Kombucha Tea - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

AbigailAlfano · 01-10-2007, 04:00 AM

Does anyone drink this stuff? A friend of mine brews it and I tried it last night. I've been doing research on the internet and some believe it has many 'healing' properties. I would like to hear from anyone who actually drinks it and what their opinion is. Does it make you feel more energized? Are you healthier? Just wondering.

Brewmaniac · 01-10-2007, 04:26 AM

Sounds interesting? hum?

AbigailAlfano · 01-10-2007, 05:14 AM

Brewmaniac,
Are you going to brew some?
Abigail

BadNick · 01-10-2007, 01:45 PM

I first tasted it in work this past Summer since my boss/company owner knows a lot about this concoction, swears by it, brews his own, and says it has all the beneficial effects on him that you mention, plus more that I've read about. I also found my online research about it turn up quite interesting information. Plus the boss gave me two good little books about it with lots of good info, history, how to brew, benefits, etc.

After my first taste, I brewed a batch of my own from a "mother" he gave me. I like the stuff, but I'm not drinking it every day so I can't say I have any beneficial effects; though if I wasn't so lazy to brew it I would drink it instead of my normal iced tea lubrication.

AbigailAlfano · 01-11-2007, 04:56 AM

Hi Badnick,
My friend gave me a freshly brewed gallon a few days ago, plus the culture to make my own. I've had 2 glasses per day for the last two days, and I think I have more energy. I don't think it is just the caffeine because I was already drinking alot of caffeine before this...("Vault" being my drug of choice) LOL
And...this may just be in my head, but I don't think I am craving sugar like I normally do. I usually have M&Ms stashed everywhere, and can hardly walk past candy in a store without getting a bag. Last couple of days I've had no craving for candy. Have you heard of this?

Destrox · 01-11-2007, 03:31 PM

So for those of us who have no idea what it is.. mind filling in the details?

Sounds intresting.

Brewmaniac · 01-11-2007, 04:18 PM

Abigail, you bring it, I'll brew it!

Tyrell · 01-11-2007, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Destrox

So for those of us who have no idea what it is.. mind filling in the details?

Sounds intresting.

Interesting indeed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kombucha

Val_1 · 01-11-2007, 06:09 PM

It sounds interesting ... but looks disgusting!

The one piece of info that people haven't commented on: How does it taste?

AbigailAlfano · 01-12-2007, 03:49 AM

It tastes good, a bit like cider. It's best when it is first harvested. I have only been drinking it a few days, but I think it is giving me more energy. I know its not the caffiene because I generally drink more caffeine than I should.
I enjoy the taste. Right now, because we are almost out of it, I drink two glasses a day. I would really like a third glass in the evening, but our new batch won't be ready until Tuesday.
Cheers!
Abigail

BadNick · 01-12-2007, 06:22 AM

I agree on the overall energy improvement ...for me it does, too. Is it a blood sugar adjustment, metabolism effect ...maybe but I'm not a doc or physiologist. As for "looks disgusting", well it sort of looks like a hunk-a'fungus, so maybe as disgusting as a weird mushroom if that's your perspective, no more so than a yummy chanterelle, but the drink just looks like tea. Actually it is a yeast I think. Like Abigail said, tastes sort of like a cider; but you can tweak it to a wide variety of tastes just like a tea. Hey, I figure a thousand year history of an Asian cultural health enhancement can't be bad and is likely quite good for me.

Demeter · 01-13-2007, 05:12 PM

My father in law brewed it to help his health & well being. I don't think it helped much because he gave up after a few weeks.
It's some gross looking stuff, when it's growing. I didn't have the stomach to try it.

AbigailAlfano · 01-19-2007, 09:10 AM

okay...I have been drinking my kombucha tea for about ten days now. I have even harvested my first batch. I have two new cultures growing that will be ready on Tuesday.
Do I like it? Yes. Is it making a difference? I think so.
I'm a major skeptic of anything that claims to have 'healing' properties. But...after ten days, I do have more energy overall. I'm not falling into bed at night exhausted. My skin is actually getting clearer, too. Coinicidence? Maybe. Placebo effect? Maybe. I'm still drinking it, though.
Maybe I will give another report in ten days if anyone is interested. I really wish I could find others that are drinking this stuff. I'd love to compare notes.
Cheers!
Abigail

Sharon · 01-19-2007, 11:24 AM

It looks like tofu in that Wikipedia article! I'm curious about these things so I'll look around to see if it is sold here.

AbigailAlfano · 01-19-2007, 11:32 AM

Sharon,
My friend that introduced me to the tea and then gave my a culture to grow my own says that the stuff that you buy 'bottled' (made in a factory somewhere) is not as nutritious or tasty as what you make yourself at home.
Maybe a health food store in your area could tell you where to find the 'real deal'.

Sharon · 01-19-2007, 11:44 AM

You'd still need to buy the starter culture, right?

AbigailAlfano · 01-19-2007, 02:08 PM

Sharon,
Yes, if you want to brew it at home. My friend gave me a culture, so I don't know where to go to buy one. And, there are lots of rules to follow...(only make the stuff in glass...and only drink it out of glass ,,,,,no plastic or ceramic or aluminum etc)
I'm sure if you find a source for the culture that they would tell you all the ins and outs. I don't know where you live...If you were close, I'd give you a culture to start your own. I think my friend paid close to 25 dollars for her first culture. It's easy to grow them, though, and before you know it, these things are multiplying like crazy!

Let me know if you find one, or if I can help in anyway..I FEEL GOOD!

MSD · 01-19-2007, 06:15 PM

I have my doubts about how much good fungus and tea can really do for you (by what biological processes would it benefit the body?,) but I've heard enough good things to keep my attention. As long as you aren't allergic to the mushroom it can't be bad for you, so I encourage anyone who thinks it helps to keep it up and continue to report back to us.

If I recall correctly, you're not supposed to put sugar in it because it will negatively affect the pH and the mushroom, does that sound right?

AbigailAlfano · 01-19-2007, 06:31 PM

Sugar is used as part of the recipe but it is not used as a sweetener. The sugar is broken down and converted into different components of the finished drink.
The Kombucha culture has been known as a mushroom, a lichen and many other things but the best and most accurate definition we have today is a "symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast".

Someone compared it to eatting yogart. Yogart is a live culture and is supposed to have endless healthful benefits especially for the gastoinstestinal system I think.
Check out this link. It gives some explanation.

http://www.kombuchatea.co.uk/what-is-kombucha.asp

I'm not completely "sold" on it..but so far...so good!

I'll keep ya posted.

Baraka_Guru · 01-26-2007, 09:56 PM

I had also looked into this tea as I enjoy a good number of healthful brews. I came across this, however, which talked me out of it. It is from a source that I highly respect.

Quote:

Q
Cured by Kombucha?
What are the benefits of kombucha tea? Do you recommend it?

A
Answer (Published 4/27/2006, www.drweil.com)

Also called the Manchurian or Kargasok mushroom, kombucha is not a mushroom at all but a mixed culture of several species of bacteria and yeasts that are added to black or green tea and sugar to produce a fermented "tea," a drink that tastes something like fizzy cider. Kombucha tea sipped daily has been recommended as a treatment for everything from AIDS and arthritis to baldness. I've also heard claims that kombucha boosts energy and improves eyesight. A few years ago, kombucha was credited with the recovery of a patient suffering from advanced AIDS. Accounts of this seemingly miraculous turnaround left out the fact that the patient had begun treatment with an FDA-approved experimental therapy at the same time.

I don't recommend kombucha tea at all. I know of no scientific studies backing up the health claims made for it. Beyond that, there's evidence that kombucha tea may have some antibiotic activity. If so, by drinking the tea you could be unnecessarily taking antibiotics, which could encourage development of resistant strains of bacteria.

I am also concerned about the culture becoming contaminated, as it could in the home-brewing process. Some batches have contained aspergillus, a toxin-producing fungus. This would actually pose significant risks to people with compromised immune systems such as those with AIDS or undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. There have also been reports in the medical literature of adverse reactions including nausea, vomiting and headaches among those who drink more than four ounces of kombucha tea daily. Allergic reactions, jaundice and head and neck pain have also been reported. I would particularly caution pregnant women, nursing mothers, the elderly, children and anyone with a compromised immune system against drinking kombucha tea.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

Take this as you will, but you should know this if you haven't read anything negative yet. (And perhaps do some more research.)

JStrider · 01-27-2007, 01:37 PM

reminds me of this stuff I read about a year or so ago...
basically the exact same thing except with dairy, its called kefir... never tried it...

I'd give it a try... would be really surprised if it was available in my location...

mebbe if a few people here have cultures they could split em and send pieces to interested tfpers I dunno, might be cool

01-10-2007, 04:00 AM	#1 (permalink)
AbigailAlfano Upright	Kombucha Tea Does anyone drink this stuff? A friend of mine brews it and I tried it last night. I've been doing research on the internet and some believe it has many 'healing' properties. I would like to hear from anyone who actually drinks it and what their opinion is. Does it make you feel more energized? Are you healthier? Just wondering.

01-10-2007, 04:26 AM	#2 (permalink)
Brewmaniac Searching for the perfect brew!	Sounds interesting? hum? __________________ "That's a joke... I say, that's a joke, son"

01-11-2007, 03:31 PM	#6 (permalink)
Destrox Metal and Rock 4 Life Location: Phoenix	So for those of us who have no idea what it is.. mind filling in the details? Sounds intresting. __________________ You bore me.... next.

01-11-2007, 04:18 PM	#7 (permalink)
Brewmaniac Searching for the perfect brew!	Abigail, you bring it, I'll brew it! __________________ "That's a joke... I say, that's a joke, son"

01-11-2007, 06:09 PM	#9 (permalink)
Val_1 Addict Location: In a State of Denial	It sounds interesting ... but looks disgusting! The one piece of info that people haven't commented on: How does it taste? __________________ I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. -Frank Sinatra

01-10-2007, 05:14 AM	#3 (permalink)
AbigailAlfano Upright	Brewmaniac, Are you going to brew some? Abigail

01-10-2007, 01:45 PM	#4 (permalink)
BadNick Riding the Ocean Spray Location: S.E. PA in U Sofa	I first tasted it in work this past Summer since my boss/company owner knows a lot about this concoction, swears by it, brews his own, and says it has all the beneficial effects on him that you mention, plus more that I've read about. I also found my online research about it turn up quite interesting information. Plus the boss gave me two good little books about it with lots of good info, history, how to brew, benefits, etc. After my first taste, I brewed a batch of my own from a "mother" he gave me. I like the stuff, but I'm not drinking it every day so I can't say I have any beneficial effects; though if I wasn't so lazy to brew it I would drink it instead of my normal iced tea lubrication.

01-11-2007, 04:56 AM	#5 (permalink)
AbigailAlfano Upright	Hi Badnick, My friend gave me a freshly brewed gallon a few days ago, plus the culture to make my own. I've had 2 glasses per day for the last two days, and I think I have more energy. I don't think it is just the caffeine because I was already drinking alot of caffeine before this...("Vault" being my drug of choice) LOL And...this may just be in my head, but I don't think I am craving sugar like I normally do. I usually have M&Ms stashed everywhere, and can hardly walk past candy in a store without getting a bag. Last couple of days I've had no craving for candy. Have you heard of this?

01-12-2007, 03:49 AM	#10 (permalink)
AbigailAlfano Upright	It tastes good, a bit like cider. It's best when it is first harvested. I have only been drinking it a few days, but I think it is giving me more energy. I know its not the caffiene because I generally drink more caffeine than I should. I enjoy the taste. Right now, because we are almost out of it, I drink two glasses a day. I would really like a third glass in the evening, but our new batch won't be ready until Tuesday. Cheers! Abigail

01-12-2007, 06:22 AM	#11 (permalink)
BadNick Riding the Ocean Spray Location: S.E. PA in U Sofa	I agree on the overall energy improvement ...for me it does, too. Is it a blood sugar adjustment, metabolism effect ...maybe but I'm not a doc or physiologist. As for "looks disgusting", well it sort of looks like a hunk-a'fungus, so maybe as disgusting as a weird mushroom if that's your perspective, no more so than a yummy chanterelle, but the drink just looks like tea. Actually it is a yeast I think. Like Abigail said, tastes sort of like a cider; but you can tweak it to a wide variety of tastes just like a tea. Hey, I figure a thousand year history of an Asian cultural health enhancement can't be bad and is likely quite good for me. Last edited by BadNick; 01-12-2007 at 06:24 AM..

01-13-2007, 05:12 PM	#12 (permalink)
Demeter Psycho	My father in law brewed it to help his health & well being. I don't think it helped much because he gave up after a few weeks. It's some gross looking stuff, when it's growing. I didn't have the stomach to try it. __________________ I am not bound to please thee with my answers. William Shakespeare

01-19-2007, 09:10 AM	#13 (permalink)
AbigailAlfano Upright	okay...I have been drinking my kombucha tea for about ten days now. I have even harvested my first batch. I have two new cultures growing that will be ready on Tuesday. Do I like it? Yes. Is it making a difference? I think so. I'm a major skeptic of anything that claims to have 'healing' properties. But...after ten days, I do have more energy overall. I'm not falling into bed at night exhausted. My skin is actually getting clearer, too. Coinicidence? Maybe. Placebo effect? Maybe. I'm still drinking it, though. Maybe I will give another report in ten days if anyone is interested. I really wish I could find others that are drinking this stuff. I'd love to compare notes. Cheers! Abigail

01-19-2007, 11:24 AM	#14 (permalink)
Sharon Coy, sultry and... naughty! Location: Across the way	It looks like tofu in that Wikipedia article! I'm curious about these things so I'll look around to see if it is sold here.

01-19-2007, 11:32 AM	#15 (permalink)
AbigailAlfano Upright	Sharon, My friend that introduced me to the tea and then gave my a culture to grow my own says that the stuff that you buy 'bottled' (made in a factory somewhere) is not as nutritious or tasty as what you make yourself at home. Maybe a health food store in your area could tell you where to find the 'real deal'.

01-19-2007, 11:44 AM	#16 (permalink)
Sharon Coy, sultry and... naughty! Location: Across the way	You'd still need to buy the starter culture, right?

01-19-2007, 02:08 PM	#17 (permalink)
AbigailAlfano Upright	Sharon, Yes, if you want to brew it at home. My friend gave me a culture, so I don't know where to go to buy one. And, there are lots of rules to follow...(only make the stuff in glass...and only drink it out of glass ,,,,,no plastic or ceramic or aluminum etc) I'm sure if you find a source for the culture that they would tell you all the ins and outs. I don't know where you live...If you were close, I'd give you a culture to start your own. I think my friend paid close to 25 dollars for her first culture. It's easy to grow them, though, and before you know it, these things are multiplying like crazy! Let me know if you find one, or if I can help in anyway..I FEEL GOOD!

01-19-2007, 06:15 PM	#18 (permalink)
MSD The sky calls to us ... Super Moderator Location: CT	I have my doubts about how much good fungus and tea can really do for you (by what biological processes would it benefit the body?,) but I've heard enough good things to keep my attention. As long as you aren't allergic to the mushroom it can't be bad for you, so I encourage anyone who thinks it helps to keep it up and continue to report back to us. If I recall correctly, you're not supposed to put sugar in it because it will negatively affect the pH and the mushroom, does that sound right?

01-19-2007, 06:31 PM	#19 (permalink)
AbigailAlfano Upright	Sugar is used as part of the recipe but it is not used as a sweetener. The sugar is broken down and converted into different components of the finished drink. The Kombucha culture has been known as a mushroom, a lichen and many other things but the best and most accurate definition we have today is a "symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast". Someone compared it to eatting yogart. Yogart is a live culture and is supposed to have endless healthful benefits especially for the gastoinstestinal system I think. Check out this link. It gives some explanation. http://www.kombuchatea.co.uk/what-is-kombucha.asp I'm not completely "sold" on it..but so far...so good! I'll keep ya posted.

01-27-2007, 01:37 PM	#21 (permalink)
JStrider Poo-tee-weet? Location: The Woodlands, TX	reminds me of this stuff I read about a year or so ago... basically the exact same thing except with dairy, its called kefir... never tried it... I'd give it a try... would be really surprised if it was available in my location... mebbe if a few people here have cultures they could split em and send pieces to interested tfpers I dunno, might be cool __________________ -=JStrider=- ~Clatto Verata Nicto Last edited by JStrider; 01-27-2007 at 01:54 PM..