*[[fermented food]]
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 FKombuchaKombucha==
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.
Health claims for Kombucha include treatment and/or prevention of the following:
* Detoxification : Kombucha contains substantial amounts of glucuronic acid (GA). GA is well known as a detoxicant. In the body it combines with toxins like pharmaceuticals and environmental pollutants. It then converts them into compounds that are soluble and the body can excrete. Drinking kombucha may also help prevent tissues from absorbing industrial toxins in the environment. *Antioxidants : Kombucha contains abundant antioxidants including vitamins E, C, beta-carotene, and other carotenoids. Like black tea, kombucha also contains polyphenols and other compounds with antioxidant powers. But because it is fermented, kombucha is much more powerful than plain tea. Its antioxidant activity has been found to be 100 times higher than vitamin C and 25 times higher than vitamin E. For that reason drinking traditional kombucha may help cure chronic illnesses caused by oxidative stress. *Energy : Kombucha sets iron free from black tea. That helps increase levels of blood hemoglobin, and improves oxygen flow to tissues. It also improves the body's absorption of other non-heme (plant-derived) iron. *Immunity : Oxidative stress suppresses the immune system but kombucha's high levels of vitamin C support immunity. Its antioxidant power also protects against cell damage, inflammatory diseases, suppressed immunity, and tumors.
*insomnia
*chronic fatigue syndrome