Kombucha is a tea that is cultured and fermented (sorta like beer or yogurt) using a "tea mushroom" which is really a probiotic culture of yeast and bacteria. The ancient Chinese called Kombucha the "Immortal Health Elixir" because they believed that it aided in digestion, allowing the body to focus on healing. It is a raw food containing organic and amino acids, polyphenols, and active enzymes. Claimed health benefits include everything from appetite regulation to detoxification to cancer prevention. These claims may originate from the fact that Kombucha contains living organisms and glucuronic acid, a substance that is produced by the liver which is the human body's detoxification system.
So, are any of these claims valid? Why drink Kombucha? Honestly, I don't know if they're valid and research is inconclusive. I do know that Kombucha, for me, makes a great replacement for soda or even a cold beer after work. Ok, it's not a great replacement for beer, but it helps to kill the craving. It is a carbonated beverage containing only 30 calories and it has a not-too-sweet taste. I find that it really does help to curb the appetite and I often drink it after work to help me get that little extra energy boost I need to stay motivated to go to yoga or do something active after being in the office all day. I also find that the carbonation, like a Coke, helps with an upset stomach. So, bottom line is that I really love this stuff and if I get some extra health benefits from it great!
I don't recommend trying to brew your own unless you know what you're doing. In my research I've read of people having reactions equivalent to poisoning because they didn't brew it correctly. You can normally find it bottled in Whole Foods and other natural foods stores. I recommend the GT Dave's brand and I drink it pretty regularly. Once you become accustomed to the taste it can be rather addictive. Last year one of the men in my office gave up soda for Lent and told me he really missed a cold beverage with carbonation the most. I brought him a Kombucha. It took him an entire afternoon to get the bottle down the first time but then he was hooked. The other men in the office started drinking it. I will never forget walking by a group of them in the hallway as they all stood there drinking their Kombuchas and comparing flavors (flavors named things like Passionberry Bliss). Some of them swore they got a buzz of it, but then, some of them were Mormon.
Kombucha in the tea bag form will not have the same affects as it will when freshly brewed and fermented.
Please beware that there will be no probioctics in a tea bag form and the nutritional benefits will almost not exsist.
I personally prefer home brewing as I have more control over the tast, sugar, and not to mention I save about a hundred bucks a month vs buying it at whole foods. you can learn how to safely do it at the site below.
Btw most of my kombucha education has come from http://www.getkombucha.com and their mini course.
Posted by: Kambucha Bob | 09/20/2009 at 09:25 PM