What is kombucha?
More than tea. The power of natural fermentation.
Kombucha is a living drink in which ordinary tea goes through a remarkable transformation.
During fermentation, a culture of bacteria and yeast converts part of the sugar, forming organic acids and changing the natural compounds of tea. Research shows that this process may increase the availability of certain polyphenols known for their antioxidant activity.
The result is a drink with a unique composition, a refreshing tang and intriguing properties that science continues to explore.
Arbucha is the first Armenian live kombucha, made by a traditional method, unpasteurized and without artificial carbonation.
tea + sugar + live culture + time = kombucha
Live productUnpasteurizedStill≈ 18 kcal per 100 ml
Four reasons kombucha is more than tea
Iced tea is just tea. Kombucha is tea transformed by a live culture. Here is what that brings.
Antioxidants
Black and green tea are rich in polyphenols, catechins and theaflavins, with natural antioxidant activity.
Bioavailability
Fermentation unlocks new properties of tea: it transforms its compounds, and the availability of some polyphenols may increase.
Organic acids
Acetic, gluconic and other acids appear only through fermentation. They give kombucha its tang and its distinctive composition.
Live cultures
Without pasteurization, kombucha keeps its live bacteria and yeast. Scientists are studying their probiotic potential and their link to the gut microbiota and digestion.
Two thousand years in a jar
Kombucha has a long history, and it’s told in many ways. Here are the best-known legends and how the drink found its way to us.
Ancient China, the Qin dynasty. The drink was called the “tea of immortality”: it is said to have been brewed for an emperor who dreamed of a long life.
A Korean healer named Kombu brought a healing tea to the Japanese emperor Ingyō. Legend has it that this is how the drink got its name.
In many homes, a three-litre jar of “tea mushroom” covered with gauze sat on the windowsill. Grandmothers believed it aided digestion, gave energy and strengthened health, and that in summer nothing quenched thirst better. A piece of the culture was passed on to neighbours and friends along with the recipe.
Kombucha leaves the home jar. Small breweries in the US and Europe start brewing and bottling it.
Arbucha from Armenia wins silver and two bronzes at the World Kombucha Awards: for Thyme & Mint, Pomegranate & Rose and Sea Buckthorn.
Four steps and patience
Brewing
Black and green tea. They bring polyphenols and a little natural caffeine into the drink.
Fermentation changes everything
A live culture of bacteria and yeast starts transforming the sweetened tea. Organic acids form, and the natural compounds of tea undergo biochemical changes. It is fermentation that creates kombucha’s distinctive composition and character.
Time that can’t be rushed
At least 20 days of natural fermentation using traditional methods. We never hurry the process: in that time the sugar turns into organic acids and the flavour gains depth.
Second fermentation. Flavour is born
We add natural cold-pressed juices, fruits, herbs and spices. Pomegranate, rose, thyme, tarragon, nettle, sea buckthorn: every combination creates its own unique taste.
What’s inside
Live cultures
Fermentation is driven by a community of bacteria and yeast. Because it is not pasteurized, Arbucha keeps its live microorganisms. They are the source of kombucha’s probiotic potential.
in plain wordsLive bacteria and yeast are the main thing that sets kombucha apart from ordinary tea. They are linked to supporting the gut microbiota and digestion. Scientists are studying this; we simply keep them alive.
Polyphenols and antioxidants
Black and green tea contain natural polyphenols, including catechins and theaflavins. During fermentation these compounds can be transformed, and research shows their bioavailability and antioxidant activity may increase.
in plain wordsPolyphenols are tea’s natural antioxidants. They help the body protect cells from damage. And fermentation may make them more available: it’s as if the tea opens up.
Organic acids
Acetic, gluconic and other organic acids form naturally during fermentation. They create kombucha’s characteristic tang and are an important part of its biochemical composition.
in plain wordsThat pleasant tang comes from organic acids. They refresh without cloying sweetness. And in studies, acetic acid helped soften the spike in blood sugar after meals.
Natural ingredients
Tea, fruits, berries, herbs and spices. Each ingredient adds its own flavour notes and natural compounds, shaping the variety of Arbucha.
in plain wordsEach ingredient adds flavour and its own natural compounds. Pomegranate & rose, tarragon, sea buckthorn… With so many flavours, you won’t have time to get bored.
Calories are calculated.
What does science say about the benefits of kombucha?
Fermentation reveals more than flavour.
Kombucha attracts researchers because it combines polyphenols, organic acids and live microorganisms.
The fermentation process itself is of particular interest: it can change the biochemical composition of tea, transform polyphenols and affect their availability.
Polyphenols: natural antioxidant activity
Catechins, theaflavins and other tea polyphenols have antioxidant activity.
Studies of kombucha show that under certain fermentation conditions the amount of some polyphenols and antioxidant activity can increase.
Fermentation and bioavailability
One of the most interesting effects of fermentation is the conversion of complex plant compounds into other forms.
Experimental studies of kombucha show this may improve the bioavailability of some polyphenols. How much these changes affect their absorption and physiological effects in humans is yet to be established.
Organic acids and their properties
Fermentation produces a whole range of organic acids, including acetic and gluconic acid.
These compounds shape the acidity, taste and chemical composition of the drink. Some organic acids are also studied in the context of metabolism: in clinical trials, for example, acetic acid softened the rise in blood sugar after meals. The effects of finished kombucha need separate research.
Live cultures, probiotics and gut health
Live cultures are what set kombucha apart from most drinks. Here are three key facts about them.
Live cultures
Acetic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and yeast create kombucha and stay alive in it.
Gut microbiota
In people who drank kombucha for 4 weeks, the share of beneficial bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids grew. These compounds nourish the cells of the gut. Scientific Reports, 2024
Probiotic potential
Scientists are studying which kombucha cultures reach the gut and how they affect digestion.
Is kombucha good for your gut?
Kombucha combines live cultures, organic acids and tea polyphenols, components linked to digestion and the gut microbiota. The first studies in humans have already shown changes in microbiota composition.
Kombucha is not a medicine and is not yet considered a proven probiotic. But it is a living drink for people who care about their digestion.
What is already known about tea’s components
- Tea and heart health. In large studies following hundreds of thousands of people, regular tea drinkers were less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. 18 studies
- Catechins and cholesterol. In clinical trials, green tea catechins lowered triglycerides and raised “good” cholesterol. 11 trials
Some of these data come from laboratory studies and from studies of tea and its components. How far these effects appear in people drinking a specific kombucha, including Arbucha, has not yet been measured.
We make Arbucha because it’s delicious.Live kombucha made from tea, Armenian herbs and fruits. We follow new research and will share it here.
What people say
The tea fungus has many folk names: Japanese mushroom, Manchurian mushroom, sea kvass, tea jellyfish. And almost every family that kept a jar knew what it was good for.
A glass on an empty stomach keeps your digestion running like clockwork.
After a hearty meal, a glass of kombucha helps it settle.
On a hot day nothing beats it: it quenches thirst and brings back your strength.
A glass in the morning keeps you going all day.
When you have a cold, gargle with warm kombucha.
Wash your face with it for fresh skin, and rinse your hair for shine.
That’s what folk wisdom says. This is not medical advice.
Articles about kombucha
- Current Nutrition Reports · 2025Kombucha Tea: A Functional Beverage and All its Aspects
A review of organic acids, polyphenols, fermentation and the potential functional properties of kombucha.
- Food Chemistry · 2024Changes and biotransformation of functional compounds during kombucha fermentation
How polyphenols and flavonoids are transformed during fermentation and how their bioavailability changes.
- Journal of Food Science and Technology · 2021Impact of tea leaves types on antioxidant properties and bioaccessibility of kombucha
How fermenting different teas affects antioxidant activity and the bioaccessible fraction of polyphenols.
- Annals of Epidemiology · 2019Kombucha and human health: a review of the evidence
Kapp, Sumner. Where the scientific study of kombucha began.
- Frontiers in Nutrition · 2023Kombucha and blood sugar in type 2 diabetes
Mendelson et al. A small pilot study.
- Scientific Reports · 2024Kombucha and the gut microbiota
A controlled study in healthy adults.
- Beverages · 2022The chemical composition of kombucha
Bishop et al. Which acids, sugars and polyphenols the drink contains.