Okay, “superfood” may overstate things a bit, but I am really excited about Kombucha and its many health benefits. My naturopath introduced me to it for the purpose of fighting Candida (see below for other uses). He told me to start drinking a few ounces three times per day. Great. Where do I find it? Is it dried?
“Oh no. It’s fermented tea.”
“Excuse me? You want me to drink what?”
“Really, it’s not so bad,” he assures me.
Right. I try to imagine fermented tea. No, that can’t possibly taste good.
Then again, I’m pretty desperate. So I dutifully drop by Whole Foods on my way home and discover a multitude of flavors in the refrigerated section. Besides the Original flavor, I snatch one each of Gingerade, Citrus, and Multi-Green.
Upon arriving home, I inspect my purchases more closely. Hmmm. Weird, stringy stuff swirls around the bottom of the glass jars.
I shudder.
I select Original for my test run. After all, it can only get better from there, right? I shake, shake, shake it to disperse the hideous stringy stuff, then twirl the cap reluctantly.
Oops.
It seems Kombucha reacts much like a coke when manhandled. I roll the bottle over in my hands and see “Do NOT shake” printed very clearly. Obviously, I didn’t inspect my purchase carefully enough, but it appears that no real harm has been inflicted.
I take a tiny sip.
Wow. That’s actually–no, can’t be. I take another, larger swig. Who would have guessed? It is good!
Now five days into my Kombucha-drinking regimen, I love it. It’s refreshing, a little bubbly tasting (from the fermentation), and somehow satisfies my sweet tooth. That last bonus is huge, because I don’t even get to relish fruit anymore.
So, besides Candida-fighting qualities, what are the other benefits of Kombucha? According to everything I’ve read, Kombucha (sometimes called Kombucha tea) is swimming with probiotics, enzymes, amino acids, and antioxidants. This fermented tea fights Candida, promotes alkalinity in the body, boosts immunity, and supports digestion, among many, many other benefits. And that stringy stuff at the bottom? It’s just the mother–like the stuff you find at the bottom of raw apple cider vinegar.
You can purchase Kombucha at health food stores or online. Be sure to select organic, raw varieties.
The brand I found at Whole Foods is GT’s: www.GTSkombucha.com. The Original is light and refreshing, the Ginger is very gingery (read: will open your sinuses; consider yourself forewarned), the Multi-Green is slightly bitter (but really healthy!), and the Citrus is delicious.
www.kombu.de/candida.htm This page explains why Kombucha, a fermented product made with yeast and sugar, helps kill off Candida. I found it very helpful, because the reasoning is a little counter-intuitive. First, the yeast and other cultures eat the sugar in order to produce all the important probiotics and nutrients. Second, the kind of yeast used in Kombucha is actually a strain that’s antagonistic to Candida albicans. Result: Candida die-off!
For even more information about Kombucha, browse the entire international site of www.kombu.de or do a Google search. It’s great stuff.
To your health and mine,
Pennythoughts
This is terrific. You ARE a good writer. I’m so glad that you are feeling up to doing this. I must run out and get some!
Thank you for including me on your list.
I don’t know if you knew, but you can make kombucha tea yourself at home! I began to make my first batch today. The kombucha mother (also called scoby), found in the bottom of the bottle, can be used to begin making your own kombucha. You can find out how here:
http://users.bestweb.net/~om/kmi/manual.html
Hope this helped,
Cheers!
Lysianne
Question—I started drinking this stuff about 2 weeks ago and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it . But do you think it is O.K. to drink everyday? And do you think sinse it is yeast it is OK for people who have issues with yeast ovegrowth?
Is it too good to be true? I know each person has to answer this for themselves and each person does good with different things but I wanted your opinion sinse you like it also and have used it.
Oh and do you think it gives detox symptons?
THANKS KIM
Kim,
As far as I know, there shouldn’t be a problem with drinking it every day, provided it’s not an overly sugary variety. I don’t know if you’re buying or making yours, but either way, the lower sugar varieties would be most beneficial.
The question about yeast is controversial. Some say that the yeasts in kombucha are antagonistic toward pathogenic yeasts like candida albicans, thus making it useful for controlling candida. Others (like the folks at Body Ecology) disagree, saying that the mixture is too sugary and too pro-yeast for anyone struggling with candida.
Personally, I have come to believe that homeopathics are the best weapon against yeast overgrowth. Since homeopathics have been so successful for me, I don’t worry about drinking kombucha occassionally. But it’s definitely an area in which to exercise caution. Pay attention to your body and what it’s telling you. If you notice a flare-up in symptoms, back off. And definitely look into homeopathy.
I have never experienced detox symptoms from kombucha, although I have noticed that if I drink too much in one day (32 ounces), I feel nauseated. Hope this helps!