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Originally Posted by Marlena
What is a kombuchka? I've heard of kobachka squashes, but that's about as close as it gets!
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Marlena, Here is some info on Kombucha:
Kombucha Culture (SCOBY) Info
The Kombucha Culture, sometimes mistakenly referred to as a mushroom, is a
Symbiotic
Colony of
Bacteria and
Yeasts (the friendly type) and is sometimes called a
SCOBY. Kombucha is a popular health promoting beverage and natural folk remedy. The Kombucha culture looks like a white rubbery pancake. The culture is placed in sugar sweetened black or green tea and allowed to ferment for about 7-10 days 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.
Numerous improvements have been noted in overall health, including: increased energy, sharper eyesight, better skin condition, and improved ‘eliminations’ to name a few. (The list is really long and somewhat anecdotal, but personal experience is the best gauge for how it makes you feel).
The daily use of controlled amounts of Kombucha Tea, along with improved diet (particularly increased water intake), can help to deal with a variety of ailments, and/or help to maintain good health. Kombucha is a valuable supplement to health care, however, is not a substitute or replacement for established or required professional medical care. It is recommend that individuals stay open to input, use methods that work for you, and avoid extremist positions regarding your health care.
Numerous doctors and scientists have concerned themselves with the effects of the Kombucha-beverage as a home remedy. Many scientific works are at hand concerning Kombucha. They speak of its therapeutic effectiveness as based on glucon-acid, glucuron-acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, as well as the life-supporting vitamins C and the B-group. As has been proven especially by Russian researchers, many of its components have antibiotic and detoxifying characteristics, and they play a decisive role for the biochemical processes in the body.
In contrast to many pharmacological preparations with unpleasant side effects, the active substances of the Kombucha address themselves to the whole body system; through its friendly metabolistic properties, it can reestablish a normal condition in the cellular membranes without any side-effects and thus promote one's well-being.
Regardless of what you may read or hear, if you are making your own Kombucha Tea, it is strongly recommend that you:
Use of stainless steel or glass pots (for brewing the tea),
A large, wide mouth glass jar (for fermenting),
Wooden or plastic utensils for handling the Kombucha or Culture.
You must avoid contact with metal containers/objects, in regards to care/storage of fermented tea and the cultures themselves.
You should also be careful regarding the amount of Kombucha Tea you use initially. As a rule, most people should limit intake to:
[A maximum of 2 oz., 2X daily (4 oz. total) to start]
Excessive use (especially if you have not been consuming many fermented foods/drinks) might cause some physical discomfort until your body adjusts.
Kombucha reproduces itself, and if properly maintained, you could have/make a lifetime supply from a single Kombucha Culture.
Here is a great website for more info: http://www.kombu.de/english.htm
