Health — March 1, 2011
Kombucha use has spread for over 2000 years
Kombucha Tea detoxifies the body and strengthens the immune system, giving the body the ‘boost’ it needs to begin healing itself. The Kombucha Culture, frequently and commonly referred to as a mushroom, is a symbiotic colony of yeast and bacteria or “scoby” for short, but this is the GOOD kind of bacteria and yeast that most people today are sadly lacking. Kombucha Mushroom Tea is made by combining the culture, with a mixture of black or green tea, and sugar. The ingredients are allowed to “ferment”, usually from 7-10 days. The resulting beverage contains dozens of elements, many of which are known to promote healing for a variety of conditions.
Traditionally, Kombucha use has spread (for over 2000 years) by the passing of Kombucha Cultures from family to family, and amongst friends. This Scoby has been a large part of Russian culture as well as Chinese and Egyptian for literally 1000′s of years, but I”m sure there are many other cultures with a long radiant history of vibrant health. We today in the modern world are so frequently deprived of these basic and essential living nutrients and many of us are eating dead food that has little or no nutritional value. Your diet is essential to attaining vibrant health in this lifetime. The culture of Kombucha is built on developing and improving ones health as well as building up your defenses to keep you that way.
The following represents what is probably the most accurate synoptic review available of scientific research into the “Kombucha” phenomenon. The Gaia Research Institute and its associated funding pedigreed Kombucha cultures are purist in that they are personally laboratory raised exclusively on high quality imported peasant grown Chinese green tea and fueled with natural brown sugar, as per its two millennium evolutionary milieu, empowering you to access high integrity pedigreed cultures and perpetuate a centuries old tradition of producing your household’s own “Divine Che”, “Mo Gu”, “Cajnii grib”, “Hongo”, “Manchurian Tea” or “Kargasok Tea”, which are just some of 100-odd names by which the slightly sweet/tart beverage produced is known and which every fortnight doubles its production capacity, which is why it is often given away as a gift and has been called “Le champignon de la charité”, the “fungus of charity”. Consumption of Kombucha was first recorded in 220 BCE in Manchuria, from whence it spread throughout the Far East, Pacific, India, Russia, Germany, eventually to the rest of Europe, to Africa and more recently across the entire globe.
Kombucha is not simply a fungus but a jellyfish-like zoogleal mat, a near-lichen, a symbiosis of beneficent non-toxic yeasts and bacterium which for two milennia has enjoyed great popularity in the far East and for a century in Eastern Europe for its tasty and refreshing tonic beverage which fell into relative oblivion due to economic circumstances during World War II, prior to which many households sustained a culture which they were forced to let die out as the tea and sugar which were so essential to its preservation became unavailable. Kombucha however is experiencing a phenomenal resurgence of popularity internationally as a healthful tonic beverage. Kombucha comprises of split or fission yeasts and hence does not usually contain the yeast spores from which so many suffer. Due to improved colon ecology, it actually helps rather than aggravates the battle against candidiasis. It has been widely reported that especially with elderly people, Kombucha beverage has rejuvenating effects, causing hair to colour again, as well as having the effect of tightening the skin and enhancing the overall feeling of health and vitality.
The widespread use of the Kombucha beverage has been well documented throughout this past century. Kombucha’s liquid medium (tea kvass) and mass (zoogloea) (Medusomyces gisevii Lindau -botanical name) have also been intensively investigated to as a result of numerous early observations that this medium showed distinct antibiotic (bactericidal and bacteriostatic) effects against a number of disease organisms and was used for several therapeutic purposes in veterinary and human medicine. Contrary to public health and medical ignorance or propaganda, the beneficial properties of Kombucha have been rather well documented for a full scientific century and is still contemporarily so for such a relatively obscure natural food product. Early to mid 20th century, mainly German medical research, documented Kombucha primarily as an intestinal regulator and as having excellent effects on general body functions, but also progressively established specific efficacy in cases of digestive disturbances, constipation, haemorrhoids, kidney stones, gall bladder problems, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, cholesterol, high blood pressure, angina, gout, gouty eczema, arthritis, rheumatism, atherosclerosis, irritability, anxiety, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, tiredness.
WHAT’S in KOMBUCHA?
As the Kombucha culture digests the sugar it produces a range of organic acids like glucuronic acid, gluconic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, malic acid and usnic acid; vitamins, particularly B vitamins and vitamin C; as well as amino acids, enzymes. And of course there are all the benefits of the probiotic micro-organisms themselves.The Kombucha culture is a biochemical powerhouse in your kitchen.
The body’s most important detoxifier. When toxins enter the liver this acid binds them to it and flushes them out through the kidneys. Once bound by glucuronic acid toxins cannot escape. A product of the oxidation process of glucose, glucuronic acid is one of the more significant constituents of Kombucha. As a detoxifying agent it’s one of the few agents that can cope with pollution from the products of the petroleum industry, including all the plastics, herbicides, pesticides and resins. It kidnaps the phenols in the liver, which are then eliminated easily by the kidneys. Kombucha can be very helpful for allergy sufferers. Another by-product of glucuronic acid are the glucosamines, the structures associated with cartilage, collagen and the fluids which lubricate the joints. It is this function that makes Kombucha so effective against arthritis.
Essential for the digestive system. Assist blood circulation, helps prevent bowel decay and constipation. Aids in balancing acids and alkaline in the body and believed to help in the prevention of cancer by helping to regulate blood pH levels.
A powerful preservative and it inhibits harmful bacteria.
A natural antibiotic that can be effective against many viruses.
An effective preservative and encourages the inter-cellular production of energy.
Helps detoxify the liver.
Produced by the bacteria, it can break down to caprylic acid is of great benefit to sufferers of candidiasis and other yeast infections such as thrush.
Produced by the yeast, protects human cellular membranes and combined with Gluconic acid strengthens the walls of the gut to combat yeast infections like candida.
Pryor and Holtz's book is well-written and organized, making for easy use and interesting reading. Betsy Pryor is the person who brought the Kombucha into the United States in the early 90's and she's the expert. This handy book gives instructions exactly how to make kombucha safely and how to get the best "tea" possible. The text is comfortable to read, the receipe is simple and the book tells you how many different things kombucha tea has healed for other people.