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For "Informational Use Only".
For more detailed information, contact your
health care provider
about options that may be available for your specific situation.
The history of kombucha tea can be traced back 2,000 years to China, Russia, Japan, and Korea.
Over time, it has been used as a curative in many regions, primarily in Manchuria and Russia.
Russian scientists studied the fungus during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. According to Moscow
Central Bacteriological Institute, kombucha tea, when properly made, contains a number of substances
important for good health, including gluconic acid, which impedes the progression of viral
infections and can dissolve gallstones; hyaluronic acid, a component of connective tissue;
chondroitin sulfate, a component of the stomach lining and the vitreous humor of the eye. The
beverage also contains vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2
(riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6
(pyridoxine), and B12; folic acid; lactic acid; dextrogyral; and
usnic acid, a substance with strong antibacterial and antiviral effects.
According to researchers and to anecdotal evidence, kombucha tea is a potent immune system
booster, and can be an important part of treatment for acne, aging sking, AIDS, arteriosclerosis
(hardening of the arteries), arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, cancer, candidiasis, chronic fatigue,
constipation, diabetes, diarrhea and other digestive disorders, hair loss, hemorrhoids, high
cholesterol, hypoglycemia, incontinence in both men and women, kidney and gallstone disorders,
menopausal problems, multiple sclerosis, premenstrual syndrome, prostate problems, psoriasis,
and weight problems. It is also said to greatly increase energy, and to promote a general feeling
of well-being.
Many people prepare kombucha tea at home, as the tea-making process is both easy and inexpensive.
However, kombucha tea beverages are available commercially in health food stores, and are just
as effective and nutritious as homemade brews. The one drawback to the commercial products is that
some have a sour taste due to the longer fermentation process. The longer process does not, however,
affect the product's potency. Also available are extracts and tinctures made from the pressed
fungus. These products are handy when traveling and are particularly effective more motion
sickness.
There is some debate regarding the best time to consume kombucha tea. Most proponents of the
tea feel that it should be poured off after 4 to 6 days, and then allowed to sit in a container
for another 3 days before being consumed. Russian researchers have concluded that the antibiotic
activity is at its highest level on the 7th and 8th days. Be aware that if left to brew too long -
for over a month - the tea will turn to vinegar. While you would not want to drink this vinegar
as a beverage, you can use it just as you would use any other vinegar.
PROCEDURE
Keep in mind that tobacco smoke can kill your kombucha. If you smoke, do so outside. Better yet,
quit.
After using one kombucha "mushroom" for some time, environmental stresses may affect the organism,
causing the tea to tast flat. When this happens, use green tea, rather than black, to make the
growing medium, and use the tea from a "livelier" fungus until the old one is restored.
To make the tea, you will need:
2. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the tea bags to the pot, and steep for 10 minutes. Wash
your hands, and remove and discard the tea bags.
3. Pour the tea into the glass bowl (do not use crystal, metal, ceramic, or plastic), and allow
it to reach room temperature. Add the harvested kombucha tea or vinegar.
4. Place the mushroom smooth side up in the "growing" tea. Cover the bowl with the cheesecloth,
and secure the cloth with the rubber band.
5. Place the bowl in a dark, quiet, ventilated place with a temperature between 70°F and
90°F. (A shelf in the kitchen is an ideal place.) Allow the bowl to remain there for 7 to
10 days. Do not refrigerate.
6. After 7 to 10 days, remove the "mushrooms" with a wooden or plastic spoon. Note tht a "baby"
kombucha is now growing on the top of the original kombucha. Separate the baby from the
mother by gently pulling them apart with clean hands.
7. Using the cloth as a strainer, pour the new tea fromt he bowl into a glass bottle. Do not
store the tea in plastic, as chemicals can leach out of the container into the tea. Store in
the refrigerator, and drink 4 ounces 3 times a day, before or after meals. Do not drink more than
the recommended amount. Use the 2 "mushrooms" and part of the newly harvested tea to make more
tea.
LINKS & RESOURCES
If you are unable to obtain a kombucha tea "mushroom" from a friend, you can get a mushroom and
growing kit from these resources and more recipes and information from the links below:
Kombucha tea is made from the kombucha tea "mushroom," a large, flat, pancake-shaped fungus-like
growth. Technically, the kombucha is not a mushroom, nor is it purely a fungus. Rather,
it is part lichen, part baterium xylinum, and part natural yeast culture. When placed in a mixture
of ordinary sugar and tea for 7 to 10 days, the kombuch produces both a winey-tasting health-
restoring tea and a new "baby" kombucha.
The preparation of kombucha tea is a simple process that requires only a small amount of
equipment and ingredients. Before following this procedure, be sure to remove your rings,
as metal should never touch the "mushroom". To prevent contamination, make sure that your
utensils and work area are scrupulously clean. Also keep in mind that ingredient substitutions
should never be made. For instance, a reduction of the amount of sugar or the substitution
of brown sugar for white could adversely affect the health of the fungus. White sugar is
essential to its survival.
3 quarts distilled water
1 cup refined white sugar
4 tea bags (green or black tea only)
4 ounces newly harvested kombucha tea or 4 ounces apple cider vinegar
1 large kombucha "mushroom"
6 quart glass or enamel pot
4 quart glass bowl
1 square of cheesecloth
6 inch rubber band
Wooden or plastic spoon.
1. Place the water in the glass or enamel pot over high heat. (Do not use an aluminum pot.) Add
the sugar, and boil for 5 minutes.
MoonDragon's Nutritional Therapy Index