A couple years ago I stumbled upon something called Kombucha tea. I was in a health food market and spotted it. It looked quite interesting so I thought I'd try a bottle (quite pricey...almost 4 bucks). I bought a flavor I didn't like at all. I kept trying to finish it but eventually it had stared at me from the refrigerator for too long. Oddly, enough I decide to try another flavor. Not bad, but not great. I don't think I finished that bottle either.
About a year afterward I ran into a website that mentioned the benefits of this drink
Research on the tea has been documented throughout the years by authors in different countries. Reports come from China beginning in the early 1900s and continuing into the 1980s.
Kombucha is a fermented tea. The Kombucha culture sometimes mistaken for a mushroom is a symbiotic culture of years and other microorganisms (the good kind!). The culture is placed in sweetened black or green tea and turns the tea into a sea of health giving acids and nutrients. The Kombucha culture feeds on the sugar and, in exchange, produces other valuable substances which change into the drink: glucuronic acid, glucon acid, lactic acid, vitamins, amino acids, antibiotic substances, and other products. The Kombucha culture, is therefore a real tiny biochemical factory.
As I kept reading about Kombucha I decided to give it another try as I had been looking for ways to do a cleansing detox.
I tried "Divine Grape" flavor of G.T.'s Kombucha. I qute liked it. It did taste grapey but had vinegar like taste that was a little hard to take. Despite the that, I enjoyed it. I tried "Mystic Mango" flavor and enjoyed that as well.
http://gtskombucha.com/
There are 2 different types of GT's Kombucha.
Synergy Organic Kombucha is 5% Organic Natural Fruit Juice along with the Kombucha.
Triology - combines Kombucha with raspberries, lemons and spiced ginger
Mystic Mango - smooth exotic mango
Raspberry Rush - tangy
Passionberry Bliss - passionfruit and blackberries
Strawberry Serenity - strawberry
Cosmic Cranberry - zingy
Guava Goddess - guava
Diving Grape - grapey
Organic Kombucha is 100% Kombucha and comes in
Original
Ginger
Mult-Green
and
Citrus
(I personally HATE ginger so I haven't touched the sole ginger flavors)
Some of the known benefits of Kombucha are...
1) Regular consumption lengthens lifespan
2) Reduces wrinkles, liver spots on skin are less isable
3) Discourages formation of cancer
4) Heals inflammations of joints, reduces muscle pain
5) Remedy against high blood pressure
6) Heals constipation, stops contagious diarrhea, heals hemorrhoids, heals inflammation of large and small intestines
7) Purifies blood, helps kidneys work more efficiently, helps liver and gall bladder work more efficiently
8) Helps to pas uric acid, heals gout
9) Reduces cholesterol level, makes veins and arteries elastic, cures the blockage of arteries, reduces the pain of blood vessel inflammation
10) Helps slimming, helps in fat burning
11) Heals prostate inflammation, enhances the sexual drive
12) Helps stabilize the glucose level, slows down the dramatic fall of blood sugar
13) Heals illnesses that develop due to weaknesses of the immune system
14) Lengthens the life of AIDS sufferers
15) Heals sore throats and eases asthma
16) Reduces menopause, relieves heat flashes
17) Heals sweaty feet
18) Heals cataracts and other illnesses of the eye
19) Heals eczema, and is a remedy against chickenpox, shingles, rashes, boils and blisters
20) Has a natural antibiotic effect
21) It is a detoxifier. It dissolves and chemically binds toxins released from the liver and other body fluids
22) Enhances the resistance against chemicals
23) Heals edema and swollen legs
24) Heals and prevents candida albicans
25) Eradicates parasites from the body
26) Ensures a general good state of health, greater mental achievement and more physical power for healthy people
27) Positive effect on the scalp: improves baldness, helps growth of stronger hair, restores the color to grey hair and makes hair grow faster
28) Helps bone formation, soothes pain of fractures and bruises. Increases nail growth.
Http://www.kombu.de/english.htm
While Kombucha is not a cure for all, I have noticed that I feel a bit more rejuvenated. It will be a good supplement to add to my regimen of vitamins and healthy foods.
Something I might end up looking into is actually making my own Kombucha.
At the moment it is quite helpful to consume Kombucha tea that has some flavoring in it. Kombucha is traditionally made from green or black tea. I'm sure it will taste quite different in that form.
I think it'll be a while before I venture into this process but it seems interesting. Supposedly, it's not a difficult process once you get the Kombucha cultures (aka Kombucha babies). The cultures look rather odd.
Fair warning. If anyone decides to try these drinks understand that they do not smell good! It's a sip sip drink. Not something that goes down as easily as most teas. When you pick up a bottle you may think to yourself...what is this mess of crap floating at the bottom? Well that's the Kombucha cultures. It's good for you!
Heh..I went to the market to get some and I think due to the fermentation one of the bottles started spraying! Be careful that you don't shake the bottles. When I first tried a Mult-Green Kombucha it fizzed when I opened it. It continued to rise, so I quickly power walked to the sink and watched a mess of green-black swampiness come out. It was quite amusing actually. It seemed like I was drinking some special potion or elixer!
If you search the internet you will see that there are several brands of Kombucha out there. Some don't seem to be available in my neck of the woods. I hope to find some other kinds of Kombucha. I think I'm hooked!
Have fun with your tea!
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