Kombucha: What is modern tea? Is it good or bad? Does drinking improve the health of those who consume it? | the health

However, experts have been consulted by g 1 Clarify a point Science is still debating the drink’s popular benefitswhich contains one of its basic components is considered as “almost unknown” But that still drives a market of 19 million reais in Brazil alone, according to the Brazilian Kombucha Association (ABKOM).

In this report, understand, in 6 topics, what is known and what is still known about the drink:

1. What is it and how is it made and where did it come from?
2. Does consumption pose any health risks?
3. What is known about its benefits?
4. Why is science still debating its health effects?
5. What studies should be done?
6. Why is kombucha considered “anonymous”?

1) What is it, how is it made and where did it come from?

Kombucha is a bitter-tasting tea, which results from the fermentation (i.e. chemical process caused by microorganisms that grow in the absence of air) from a mixture of bacteria and yeast.

This group is called Scooby Symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), resulting from the fermentation of sugar and tea, usually black or green, and the liquid from a previous production. Scooby brews sugar over the course of a few days, which gives the drink its carbonated appearance and its distinct sweet and sour taste.

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Experts suggest that this “tea of ​​immortality”, as it was known, appeared in the middle of the third century, But its origin is still uncertain.

“There are researchers who claim that the origin of the Manchurian drink goes back to Manchuria, which today is equivalent to the area in northeastern China,” explains Camille Ciccone, M.

What is known, in fact, is that the intensely flavored drink has always been associated with so many benefits that, however, It is still being debated by science.

Although tea has always been worshiped for its supposed effects, scholars on the subject suggest that over the course of the 20th century, tea gained a lot of popularity in European countries, mainly due to a 1960 Swiss study that suggested drinking kombucha was as beneficial as drinking kombucha. eat it. Fermented food type: Yogurt.

In Brazil, the product began to be consumed by the people who artisanal production of it, and in recent years, the product has been increasingly gaining shelves in the market.

2) Does consumption pose any health risks?

The main risks are associated with the consumption of artisanal production. Ceconni explains that the possibility of poisoning with lead, a substance found in the enamel pigment used in some ceramic vessels where fermentation takes place, has been reported in some research.

With this in mind, the expert points out The most suitable materials for production are glass and stainless steel.

Apart from that, in addition to taking care of the utensils, hygiene in the preparation stages is essential to avoid microbiological contamination.

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Another essential factor, according to Ceconni, is the use of a container with a wide mouth so that there is an exchange of air with the environment. This container, in turn, must be covered with gauze or a clean cloth so that insects and contaminants get into the drink.

Regarding the amount of consumption, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 300ml (ml) per day max. Despite this, Ceconni points out that, like everything else in nutrition, the “ideal” amount will depend a lot from person to person.

“There are people who, consuming 100ml, for example, report a laxative effect, and some don’t, so it really depends.”

3) What do you know about its benefits?

The list of purported benefits is huge, from regulating the intestinal flora, strengthening immunity, helping with diabetes and even increasing the body’s resistance to cancer.

However, experts consulted before g 1 Clear and warn Research remains to be done so that its benefits, therapeutic effects, and potential toxicities can be evaluated more accurately.

The science behind kombucha has exploded since 2018; Many studies are yet to come,” highlights Julie Cap, MD, professor at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, USA.

“We simply don’t know if the claims about kombucha are true or not until the results of new studies come out,” he adds.

4) Why is this a discussion?

The whole question is about what kind of studies have been done and what science knows about the benefits of probiotics.Microorganisms that regulate the health of the gut, and thus the body (Learn more about probiotics below).

Most of the research on the millennial brew has been done using animal models, cell lines, test tubes, etc., techniques that are historically important to science, but cannot be considered boycott.

These preclinical studies provide scientific evidence, but their results should be interpreted as preliminary, explains Camille Ciccone.

“We cannot assume that what has been demonstrated in these studies will happen the same way in the human body, which is much more complex.”

5) What studies should be done?

Randomized clinical studies on this topic are rare. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the “gold standard” for very rigorous analysis: they split groups receiving a particular treatment and those receiving a placebo. Thus, researchers can make more rigorous comparisons.

In 2018, for example, scientists at Lund University in Sweden conducted a type analysis: one group of people was given water and the other kombucha. However, the results of this research have not yet been published.

(Video: Kombucha, experts explain what a popular ancient tea.)

In the United States alone, three other studies of this type are in development. Cap, who is driving one of them, explains that these Surveys are rare because they are expensive and time consuming.

“In our case, the results were delayed because the onset of the epidemic has reduced our ability to do research. This may be true for other randomized controlled trials.”

Moreover, Radomir Malpasa, Professor of Applied Chemistry and Engineering at the University of Novi Sad in Serbia, explains that kombucha is not a “classic” drug produced by pharmaceutical companies, but rather a nutritional supplement made primarily at home. He explains that this is why it is so difficult to conduct a full clinical study on it.

“Beneficial effects attributed to kombucha have been reported by long-term users, and you can’t expect kombucha to help after just a few cups,” he says.

6) The unknown of kombucha

Although scientists are still debating whether the bacteria in kombucha can be classified as a probiotic, many brands sold in Brazil label their products as such and still have prohibited functional properties.

In a 2020 analysis of the suitability of 24 samples marketed in the country, researchers from the Federal University of Goiás reported that some drinks indicated unproven properties or even medicinal or therapeutic functions, Prohibited by the 1999 Anvisa Resolution.

A 2018 study by the University of Nova de Lisbon concluded that the kombucha microbiota, that is, the number of microorganisms in it, “almost a mystery” And science still needs to investigate how these organisms interact with each other.

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Allied with this, in 2019, a review of the scientific literature on “good bacteria,” as probiotics are called, concluded that “The benefits and feasibility of taking probiotics in healthy adults remain unclear.”

“What we actually have scientifically is that the bacteria in unpasteurized kombucha have probiotic properties,” Malbaša explains.

What science actually knows, Kapp adds, is that kombucha (in its raw form) is a complex of microorganisms that provide a “mixture” of substances, including fiber, vitamins, and minerals. But the teacher warns.

“What we still don’t know is if we can put all of these pieces together to say that drinking kombucha has any benefit to human health, and if it does, what is the benefit? We are waiting for these scientific results.”