Kombucha is made from green, black or white tea. It's fermented for at least a week with sugar and a fungal culture consisting of a mixture of bacteria and yeast. The starter is called a "SCOBY," which is an acronym for "symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast" commonly referred to as a "kombucha mushroom". The culture, also sometimes referred to as the "mother," resembles a light brown, tough, gelatinous disk, which is a living, growing organism. With each batch of the tea, the organism can regenerate and create a new culture called the "baby," which can be shared with a friend much like the sharing of a sour dough starter. Although bottles of pre-made Kombucha are available in most health food stores, you can also prepare your own Kombucha by taking a sample from an existing culture and growing a new colony in a separate container.
==Special Precautions of Kombucha==
* Don't confuse with Konbucha/Kobucha (昆布茶). This is NOT Kombucha, a fermented drink. Konbu-cha is from Konbu/kombu seaweed and it is full of konbu glutamine and asparagine umami deliciousness. In japan they drink it as a tea, therefore it’s called konbu-cha (tea), but is also used as a flavoring for cooking.*There have been many reports of serious concerns/adverse events associated with drinking Kombucha. These include:**stomach upset**yeast infections**allergic reaction**jaundice**nausea**headache**liver toxicity**contamination with anthrax**lead poisoning (linked to drinking kombucha brewed in a lead-glazed pot)** In April 1995, two women who had been drinking Kombucha daily for two months were hospitalized with severe acidosis (a condition marked by abnormal increase of acid levels in body fluids). One women died of cardiac arrest two days after admission, while the other recovered. Following this incident, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers to take caution when making and drinking Kombucha.
==The benefits of Kombucha are==
Sometimes called "mushroom tea," kombucha has been associated with a long list of health benefits. It's a probiotic drink with helpful bacteria that support digestion and the immune system. It also contains enzymes, amino acids, antioxidants and polyphenols. Despite claims that Kombucha can boost immunity and fight off certain health conditions, there is very little evidence that kombucha actually offers any health benefits. Among the few scientific studies on Kombucha's heath effects is a 2003 study on rats, which found that Kombucha may possess antioxidant and immune-stimulating properties. Another study on rats, published in 2001, concluded that Kombucha may help reduce stress and protect liver health. There have been no human studies to support these or any other findings on Kombucha's health effects.
*chronic fatigue syndrome
*multiple sclerosis
*cancer : Consumption of kombucha has been associated with lower cancer rates. Researchers believe it increases the immune system's anticancer defenses. It may prevent cancer proliferation at early stages of tumor growth due to its glucuronic, lactic, and acetic acid content, as well as its antibiotic compounds. It may have anticarcinogenic effects especially for hormone-dependent tumors. Cell studies suggest it may be useful for prostate cancer treatment and prevention. It's also been studied as an anticancer agent against human lung, osteosarcoma, and renal cancer cell lines.* stomach cancer : Healthy liver functions when it detoxifies properly, thereby aiding in cancer prevention. One of the benefits of kombucha tea is its ability to detoxify the body since it’s rich in enzymes and bacterial acids. Kombucha is also very high in Glucaric acid, which has been shown to prevent cancer.
*acne
* Endothelial Function : Oxidative stress can damage the lining of blood vessels. That damage is a precursor to atherosclerosis, and a threat to heart health. Antioxidants in kombucha help promote regeneration of cellular walls in blood vessels.
* Liver Function : Kombucha protects against liver toxicity in animals from overdoses of acetaminophen (Tylenol). Researchers suggest it might provide a useful therapy for humans as well.
* Nervous System : Kombucha contains several amino acids, methylxanthine alkaloids (caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and B vitamins (including folic acid-B9), necessary for normal metabolism in the nervous system. It can help with headaches, nervousness, and epilepsy prevention. It may also prevent depression in the elderly.
* Asthma : Daily kombucha may help asthma patients. It contains significant amounts of theophyline, a bronchodilator.[12] The treatment dose of theophyline is 0.18–1.0 g daily. Just one cup of kombucha contains about 1.44 mg.
*Joint Problems : Glucuronic acid in kombucha can be converted by the body into glucosamine, chondroitin-sulphate, and other polysaccharides and glucoproteins associated with cartilage, collagen, and the fluid that lubricates joints.[13] It may also help relieve arthritis, rheumatism, and gout.
* Antibiotic Resistant Infections : Kombucha contains strong antibacterials to combat infectious diseases such as diptheria, scarlet fever, influenza, typhoid, paratyphoid fever, and dysentery.[15] Its high total acidity makes it effective against Helicobacter pylori, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus. It's been suggested that kombucha may be an effective alternative to synthetic antimicrobials that are becoming increasingly ineffective.==Selected Products==[[File:5e382157b9952 40V Germline Kombucha 1L .jpg|200px|link=http://www.germline.fr/produits/kombucha/]]
==References==
*''Ilmara Vina et al, "Current Evidence on Physiological Activity and Expected Health Effects of Kombucha Fermented Beverage." J Med Food 17 (2) 2014, 179–188 DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2013.0031''
*''Sriharia T, Arunkumarb R, Arunakaranb J, Satyanarayanac U: "Downregulation of signalling molecules involved in angiogenesis of prostate cancer cell line (PC-3) by kombucha (lyophilized)." Biomed Prev Nutr 2012;3:53–58.''
*''Talawat S, Ahantharik P, Laohawiwattanakul S, Premsuk A, Ratanapo S: "Efficacy of fermented teas in antibacterial activity." Kasetsart J Nat Sci 2006;40:925–933.''
*''Mo H, Zhu Y, Chen Z: "Microbial fermented tea—a potential source of natural food preservatives." Trends Food Sci Technol 2008;19:124–130.'' ==Selected Products=={{#widget:Iframe|url=http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=wikiwel-20&o=1&p=12&l=st1&mode=grocery&search=Kombucha&fc1=000000<1=_blank&lc1=3366FF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr|width=300|height=250|border=0}}
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[[Category:Probiotics]]