Most Powerful Medicine #4 - Kombucha

Pronounced "Come Boocha," it is a delicious, healthy drink that sells for $3 or $4 a bottle from a health food store, but you can make your own for pennies.

   

Kombucha is simply fermented tea. It originated in China a long time ago, and should be a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine if it isn't already.

To make Kombucha, you need a culture (called a SCOBY - stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), some sweet tea, and a glass gallon jar. You can buy the SCOBY online, or get one from a friend (SCOBY's reproduce; the one you start with is the "mother," and in a week or so, a "baby" forms on top of the mother). Some people erroneously call the SCOBY a "mushroom" because they think it resembles one. It doesn't. It's just a flat, jelly-like disk that floats on top of the sweet tea. It's the magician that transforms unhealthy sweet tea into one of the healthiest drinks you could partake of.

Here's how it works. You brew up a strong batch of tea (part black tea, and part green tea) and dissolve sugar in it. Once it's cooled, you put it in your jar, add purified water (not distilled and not chlorinated), place the SCOBY [plus 1 cup of starter tea (comes with the SCOBY) or 1 cup strong Kombucha from your last batch, or 1 cup white distilled vinegar] in the jar, cover with a dish towel secured by a big rubber band, and wait - for at least 7 days. This is the brewing period. The room temperature should be between 70 and 85 degrees for good brewing. If it's cooler, your brew will take longer; if it's warmer, it will brew faster.

During the brewing period, the beneficial yeast has a party - eating up virtually every scrap of sugar you put in the tea. Yeast thrives on sugar. In return for it's meal, the yeast gives you alcohol - same process used in brewing wine. But wait; remember that word "symbiotic?" That means basically, two things that work together. As the yeast does it's thing, the beneficial bacteria gets involved and begins to consume the alcohol produced by the yeast. This bacterial feeding frenzy results in another amazing transformation: from the alcohol, the bacteria produces B vitamins, active enzymes, amino acids and polyphenols.  As the tea brews, all the activity going on creates CO2 - carbon dioxide, i.e., carbonation; it's what puts the fizz in drinks.

After 7 days, it's time to taste the brew. You can insert a straw under the SCOBY, or if you are using a gallon jar with a dispensing spout, just dispense a little into a glass. The brew should taste slightly sweet. If you think the taste is a little weak, wait another day and taste it again. If you leave the brew too long, it will turn into vinegar and be quite sour and acidic, so don't forget about it.

Once you have the taste you like, it's time to bottle the brew. You don't have to bottle it - you could just put it into another jar with a lid. However, it tends to lose its fizziness unless the carbonation is locked in (like sodas). You can order bottles with swing-type lids online.

The neat thing about the self-sealing bottles is that you can 2nd ferment your brew for additional fizz and flavors. By adding a small amount of natural fruit juice of your choice to each bottle and fermenting for an additional 2 days, you can greatly increase the carbonation and tailor your Kombucha to whatever flavor you want. And the bottles are reusable - a one-time purchase. If for some reason the cap or seal breaks, you can order replacements online. Just go to Amazon.Com to choose the color you want.

Ok, so why Kombucha? Because it will boost your energy level and immune system and help you detox your body and get rid of whatever ailments ail you. Know what sodas will do for you? Make you sick. I especially benefit from the B vitamins. After I stopped craving sugar, I started feeling exhausted all the time. My body had been so used to running on sugar, it didn't know what to do! B vitamins give you energy and elevate your mood - naturally. No crash afterwards. Here are the facts about what Kombucha has in it:

Daily Minimum Allowance

• Folic Acid 25%
• Vitamin B2 20%
• Vitamin B6 20%
• Vitamin B1 20%
• Vitamin B3 20%
• Vitamin B12 20%

Probiotic Content

• Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086: 1 billion organisms
• S. Boulardii: 1 billion organisms

Antioxidants and Organic Acids

• EGCG 100mg
• Glucuronic Acid 10mg
• L(+) Lactic Acid 25mg
• Acetic Acid 30 mg

That means a whole lot of health from a tasty, refreshing drink.

I got my SCOBYfrom  Kombucha Kamp. I got the full-size Kombucha culture for $24.88. Seems like a lot, but I ordered one for half that price, and it took almost a month to get it; it was 1/4 the size of the one from Kombucha Kamp. Plus, KK offers free shipping and speedy delivery (3 days for mine to arrive). It's completely organic and ready to use. I also elected to use the Continuous Brew method for my Kombucha - which simply means I leave about 25% of the week's Kombucha in the new batch I'm making rather than drinking it all and starting from scratch again. I use a 2.5 gallon ceramic crock that I got at Walmart. The Walmart I shop in has these in the store, but if your store doesn't have them on the shelf, you can order online and pick up at the store - no shipping fees. It's $34.97 + tax. It also comes with this nifty stand and looks great on the counter. Just cover it with a dish towel secured with a rubber band.

The Kombucha Kamp website has all the information on brewing Kombucha - great for beginners - and they send you nice printed instructions along with the SCOBY.

So if you get tired of being tired and spending $1.50 for a soda, give Kombucha a try. It's easy - once a week you brew a batch of tea - and it's one of the best ways to introduce your body to the beneficial bacteria inherent in fermentation.