Cox 2004)
• Candida colleculosa (Ramadani & Abulreesh 2010)
• Candida Tropicalis (Wang et al. 2014) Candida guilliermondii (Ramadani & Abulreesh 2010)
• Kloeckera apiculata (Mayser et al. 1995; Wang et al. 2014)
• Hanseniaspora (Mayser et al. 1995)
• Saccharomycodes ludwigi (Wang et al. 2014)
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Mayser et al. 1995; Wang et al. 2014) Saccharomycodes inconspicus (Wang et al. 2014)
• Torulaspora delbrueckii (Teoh, Heard & Cox 2004)
• Debaryomyces hansenii (Wang et al. 2014)

Acetic Acid

• Acetobacter xylinum (Wang et al. 2014)
• Acetobacter xylinoides (Wang et al. 2014)
• Bacterium gluconicum (Wang et al. 2014)
• Acetobacter suboxydans (Wang et al. 2014)
• Gluconobacter liquefaciens (Wang et al. 2014)
• Acetobacter aceti (Steinkraus et al. 1996; Wang et al. 2014)
• Acetobacter pasteurianus (Liu et al. 1996; Wang et al. 2014)

Lactic Acid Bacteria

• Lactobacillus bulgaricus (Wang et al. 2014)

Scientific Resources:

Jayabalan, R, Malini, K, Sathishkumar, M, Swaminathan, K & Yun, S-E 2010, ‘Biochemical characteristics of tea fungus produced during kombucha fermentation’, Food Science and Biotechnology, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 843-7.

Kozyrovska, N, Reva, O, Goginyan, V & de Vera, J 2012, ‘Kombucha microbiome as a probiotic: a view from the perspective of post-genomics and synthetic ecology’, Biopolymers and Cell, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 103-13.

Liu, CH, Hsu, WH, Lee, FL & Liao, CC 1996, ‘The Isolation and Indentification of microbes from a fermented tea beverage, Haipao, and their interactions during Haipao fermentation’, Food Microbiol, vol. 13, no. 6, pp. 407-15.

Marsh, AJ, O’Sullivan, O, Hill, C, Ross, RP & Cotter, PD 2014, ‘Sequence-based analysis of the bacterial and fungal compositions of multiple kombucha (tea fungus) samples’, Food Microbiol, vol. 38, pp. 171-8.

Mayser, P, Fromme, S, Leitzmann, C & Grander, K 1995, ‘The yeast spectrum of the ‘tea fungus kombucha”, Mycoses, vol. 38, no. 7-8, pp. 289-95.

Ramadani, AS & Abulreesh, HH 2010, ‘Isolation and Identification of Yeast Flora in Local Kombucha Sample Al Nabtah’, Journal of Applied Science, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 42-51.

Steinkraus, KH, Shapiro, KB, Hotchkiss, JH & Mortlock, RP 1996, ‘Investigations into the Antibiotic Activity of Tea Fungus/ Kombucha Beverage’, Acta Biotechnologica, vol. 16, no. 2-3.

Teoh, AL, Heard, G & Cox, J 2004, ‘Yeast ecology of Kombucha fermentation’, International Journal of Food Microbiology, vol. 95, no. 2, pp. 119-26.

Tietze, H 1996, Kombucha: The Miracle Fungus, Sixth edn, Tietze Publications, Bermagui South, NSW. Wang, Y, Ji, B, Wu, W, Wang, R, Yang, Z, Zhang, D & Tian, W 2014, ‘Hepatoprotective effects of kombucha tea: identification of functional strains and quantification of functional components’, Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, vol. 94, no. 2, pp. 265-72.