Kombucha means, “mushroom tea” in Chinese and has been used in that country for more than 2000 years.
When I was a graduate student in the US, I had heard that bodybuilders used it to get lean. Then, years later, my dear wife mentioned that she had grown Kombucha in the past, to bring her good luck.
We have mentioned Kombucha in the Blog before, but mostly in the context of probiotics. This is a more detailed look at it’s benefits.
Cancer
But, for us, it all started in the early 2000s, I think 2008, when a dear friend was operated on for colon and liver cancer. His lovely wife , whom we call Pollyanna, had heard from a relative that drinking Kombucha was a must for cancer patients. We got a hold of the SCOBYs and have been making and drinking Kombucha ever since.
SCOBY means a, “ symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast”, and they do look like mushrooms. This is the “mother” which gives life to the black and green tea and sugar from which this unbelievably healthy drink is produced.
Our dear friend, never stopped drinking his vodka and beer every evening, and died 6 years later. He drank his Kombucha every day. No chemo, no hair loss, just some orally taken medication.
I think surviving liver cancer for 6 years, while continuing drinking says a lot about Kombucha.
Acid Reflux
Before I get into the whole list of benefits of drinking Kombucha, a second personal experience. A dear classmate, recently complained about his acid reflux problem and I suggested that he start drinking Kombucha. I told him where he could buy ready-made Kombucha Tea in 1 Lt. bottles.
He started about 2-3 months ago, a glass before meals, and is very pleased with the results.
In fact, it was his idea that I should write a post about Kombucha.
Hangovers
The third personal experience was after “overdoing” the drinking with a friend one summer evening. We must have knocked off a bottle of vodka and he had to drive all the way to the Anatolian side of Istanbul. I told him to hold on, and we both had a couple of glasses of Kombucha tea.
The first thing he did the next morning was to call me, and ask me what the magic potion we had drank the previous evening was. He was amazed at how it had sobered him up and how great he had woken up the next morning.
The list
I will not go into the details of how and why Kombucha does this but these are the improvements you can look forward to if you drink 1-3 glasses of Kombucha Tea every day.
- Increased vitality
- Boosts your immune system
- Relieves gastric problems
- Helps prevent obesity
- Helps prevent constipation
- Lowers glucose levels and aids in diabetes
- Helps prevent kidney toxicity
- Helps prevent the onset of atherosclerosis
- Helps lower high blood pressure
- Prevents the onset of anemia
- Prevents liver toxicity
- Helps relieve asthma symptoms
- Helps prevent joint issues
- Aids in antibiotic resistant infections
- Fights against gout
I think that just about says it all. If anybody is interested in brewing Kombucha Tea at home, you can purchase the SCOBY from Amazon, and Google for instructions on how to do it.
See you all next time.
