Kombucha Tea (Video Library)
Submitted by stillwater on Sat, 10/09/2010 - 07:25"Mutual assistance enriches even the poor."
~ Chinese Proverb
This post is a video compilation of the history, health benefits, and preparation methods of the fermented beverage known as Kombucha Tea. As you proceed through this post, you will begin to see the diverse opinions about the origins, nutritional profile, and preparation methods of Kombucha Tea. However, all agree that the tea makes a healthy addition to ones diet provided that simple precautions are taken to prevent contamination from the brewing vessel, utensils, or outside pathogens. I have tried to limit inclusion to those videos which attempt to present traditional methods for brewing the tea. This is the first installment of what may turn into a series of two or three posts on the subject of fermented foods and beverages.
Best of health~
Stillwater
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The Fascination of Kombucha - by Günther W. Frank
“Nowadays we experience a return to healing measures that are close to nature; also remedies and foods of a natural origin - away from industrial packaged products. This may be one of the reasons for the great attractiveness and fascination of the healthful beverage called Kombucha. Communalities of yeasts and bacteria have been used by people, and applied for their well-being, since ancient times in all the world for the creation of health-promoting fermented drinks and foodstuffs.
We read already in the Bible (Ruth 2:14) that the land-owner Boas invited the Moabite Ruth, who later became his wife, during her gleaning of grains: "Come over here and eat some bread and dip your morsel into the vinegar-drink! And she sat down beside the reapers; and he reached her parched corn and she ate and was sufficed and left." This biblical report from around 1000 B.C. not only gives us a hint of their exemplary nutritional habits, although they were modest by our perspective, we see from it also that, even at that time, people prepared beverages with microorganisms of lactic acid and how they served the people for strength and refreshment during the hard work of harvesting.
An ancient, pure relative of these related symbioses of bacteria and yeasts is the tea-fungus called Kombucha. It comes from the area of East Asia and came into Germany via Russia , around the turn of the century. This ancient house-remedy is used more and more also in other countries against all possible defects. The mushroom consists of a gelatinoid and tough mushroom-web membrane in the form of a flat disk. It lives in a nutrient solution of tea and sugar, in which it constantly multiplies through germinating. The fungal disc at first spreads over the entire surface of the tea and then thickens. When one treats the mushroom correctly, it thrives, germinates, and will accompany its owner for life. “ Continued...
_______________________________________
About Kombucha
Kombucha, a fermented beverage with real "Zing" in it - Article by Tom Valentine, at Search for Health Magazine
Kombucha - From the history of medicine in the USSR - A dramatic, behind-the-scenes account of the history of Kombucha Tea in the USSR.
Excerpt:
- Episode from 1951 to 1953 and how the USA has profited by it since 1983.
- Background to the breaking off of a promising research project on cancer therapy in the Soviet Union.
- US President Ronald Reagan cured of cancer with metastases.
(Note: The page font and color are difficult to read. It may be helpful to temporarily copy the text to a word document for easy reading.)
The Kombucha Journal - Günther W. Frank's website
Kombucha - Healthy Beverage and Natural Remedy from the Far East - "Günther's book goes into considerable detail and includes many references. It is an excellent book that is the result of many years of studying Kombucha. I think this book is the original source of much of the current information on Kombucha."
Benefits of Kombucha - "This "Benefits of Kombucha" list was compiled by Bev Ferguson, owner of Kombucha Manna International. These results are from a survey she posted over the Kombucha Mailing List. The Kombucha mailing list is a group of over 600 people from all over the world who share their experiences with Kombucha on a daily basis. These benefits are based on their own experiences."
Kombucha Testimonials - From Günther W. Frank's website
Kombucha Testimonials - From kombuchaamerica.com
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Basic Kombucha - Presented by Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist.
Part 1
Part 2
Kombucha Advanced
Part 1
Part 2
_______________________________________
How To Make Kombucha Tea - Presented by Cherie King.
Part 1 - Ingredients For Kombucha
Part 2 - Making The Tea
Part 3 - Prepping for Brewing
Part 4 - Bottling and Flavoring Kombucha 1 of 2
Part 5 - Bottling and Flavoring Kombucha 2 of 2
Final Result After Bottling & Resting
_______________________________________
My Great Kombucha Movie - “Janine describes how to create Kombucha tea with a SCOBY.”
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
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Judi Harrington’s Kombucha videos - Based on Sally Fallon's instructions for making Kombucha in Nourishing Traditions.
Part 1
Part 2
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Making Kombucha Tea: 1st Workshop -. “Raw Dawg Rory talks Kombucha Tea @ Catch A Healthy Habit Cafe before a post potluck dinner crowd.”
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Making Kombucha Tea: 2nd Workshop - Raw Dawg Rory gives another educational workshop on kombucha tea at Catch A Healthy Habit Cafe.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
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Miscellaneous Videos
Kombucha Tea - Tinsley discusses the health benefits of kombucha tea and how it helped with her celiac condition.
Kombucha Experiment: Creating a SCOBY without a Mother - “This is a time lapse video of a Kombucha SCOBY being made from scratch (aka WITHOUT a mother.) The whole video took about 19 days. I snapped one picture every hour. I replenished the tea about halfway through.”
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Related Links
Kombucha Recipes - List of 20 Kombuch recipes showing showing the similarities and differences of opinion about how to make it.
The Kombucha Center - "The Kombucha Center, is a reliable informative source of information about Kombucha that describes Kombucha's history, health benefits, how to make it, where to get it and related resources."
www.HappyHerbalist.com - "Ed Kasper has been a leading advocate of safe and wonderful kombucha since 1997. He has served as a consultant and advisor to several national, regional and local kombucha brewers, including many kombucha brewers online."
Kombucha-Research.com - Michael Roussin’s website. "The Kombucha Consumer Research GroupTM was formed as a research coalition in 1995. It consisted of three Utah business which shared time and financial resources to conduct and compile contemporary research on the topic of Kombucha. This coalition consisted of: Information Resources, LC (Michael Roussin), in conjunction with San Rafael Chemical Services, Inc. and Earth Net Consulting, LC. SRCS is a commercial analytical organic chemistry laboratory and ENC was a commercial environmental microbiology laboratory. Information Resources, LC ("IRLC") was formed specifically to conduct Kombucha research and disseminate that information."
Common Sense Questions for the Lay-Person on the Topic of Kombucha or Manchurian Mushroom Tea - Article by Michael Roussin
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Tea
Sounds very interesting and thank you for your extensive efforts although it might take me a month to get through it all lol
ps. Is this stuff ok for the liver?
I had an Asian doctor and he drank some tea concoction everyday by the mug and later got liver damage and eventually passed away from it.
I do not know if he was a 'boozer' though.
cheers,
donvino
Yea, I tend to...
get carried away with my posts sometimes. lol This actually is a much smaller post that it could have been. I tried to present some basic introductory videos with a few links for those who want to do further research on their own.
Here is an article by the CDC that mentions possible ways in which the kombucha tea could become contaminated. It doesn't say that kt was the culprit but it does state that two people who shared cultures in a town became ill(115 other people in the town had a culture from the same source "but no other cases of unexplained acute illness were reported among these persons"). However, samples of the mushrooms and tea were sent to the FDA and "no known human pathogens or toxin-producing organisms were identified." The article ends by stating that the "Because of the acidity of Kombucha tea, it should not be prepared or stored in containers made from materials such as ceramic or lead crystal, which both contain toxic elements than can leach into the tea."
(Source)
The above article doesn't specifically mention the liver, but I would like to add that people who are extremely toxic(from chemo, drugs, heavy metals, etc.) or who have weakened organs have to be even more careful when they detoxify their bodies. For example, if a person were to start juicing extensively the tissues would start to rapidly release toxins into the bloodstream which the liver would then have to filter out and may become overburdoned if it cannot evacuate it fast enough through one of the elimination channels. Similarily, as kombucha tea is a good detoxifier, it should be taken in small quantities at first with an understanding of any preexisting medical conditions that one may have. In cases like this, it would be best to first check with a doctor knowledgeable in natural medicine.
Here are a couple articles on the same subject.
Does Kombucha have any side effects? - by Günther Frank
Kombucha Mushroom Tea: Cautions & Concerns. Smart Brewing Tips - by Ed Kasper LAc. Acupuncturist, Herbalist, & Homeotoxicologist
I don't believe kombucha is a cure-all, but it seems that, if taken in moderation, it could prove to be a healthy addition to a balanced, nutritious diet -- although it may not work for everybody.
Level the playing field with ROBERT'S RULES and a good recording device:
http://www.dailypaul.com/142513/roberts-rules-video-library
Alternative Cancer Therapies
http://www.dailypaul.com/226732/alternative-cancer-therapies...
Going to have to try this!
Another excellent post, thank you so much!
Whatever else I said a minute ago, the last word I want to get in is
LOVE!
I figured
after a hard days work on the farm it would be nice to wind down with a healthy, refreshing drink. :)
Level the playing field with ROBERT'S RULES and a good recording device:
http://www.dailypaul.com/142513/roberts-rules-video-library
Alternative Cancer Therapies
http://www.dailypaul.com/226732/alternative-cancer-therapies...
I'm drinking some right now.
I'm drinking some right now. So glad you made this post because I wanted to hear from others interested in Kombucha. Its great stuff!
I'd be interested to
hear about other peoples experience with Kombucha after they've been on it for a few weeks, or longer. In the first two batches I used green tea, but in the current batch I have brewing I am using half green and half black tea. It's too early for me to notice any health benefits other than an overall lift in alertness. The strange thing is that when I take it later in the day it seems to help me wind down before I retire for the evening.
Level the playing field with ROBERT'S RULES and a good recording device:
http://www.dailypaul.com/142513/roberts-rules-video-library
Alternative Cancer Therapies
http://www.dailypaul.com/226732/alternative-cancer-therapies...
I use Lipton tea. Many people
I use Lipton tea. Many people swear that it is the best for Kombucha because they have old plantations that never use pesticides and are completely organic. Some people caution against green tea because it has antitoxin properties that actually are not as conducive to growing the Kombucha bacteria.
I usually always double brew mine. I try different types of juice in my double brew. Anyone else double brewing? What is your favorite blend?
Thanks for the tips...
I read mixed views about green vs. black tea. My culture source said to start with green tea, but I think most of the recent history(100+ yrs.) about it has it being used with black tea. I'll have to give the Lipton tea a try. That's an interesting point you make about the antitoxin properties of green tea.
I'm still working on the basics so I haven't tried double brewing yet.
Level the playing field with ROBERT'S RULES and a good recording device:
http://www.dailypaul.com/142513/roberts-rules-video-library
Alternative Cancer Therapies
http://www.dailypaul.com/226732/alternative-cancer-therapies...
Me too. I've been making it for years. One interesting
thing about it is that it will make you immediately sober if you are drunk.
Debbie
My neighbor makes it
Delicious stuff! And so healing.....and a tiny slight buzz from it too.
Colchester, New London County, Connecticut
One of my clients is a Kombucha maker/seller
http://www.kombucha2000.com
I redesigned his labels and do other graphics for him.
Nice graphics~
The designs give a comfortable look and feel to the bottles.
In the link I posted in the OP about the history of Kombucha in the USSR, there is a reference about Paracelsus fermenting all of his medicinal herbs. Just from my preliminary reading, it appears that the Kombucha culture feed off of the tannins in the black tea and the caffeine in the green tea and produce a host of beneficial byproducts. There seems to be a lot we don't know about the interactions that take place during fermentation.
Makes for interesting reading...
Level the playing field with ROBERT'S RULES and a good recording device:
http://www.dailypaul.com/142513/roberts-rules-video-library
Alternative Cancer Therapies
http://www.dailypaul.com/226732/alternative-cancer-therapies...
Beautiful bottles and labels -
Kombucha is an awesome beverage.
Debbie
Thank you so much!
I have a scoby, but have yet to make my first Kombucha. I appreciate the information. :)
Thanks stillwater.
Good job putting all this information together. This is the first I have heard of this tea and am now curious to try it. Sounds like a great way to get my probiotics and decrease excess estrogen's accumulated from the environment.
Ditto here. I went to ebay
Ditto here. I went to ebay and bid on a starter..but looks like they sell it for $2.99 plus shipping (which I did not see til later.
Sounds interesting..:)
I tried it, but for me
the results weren't positive. I can eat regular mushrooms, but something in Kombucha gave me stomach cramps, back pain and general yuckiness. And this wasn't homemade, it was from a well known brand.
+...Pray for Your Enemies and Moral Courage for Righteous Leaders, so that Justice Will Be Delivered to the Innocent...+
My wife has a bad reaction to
My wife has a bad reaction to it too. It seems to work for most people, but just like anything in life, there is rarely a one size fits all solution for every situation.
Maybe that was part of the problem.
From what I understand based on watching Basic Kombucha - Presented by Sarah, the tea leeches toxins and that is why careful procedures need to be adhered to when making it. Also those feeling you got from drinking it might have been a reaction to the toxins being pull out of your body. Generally when this occurs it is suggested to lower the amount of intake and then gradually build up.
So maybe i need to dilute with water?
or just not buy it in the store? The one I bought was pre-mixed at a health food store.
+...Pray for Your Enemies and Moral Courage for Righteous Leaders, so that Justice Will Be Delivered to the Innocent...+
Yeah
Who knows it may work and if it does then it was worth the effort. The video were Sara explains how to make it is so clear I'm thinking that is the way to go. Four bucks a bottle from the store is like buying a Starbucks everyday.
I used to buy it at the store
I bought a brand called GT Dave's, which was great.
http://www.synergydrinks.com/home.aspx
One day, it was no longer available. After some snooping around, I found that either the state of MA, or the Feds had it pulled because they didn't like the fact it was "raw" food. Other brands are available in the store are available, but they're not as good.
I started brewing my own because, like you said, four bucks a day is expensive. I bought my scooby online from http://kombucha.org/ for $25. It has been more than worth it for me.
As for your cramps, pain: They do note that it can take the body some time to get used to it, so in the beginning, you shouldn't drink too much, and / or dilute it with water until your body acclimates. Kombucha.org notes:
You should be very careful regarding the amount of Kombucha Tea you use initially. As a rule, most people would be best served by limiting intake to a maximum of 2 oz., 2X daily (4 oz. total) to start. We have reference to user's suffering discomfort from excessive use of K-Tea.
'Always be yourself. Everyone else is taken.' - Oscar Wilde
For those that don't want to
For those that don't want to or can't buy a scoby, it is very easy to make your own from a bottle of store bought Kombucha. Just put it in a glass, cover it with cloth with a rubber band securing it on, put it on top of the refrigerator for a week or so or until a cm thick scoby forms at the top. Then use the scoby and the leftover tea in the new batch.
Good advice Michael
By the way, I met Dave in his "exhibiting" days and trial sales inside health stores like Wild Oats before they became Whole Foods. He and his mom just made it at home at first. I like his "algae" blend.
Dave wants to heal people. . . a good man.
And never forget, “Humans, despite our artistic pretensions, our sophistication and many accomplishments, owe the fact of our existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains.”
G.T. pulled it
from the whole country, because the alcohol content was too high. Lindsay Lohan was seen drinking it in order to get around her probation and that drew attention to it. They're trying to figure out how to lower the alcohol content so they can get it back out on the shelves.
My favorite people in the world: Ron Paul, Glenn Beck, Peter Schiff, Judge Napolitano, Milton Friedman, Bob Barr, and John Stossel
It sat around too long.
It was the Feds, BATF if I recall. Their distribution chain is long and the Kombucha continues fermenting in the bottle raising the alcohol content. Find a local brewer who can get it to market faster.
Thanks Michael...
Either it was on the label and I didn't notice it, or it just wasn't on the label. Bcause you know, i drank the entire bottle! DP clearing things up for me once again!
+...Pray for Your Enemies and Moral Courage for Righteous Leaders, so that Justice Will Be Delivered to the Innocent...+
Interesting
This is the first ive heard of kombucha.. thanks for this post, it looks like it has all the info i need to look into this!
Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts
ℛ[ƎVO˩]ution
"When one gets in bed with government,
one must expect the diseases it spreads."
"It's not like I'm a powerful person. My ideas are."
I am a big fan of kombucha
I've been brewing my own for a couple of years. It does well in the summer when the kitchen is warm, but in the winter it slows down.
Any tips on how I can keep it at optimal temperature during the colder months.
Thanks for this resource!
'Always be yourself. Everyone else is taken.' - Oscar Wilde
Heating Pad
You can get heating elements to put under the container.