Sad to say they took kombucha off the shelves in my area on June 21, 2010.
What is Kombucha?
Kombucha is perhaps best described as a "living botanical". It is a traditional fermented food analogous to bread, wine cheese and yogurt. It affects many different people in many different ways. I for one have experienced the benefits in drinking Kombucha specially for calming cravings for sugar.
Kombucha is a unique mushroom with many names and health benefits. Through out the ages it has been called by names including Japanese tea fungus, Manchurian Tea Mushroom, Go-Gu, Combuchu, Teekwaas, tea kvas and Kwassan to name a few.
According to one legend, the name Kombucha arose when a Korean doctor named "Kombu" was called to
Anecdotal reports of beneficial effects spread along with the Kombucha tea from treatments of amazing variety of ailments and maladies. There have been reports of benefits from lethargy, stomach distress, indigestion, adult acne, candida, stress, high cholesterol, and hair loss to gastro-intestinal problems, arthritis, high blood pressure, gout and even cancer. Kombucha also has been used as a sports drink to help athletes with improved performance and endurance and a refreshing drink for a boost instead of coffee.
Kombucha is a symbiotic colony of certain yeast and bacteria which grow in a nutrient media consisting of organic sugar and black or green the. The yeast ferments the sugar to ethanol while the bacteria convert alcohol into acetic acid and thrive on the nutrients produced by the yeast. Together it is a biochemical factory producing an array of vitamins and nutrients.
It is normal to see an egg white-like starter culture forming in the bottle. This shows that the mushroom is alive. If it is left in a warm place the culture will start to grow and the fermentation will increase causing the alcohol content to increase, therefore it is required to refrigerate due to the FDA regulations. It is best to drink at room temperature.
I have used Kombucha as part of my Fountain of Youth System and miss GT Dave's brand of Kombucha – Millennium Products. GT Dave has his own story of how Kombucha helped his mother who had cancer. It is my hopes the Kombucha will be back in the stores soon. Meantime, try the instructions on how to make your own Kombucha. I have a bottle of GT Dave’s left that I will use to make my first mother culture since my Yo San University days in medical school.
Thank you John for your insight and contribution on Kombucha:
www.kombuchanectar.com
To Your Health, Wealth and Prosperity
Love,
Saquina Akanni
The Prosperity Doctor
www.saquinaakanni.com
ps: Some days it takes just a little kombucha like 2 - 4 ozs and other days I can consume a bottle. My desire for bubbly, thirst-quenching sugar drinks is totally satiated. Yum-yum! I love all the flavors from G.T.'s Komucha. Naturally probiotic drinks, including lacto-fermented ones like ginger beer, are what our taste buds are calling for when they want sweet carbonated drinks. It's what our ancestors all over the world drank for millennium! Enjoy your own home make tea.
