Tea – made from sweet tea . “Mushroom” growth on top. Five to ten days fermenting time.

IN  SHORT: Ingredients: Daniel's Basic Rule of THREE:

PER LITRE - Approx 1/3 cup sugar  and about 3 bags green tea {organic if possible) , less if black.

Process:

Boil water, add tea bags and stir to dissolve sugar. Let cool to room temp and remove bags. Add to “mother” with one cup of previous kombucha tea as starter. Cover with clean paper coffee filter held by elastic band to allow breathing. Taste to test- not too sweet, not too vinegary. Not necessary to refrigerate after decanting. It will get gradually more vinegary and a mucus like scoby may form on top if kept warm, usually within 48 hrs. Consider this a caffeinated beverage – not a sleepy time drink. 

Care Notes:

Use safe glass – non leaded. Use organic ingredients. Cane sugar is less likely to be GMOed as sugar beet. Keep out of direct sunlight or cold, and away from direct contact EMF (heating pad, mat, panel or light bulb). Kitchen counters or cupboards are great. Bugs will want to get in. Check filter paper for holes or moth larvae around elastic band.

KOMBUCHA GREAT LINK-http://www.getkombucha.com/topics/kombucha-recipe/

Myth Busting-NEW JAN 2014

Kombucha: Myths vs. Truths

http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2013/03/25/kombucha-myths-vs-truths/

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Eileen

What is that thing?

It’s a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), a term coined by kombucha enthusiast Len Porzio in the mid-1990′s. It may not look appetizing, but it creates a very popular fermented beverage that goes for $4 a bottle in the health food stores. Luckily, you can make it very inexpensively at home. You just need 6 simple ingredients: a SCOBY like the one pictured above, tea, sugar, clean water, a warm place, and time. The final product contains a blend of beneficial bacteria and yeast (probiotics) as well as certain acids and enzymes that aid digestion, detoxify the body, and promote health. However, with popularity sometimes comes infamy, and a number of myths have cropped up surrounding kombucha over the years. Let’s separate the myths from the truths.

Kombucha History & Science

Kombucha has been around for thousands of years, believed to have originated in China, traveled throughout Asia and Russia and eventually became a health craze in the US over the past two decades. Legend has it that it was named after a Korean physician Kombu who healed the Japanese Emperor Inyko with the tea, and the tea was then named after him: “Kombu” + “cha” (which means tea.)

The science of fermentation is one practiced in homes, rather than laboratories, and for that reason it has an air of mystery. These living foods change from batch to batch, and since they can’t be patented or highly controlled,  there’s no real incentive for the science community to spend resources in research. Therefore, health claims tend to be anecdotal, and certain assumptions about the “science” behind the process get spread with no real evidence to support those assumptions. We know fermented foods are powerful in their ability to support a healthy body, and restore balance to an unhealthy one. We don’t really know the fine details of how this occurs.

Well, Michael Roussin, a kombucha lover, decided he wanted to know what exactly was in this drink that made him feel so good. With the help of a professional lab, he spent 18 months testing 1103 samples of kombucha, from batches all over North America and parts of Europe, with different teas, sugars, temperatures and brewing times, and he discovered some surprising things. The complete report of his research is for sale through his website. Here are some highlights:

Busting the Myths

§  Although kombucha is made with caffeinated tea, by the end of the fermentation cycle, none remains. MYTH. Roussin found that the caffeine content doesn’t reduce at all. This myth might have started because only 6-8 teabags are used to brew a gallon of kombucha tea, which is half the strength of a normal cup of tea. The good news is that kombucha doesn’t need caffeine to thrive. If you want to remove even more of the caffeine, simply pre-steep the tea bags for 30 seconds and throw that water away. Then steep these teabags again in fresh hot water, for the kombucha brew. The majority of the caffeine is dispersed in the pre-steeping. Update: You cannot decaffeinate tea at home. Thanks to Mari in the comments below for busting the myth of pre-steeping tea to remove caffeine. Lab testing shows this eliminates only a small amount of caffeine. If you can’t have caffeine, buy tea that has been decaffeinated by the CO₂ method (a healthier choice, compared to the more common chemical decaffeination.)

§  Although kombucha is made with sugar, by the end of the fermentation cycle, none remains. MYTH. There will always be a little sugar remaining, and the amount depends on how long the tea is fermented. Generally, people brew the tea according to their taste. A 5-day brew is going to have a high quantity of sugar remaining. A 30-day brew is going to have very little remaining (yet still some). Most people brew the tea for 7-12 days, when it has a tangy sour flavor with a touch of sweetness remaining; on average, the amount of sugar at this point is 16 grams per 8 oz. cup. This is equal to 4 teaspoons of sugar. You could brew the full 30 days to minimize the sugar, but at that point, the drink is so sour, people usually add juice to make it palatable. If you do this, you’re going to get 12-20 grams of sugar from the juice. This is why many people call it a healthy soda-pop. The “healthy” part comes from the high amount of probiotics and beneficial acids it contains, and rest assured the sugar content is much lower than regular soda. You may feel tempted to try to make your kombucha with less sugar or no sugar at all, but sugar is the food your SCOBY needs to create the probiotics and acids you seek. It will become malnourished and eventually die without it. If you want to know the sugar content of your home brew, you can use sugar test strips. Update: Silvia (in the comments below) did the math and noted that 16 grams per cup is the amount of sugar added when you begin the kombucha brew, so how is it possible that it’s still that concentrated at the 7-15 day mark? I did further research and found 2 other labs that indeed confirmed Roussin’s results. Here’s why: In the first stage of fermentation, the yeast uses the minerals from the tea to produce enzymes that separate sugar into glucose and fructose. At the 7-day mark, that’s as far as the process has gone. The sugar is easier to digest, but hasn’t yet diminished in concentration. By the 15-day mark, it is just starting to eat/diminish the sugar content (3.3 teaspoons of sugar per cup remaining at that point.) The sour flavor comes from the acids that are forming, but that sweet tone is still the sugar, unless you brew it a full 30 days.

§  Kombucha is rich in B vitamins. MYTH. Although it does contain these vitamins, the amounts are so small they are almost immeasurable.

§  Kombucha is rich in glucaronic acid, a powerful detoxifier of the liver. MYTH. There is no glucaronic acid in kombucha. Ironically, Roussin began his experiments intending to prove otherwise. He read a book by Harald Tietze in 1995, who said no reputable lab had ever found glucaronic acid in kombucha, so Roussin hired a reputable lab to prove him wrong. When he confirmed its absence instead, that got him curious about the other assumptions people had about kombucha, and his experiments continued. Roussin believes the glucaroinc acid myth was born of research from the 1940s, where researchers tested the urine of people who drank kombucha and found high levels, and therefore assumed the kombucha was providing it. Instead, Roussin’s lab found that kombucha contains a different acid that is a synergist to glucaronic acid. Glucaronic acid is made naturally by the liver and works by binding to a toxic molecule and carrying it out of the body. The high levels of glucaronic acid in the urine could have been due to the other acids in kombucha helping the glucaronic acid in the body do its job. So, kombucha is indeed detoxifying, but we are continuing to learn exactly how.

§  Kombucha contains hyaluronic acid and glucosamine, which is why it’s so effective in relieving joint pain. MYTH. Kombucha contains neither of these compounds. However, it does seem to have a positive effect on the joints. Roussin’s theory is that it contains the building blocks for these compounds.

§  Kombucha contains over 50 different kinds of probiotics, organic enzymes, amino acids and vitamins. MYTH. Every batch of kombucha is different. The only things every batch contains are: (1) at least one beneficial yeast, (2) acetobacter (the beneficial bacteria in the SCOBY), (3) gluconic acid (a pH regulator) – note: this is not the same thing as glucaronic acid referenced above, and (4) acetic acid (an anti-microbial acid, which also stabilizes blood sugar) . Most batches of kombucha will also contain an analgesic (pain reliever), an anti-arthritic compound, an anti-spasmodic compound, a liver-protective compound, and several anti-bacterial compounds. The blend varies from batch to batch. See why this elixir can’t be patented? It embodies change.

§  Kombucha can cure everything from arthritis to gout to HIV to cancer. MYTH. As Hannah Crum of Kombucha Kamp says, “Kombucha is not a panacea – it doesn’t cure anything! It brings the body back into balance so that it may heal itself naturally. That is how it is able to do so much.” Results vary from person to person. Many people do say it helps their joint pain, keeps them from getting sick, gives them energy, aids their digestion, clears their sinuses, reduces their blood pressure, clears their eczema, alleviates their headaches, and the list goes on. Then there are other people who say they enjoy the taste, but don’t really notice any effect. The only way to know what it can do for you, is to try it.

§  Kombucha is dangerous and has been linked to deaths. MYTH. This one is repeated a lot, and it usually starts with a sentence like this: “There is no scientific evidence that kombucha promotes health, just anecdotal reports. However, it has been linked to both illness and death.” (With never an acknowledgement that the last sentence is an anecdotal report, and there’s no scientific evidence that kombucha is harmful.) Let’s clear up that report, though, because it’s scary. Fermentation expert Sandor Ellix Katz sums it up nicely: “In 1995 the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) publication Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report ran a story headlined, ‘Unexplained Severe Illness Possibly Associated with Consumption of Kombucha Tea,’ with possibly being the operative word. In two separate incidents, weeks apart, two women in Iowa had very different unexplained acute health episodes. One of them died. Both drank kombucha daily and made it from the same original SCOBY. The Iowa Department of Public Health immediately issued a warning to stop drinking kombucha ‘until the role of the tea in the two cases of illness has been evaluated fully.’ But they were never able to explain how kombucha may have been related to the illnesses, and 115 other people were identified who drank kombucha from the same mother without problems. When the mothers and the kombucha that possibly made the women sick were subjected to microbial analysis, ‘no known human pathogens or toxin-producing organisms were identified.’”

§  Kombucha is an alcoholic drink. TRUE. However, it’s a very small amount, usually between .5 and 3%, depending on length of fermentation. (Beer contains 4-6%.) Single fermentation home brews of kombucha usually contain only .5% alcohol. If you do a second fermentation in a bottle, to flavor it and increase the carbonation, the alcohol content will increase slightly. Store bought brands were found to contain more, because the product is still fermenting in the bottle, and a long time can pass between bottling and purchase. For this reason, kombucha was temporarily pulled from store shelves in 2010, while the federal alcohol trade bureau tested numerous samples and developed guidelines for kombucha manufacturers. Now, all store bought brands are supposed to have taken steps to prevent fermentation from continuing in the bottle. Sadly, this often means pasteurization, which limits the benefits of the drink.

§  If you ferment more than one kind of food or beverage (sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, etc.) you need to keep them away from each other, for fear of cross-contamination: MYTH. Sandor Ellix Katz addressed this in his book, The Art of Fermention: “While different cultures may subtly influence one another through the air over time, typically this is not an issue….Betty Stechmeyer, who co-founded a starter culture business, GEM cultures, with her late husband Gordon and spent 30 years growing and selling fermentation starters, reports that for all those years she propagated several different sourdoughs, several different milk cultures, tempeh starter and more, in one 12×12 foot kitchen. ‘Pretty primitive and simple, eh?’ She never experienced cross-contamination. I cannot guarantee that cross-contamination among cultures is impossible, but it is not a likely occurrence, and I encourage enthusiastic experimentalists to ferment to your heart’s content without worry.”

§  Kombucha can make you feel worse. TRUE. While most people feel benefits from drinking kombucha, some people’s symptoms worsen. There are two potential reasons for this: (1) Healing Crisis: Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, author of the GAPS Diet, says: “Apart from good bacteria a healthy body is populated by beneficial yeasts which normally protect the person from pathogenic (bad) yeasts, such as candida albicans. Kefir (and kombucha) contain these beneficial yeasts (as well as the beneficial bacteria) which help to take pathogenic yeasts under control.”  This is a good thing, but sometimes the body goes through a reaction to the mass die-off of bad bacteria and yeast, and temporarily symptoms worsen. This can last from a few days to a few weeks, but when the symptoms pass, people’s health improves dramatically. (2) Gluten Cross-Reaction:  Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, The Paleo Mom, says, “When your body creates antibodies against gluten, those same antibodies also recognize proteins in other foods. When you eat those foods, even though they don’t contain gluten, your body reacts as though they do.” Yeast is one of those foods, in all its forms, including the beneficial yeast in fermented foods. Not everyone has this cross-reaction sensitivity. In fact, it’s a pretty small group. However, if you are in this group, any negative symptoms from drinking kombucha won’t improve with time, like they do with a healing crisis. So what do you do if you feel like kombucha is making you feel worse? First, lower the amount of kombucha you are drinking, and only increase as your body is able to handle it without discomfort. If you are experiencing a healing crisis, lower doses should slow down the die-off reaction and alleviate your symptoms. If you continue to have discomfort at small doses, stop drinking it altogether and try again in 3 months. (Cross-reactions aren’t permanent conditions, and people can often reintroduce these foods as they heal.)

- See more at: http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2013/03/25/kombucha-myths-vs-truths/#sthash.eH9SrBrm.dpuf

Conclusion Now, you know what’s true and what’s not. Leaving the myths behind, this traditional fermented beverage can still be a wonderful health tonic. We don’t need exaggerated claims, and we don’t even need to know how it works (although we’ll keep searching). Paleo guru Mark Sisson talks a lot about the N=1 (an experiment of one). That simply means that you try something yourself, and see if adds to, or detracts from, your health. Paleo leaders Dr. Terry Wahls and Robb Wolf drink kombucha themselves. Robyn Latimer, who put her lupus into remission through the paleo diet, also drinks it daily. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride recommends it for the Full GAPS Diet. Her only caveat is that people should avoid it on the more restricted Introduction Diet due to the fluctuating sugar content. My next post will tell you everything you need to make a successful brew, and my final post in this series will give you the recipes. Stay tuned! Other Articles in the Kombucha Series Kombucha Tips & Troubleshooting Kombucha Recipes: Basic Elixir and Flavor Variations Kombucha Berry Popsicles Kombucha Supplies Update: After writing this series of articles on kombucha, a number of people asked where they could buy quality supplies. Not everyone has a friend to lend them a SCOBY and tutor them through the process. So, I decided to become an affiliate of Kombucha Kamp. Hannah Crum has been brewing kombucha for over a decade and sells everything from quality SCOBYs to continuous brew systems. Whatever you need, she’s got you covered. ~~~ The following websites were very helpful in my research: http://www.kombuchakamp.com (contained interviews with both Michael Rousson and Len Porzio) http://www.kombucha-research.com (Michael’s website) http://users.bestweb.net/~om/kombucha_balance/ (Len’s website) http://www.splendidtable.org/story/making-kombucha (an excellent article by Sandor Ellix Katz, author of the Art of Fermentation) http://www.happyherbalist.com/analysis_of_kombucha.htm ~~~ This post is linked to the following blog carnivals: Fresh Bites Friday, Fight Back Friday, Whole Foods Friday, What Am I Eating?, Weekend Whatever Link-Up, Sunday School, Make Your Own Monday, Natural Living Monday, Fat Tuesday, Family Table Tuesday, Healthy Tuesday, Scratch Cookin’ Tuesday, Tuned In Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Well Fed Wednesday, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Party Wave Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Tasty Traditions, Simple Lives Thursday, Wheat-Free Wednesday, - See more at: http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2013/03/25/kombucha-myths-vs-truths/#sthash.eH9SrBrm.dpuf

long versions:

http://beforeitsnews.com/health/2013/03/cure-cancer-with-kombucha-2475612.html?utm_source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fl.php%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fb4in.info%252FqRw4%26h%3D4AQGpEd0EAQEhrxkq3TLdw_zNURjfz5CEpqpXSdbSMbdHxQ%26enc%3DAZOMa4F2eziaSJ2mFq9ufaqi1eTbYeMAzNROXNRSrQkIViohOokHgJ8Z1mc47-b3K_VotpAYIl6Nrz8ZmdVwns0b%26s%3D1&utm_term=http%3A%2F%2Fb4in.info%2FqRw4&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=facebook-post&utm_content=awesmsharetools-fbshare-small

What Is Kombucha?

 Kombucha is an ancient Chinese drink and its history dates back to over 2000 years and is referred to as the ‘Immortal Health Elixir’. It is a sweetened tea that’s been left to ferment; the bacteria and yeast allow it to reproduce which gives it the appearance of a mushroom. The therapeutic effects of the tea has been proven to fight and prevent cancer as well as arthritis and other diseases. Even though many have testified to this, the FDA still warn people off consuming Kombucha.

 Kombucha Cured Laraine Dave’s Cancer 

The following is a testament to the healing qualities of Kombucha on cancer: 

“I began drinking Kombucha in 1993 when a family friend gave us one of his baby cultures to make for ourselves and loved ones. Making it in our kitchen, I was initially put off by the unusual taste, but as my energy levels increased and my mood improved, the taste began to grow on me, and I found myself craving Kombucha and drinking it every day. Everyone seemed to notice my “healthy glow,” so I began bringing Kombucha to coworkers and serving it to clients at the Beverly Hills department store where I worked. I loved to serve it out of champagne flutes, and it wasn’t long until my family took to calling me the Kombucha Queen.

In 1995, I was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer, known for moving quickly to the lymph nodes and bones, and based on the size of the tumor (almost that of a golf ball) doctors could not

even give me a year to live. I was tested again a week later, and to everyone’s surprise, my cancerous cells had not metastasized. My physicians asked me if I was doing anything special. “Drinking Kombucha everyday” I replied, since it really was the only thing different that I had been consuming over the last several years. Up to this point I had been drinking it as kind of a beauty aid, but now decided that it was time to look into this “miracle drink.” That is when I discovered numerous books and stories about Kombucha and a healing tradition that spanned centuries and cultures. 

It truly is one of nature’s best kept secrets, and I made a commitment to spread the word of Kombucha to all those near, dear, far, and wide, in the hope that it could touch other people’s lives like it touched mine. I am proud to say that to this day, I remain cancer-free, and Kombucha plays a major role in my life, keeping me healthy, happy and strong.” 

The Therapeutic Effects Of Kombucha

The tea is beneficial for the whole body and Kombucha’s therapeutic effects include: 

-        strengthening the immune system

 -        fighting yeast infections

 -        aiding in metabolism

 -        helping joint problems

-        treating the sense of well-being of the body

The mushroom juice is able to go to the root cause of the body’s ailments. When properly cultivated the therapeutic effects include:

Helps to prevent the formations of certain types of cancerous cells

Reduces hot flashes during menopause

Counteracts chronic constipation

Strengthens kidney and bladder functions

Tones the heart, thus helping to prevent heart attacks

Helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol deposits by softening veins and arteries.

Guards against and helps heal arteriosclerosis, rheumatism, arthritis and ischmatic attacks.

Assists in the treatment of thrombosis and thrombophlebitis

Alleviates insomnia

Aids digestion

Assists in liver dysfunction and the liver’s detoxification process

Alleviates many allergies and aching nerves

Re-energizes muscles

Helpful in the treatment of cataracts and other cornea problems

Stimulates cleansing of the gall bladder, and alleviates colitis and nervous  stomach

Helps weight control by stimulating greater fat metabolism (burning off fat)

Assists to level off glucose, thus helping to avoid sudden drops of blood sugar in diabetics.  Also, if taken daily, will optimize urea levels in approximately 100 days.

Useful co-therapy in cases of bronchitis, asthma, coughs, usually alleviating these conditions in two to three days.

Stimulates health hair growth, thickening hair and helping to eliminate grey hair, thus long-term aid in avoiding balding.  (Baldness, once established, cannot be reversed)

Useful in preventing and treating gout and ulcers.

By energizing and rejuvenating cells and tissues, it improves sexual potency.

Ronald Reagan Also Drank Kombucha

In 1983 it was first reported that Ronald Reagan was ill with cancer.  Periodically reports of ongoing chemotherapy for colon, bladder and now metastases were made known. The results of such standard allopathic “cut and burn” methods were inconclusive, and Reagan grew increasingly uncomfortable with them. Renowned physicians in the USA remembered the therapy tips in Solzhenitsyn’s writings.  This was further investigated and Solzhenitsyn, who lived as an immigrant in the USA, was questioned. He gave the physicians valuable hints and at once several Kombucha were obtained from Japan. Ronald Reagan consumed daily 1 liter (about a quart) of Kombucha and no mention of cancer is made anymore.  Reagan appears to have continued to consumer the mushroom juice throughout his life.

Sources:

http://www.foodrenegade.com/Kombucha-health-benefits/

http://synergydrinks.com/index.php/our-story/#laraine-daves-story

http://www.treating-cancer-alternatively.com/Kombucha.html

Laurel Farms

 http://www.laurelfarms.com/how_to_make_kombucha.html#

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, remove from heat, add 1 cup of white sugar and steep with 4 bags of organic black tea.

 The Kombucha is Truly a Gift from God and if Properly Cared for, Can Last its Owner a Lifetime.

 There are many ineffective or even dangerous strains of Kombucha and SCOBY making the rounds. No one means to cause other people harm, but many people, including some commercial growers and  some bottlers, no matter how well-intentioned, have not thoroughly researched the growing, harvesting, and continued maintenance of the Kombucha, and are unfamiliar with its unusual chemistry.

 For instance, did you know that the Kombucha will try to detoxify its fermenting bowl or tea storage container? And that making/fermenting/storing Kombucha Tea® in "food grade" plastic, colored glass, crystal, so-called "lead free" ceramic/porcelain, or any metal, including stainless steel, can contaminate your Kombucha forever? Or that the tea made from the contaminated Kombucha and its "babies" can damage your liver or brain or cause other health problems? "Babies" grown from the contaminated Kombucha are also contaminated, and most likely will always be contaminated, so that starting over with a clear, unleaded Pyrex or Anchor-Hocking type bowl and a correct recipe will not solve the problem?

Did you know that "stacking" or growing multiple Kombuchas in one container starves them? Or that storing them in the freezer bursts some of the Kombucha's critical bacteria? Or that the "baby" grows on top of the "mother?" Or that you can drink four ounces of Laurel Farms® Kombucha Tea® per day? Or more? Or less? Whenever you want to? And that the FDA says it's ok?

Did you know that using honey or other sweeteners instead of ordinary beet or cane sugar can kill or cripple some of the Kombucha's healthy bacteria, turning the Kombucha into an ordinary yeast patty or SCOBY? And that you can't "bring it back," no matter what you do? Or that growing your Kombucha with herbal or Earl Grey tea, or anything other than distilled water, can permanently weaken your Kombucha or even kill it?

And that placing your fermenting Kombucha on top of a heating pad, mat, panel or light bulb can, because of its direct-contact electromagnetic field, permanently damage important bacteria in your Kombucha, and it will not come back?

We want you to enjoy the great benefits of real Kombucha Tea®, so we hope we haven't scared you. It's lots of fun and so very easy to make your own at home when you have the right directions!

God bless to all of you in these very difficult times, Betsy Pryor and the Kombucha Tea® Babies' Team

Westona Price has some good points and some info that is now debunked:

http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/kvass-and-kombucha

Another delicious, refreshing and salutary beverage consumed in Russia is chainyi grib, known in the US as kombucha, made from tea, sugar and a culture or "mushroom." Actually, fermented tea is consumed throughout Japan, Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, Manchuria and Indonesia as well as Russia. Other names for the drink areteeschwamm, wunderpilz, hongo, cajnij, fungus japonicus and teewass.

The tea fungus or culture is a symbiotic combination of vinegar-producing bacteria (Acetobacter sp.) with at least two yeasts. The fungus can only form when the Acetobacter and yeasts are present together. When Acetobacter is used alone, gas is produced and the film or culture does not form. The culture transforms sweetened black tea into a slightly fizzy, sour drink, redolent of cider, via a combination of acetic, lactic-acid and glucoronic fermentation. In the process, virtually all the sugar and caffeine are transformed into other compounds.

Kombucha is safe and healthy when prepared according to directions. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, remove from heat, add 1 cup of white sugar and steep with 4 bags of organic black tea. To avoid contamination, the sweetened tea should then be placed in a clean, clear glass bowl and the "mushroom" placed carefully on top. Place a crisscross of masking tape across the bowl and cover with a clean towel. Place in a warm, protected spot for about eight days until the beverage becomes suitably acid.

Some people claim that kombucha is not safe, but when reasonable care is taken, "you’re more likely to find contamination in a cup of coffee than in a cup of properly prepared kombucha," according to Dr. Samuel Page of the FDA. Of course, if the kombucha develops mold, you should not drink it—just as you would not consume any food that developed mold.

Kombucha is rich in B vitamins and a substance called glucuronic acid which binds up environmental and metabolic toxins so that they can be excreted through the kidneys. Glucuronic acid is a natural acid that is produced by the liver. Kombucha simply supplies the body with more and boosts the natural detoxification process. Glucuronic acid is also the building block of a group of important polysaccharides that include hyaluronic acid (a basic component of connective tissue), chondroitin sulfate (a basic component of cartilage) and mucoitinsulfuric acid (a building block of the stomach lining and the vitreous humor of the eye).

In some cases, consumption of kombucha tea can provoke an allergic reaction. According to some practitioners, this is evidence that the liver is very toxic and cannot handle the detoxification products that the kombucha helps release. In these cases, it is best to begin the detox process using beet kvass, which helps the liver cleanse itself. Usually after two or three weeks of taking 8-12 ounces daily of beet kvass, the kombucha will be well tolerated and can be drunk both for its good taste and medicinal qualities.

Glucuronic acid content usually reaches its maximum on the eighth day, when the pH reaches 2.6. For testing, use pH Hydracid Papers 1-6, which can be obtained through any pharmacy.

Researchers looking at the toxic effects of fluoride have recently raised concerns about kombucha because most commercial tea is very high in fluoride. Fortunately, kombucha made with organic tea contains very little fluoride. We had fluoride levels tested in organic black tea and in the kombucha made with the tea. The levels in the tea were only slightly higher than those in the filtered water from which it was made and actually slightly lower in the kombucha than in the black tea. These results suggest that the process of fermentation actually removes some of the fluoride from the tea and may explain why the kombucha "mushroom" eventually gets black. These older, darkened "mushrooms" can be replaced with the newer, cleaner "babies" that grow on top of the original "mushroom" during the fermentation process.

Lacto-Fermented Beverages from Around the World

Bousa (Egypt): An opaque drink made of wheat.

Braga (Middle Europe): A fermented gruel or sour porridge.

Chicha (South America): A clear, bubbly beverage made with corn. Balls of cooked corn mush are chewed and inoculated with saliva, then added to water and allowed to ferment. The taste is similar to kombucha.

Kiesel (Russia and Poland): An important grain-based lacto-fermented drink mentioned in a 997 AD text.

Kombucha or CHAINYI GRIB (Russia and Asia): Made from sweetened tea and a culture.

Kvass (Russia and Ukraine): A lacto-fermented drink usually made from stale rye bread. Another version is made with beets.

Mead (Europe): Made from honey. Some methods produced a lacto-fermented drink, very low in alcohol.

Munkoyo (Africa) A lacto-fermented brew, containing less than 0.5 percent alcohol, made from millet or sorghum. Also called sorghum beer, it is consumed in large quantities by field workers and at celebrations. It is also given to babies to protect them against infection and diarrhea. The missionaries to Africa discouraged its use because it contains alcohol in very small amounts. They thus unwittingly paved the way for commercial soft drinks in Africa.

Pulque (Mexico): A lacto-fermented drink made from the juice of the agave cactus. With time, it goes alcoholic. Distilled pulque is tequila.

Palm Wine (Africa): The lacto-fermented sap of the palm tree, consumed in tropical areas of Africa and Asia.

Rice Beers (Asia and India): These were traditionally very low in alcohol, and mostly lacto-fermented.

Tesguino (Mexico): A low-alcohol beer made with sprouted corn.

Fluoride in Tea and Kombucha

Tap water            0.86 ppm

Filtered water   0.62 ppm

Organic Black Tea             0.94 ppm

Kombucha          0.90 ppm

Testing by Soil Control Lab,

Watsonville, CA (831) 724-5422

Sources

Kombucha Mushrooms:

Laurel Farms (941) 351-2233

GEM Cultures (707) 964-2922

Kombucha mushrooms, ready-made beverage, and equipment:

AF Distribution, Encino, California (818) 784-2345.

Toll-free 1-877-KOMBUCHA (566-2824)

Website: www.kombucha2000.com

Kvass in Canada:

All Star Bakery (905) 738-9624

BE Wholegrain Liquid from Australia:

www.AGMFoods.com (07) 3396-2866

A Kombucha Testimonial

I am writing to you about the benefits kombucha tea has had on my health. In 1978, I found myself getting progressively ill with many symptoms (possibly as many as 30) and a debilitating fatigue. For many years I tried to figure out what was happening to me. After consulting as many as twelve doctors and specialists, I was left with a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. After dozens of tests nothing could be found, and no one knew what to do for me. My last hope came along when a prominent hematologist found that my immune system resembled the immune system of an AIDS patient, although I was negative for HIV. To my disappointment he did not know the cause of my poor health and did not know what to do for me.

Finally I decided to be my own doctor and do my own research. After trying many holistic approaches, I was somewhat improved but far from being well. My last straw was to have my mercury amalgam dental fillings removed. My hematologist was against it and felt it would be money wasted. After much research I decided to have all the amalgams removed—all 14 of them.

At this point I had spent nearly $15,000 and was unable to afford chelation to remove the heavy metals from my tissues. I tried many things with some degree of success. One day a friend of mine gave me a nice tall glass of kombucha to drink. I immediately became very ill with all of my symptoms reinforced. I thought I was allergic to the tea and decided it was not for me until one day I met John Thomas, the author of Young Again. I proceeded to ask him why I was so allergic to kombucha. His answer was that, because my body was so toxic with mercury, I had taken too much for the first time. He recommended I start with only a small amount.

After following his advice, I realized that he was right. Minutes after taking a small amount of kombucha tea there was much inflammation in the areas where mercury had accumulated, and burning sensations in the bowel and bladder occurred as mercury was eliminated. I patiently persisted, watching the areas affected getting smaller and fewer, my symptoms diminishing and disappearing one by one. I had fibrocystic disease of the breasts and it is now all gone. The inflammation in the breasts was severe as the mercury was being chelated by the kombucha. My vision was full of floaters and they are now nearly all gone.

It would be too long to describe in detail all the improvement I experienced but I can say that my health is 80 percent improved and I have greatly increased strength and energy. The most important improvement is that I no longer have to live in a "glass bubble" because of severe chemical sensitivity. I owe most of my health recovery to kombucha tea and I truly feel that this delicious drink is the safest chelator available today. Dr. Baker, a specialist in chelation therapy for mercury toxicity, told me in a telephone conversation that all her patients who take kombucha tea tell her the same.

Kombucha tea contains glucuronic acid which, according to some practitioners, the body uses as a detoxifier, especially for the hemoglobin salvaged from old worn-out red blood cells called bilirubin. Glucuronic acid helps the liver detoxify bilirubin, thereby preventing jaundice. Glucuronic acid also assists the P450 enzyme system which the body employs for detoxification inside the cells.

--Francoise Asselin, UxBridge, Ontario, Canada

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This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Summer 2001.Kombucha originated in either China or Japan and later made its way to Russia while kvas originated in Russia.