I Brew Kombucha Do You?

It is controversial in the health world, but you have those who swear by it and those who say it is dangerous. Kind of like raw milk. Kombucha has an interesting history and people have been making and drinking it for thousands of years. While there is not any major scientific studies done on the benefits of drinking it, there is also no big company pushing to have the benefits and safety verified. I am okay trusting what others say about their experiences, seeing as most people are not trying to sell me something that I can make for under a dollar a gallon. That being said you should make this decision for yourself and drink it at your own risk, as if you do not handle it properly you can become sick from drinking it. Just like anything raw and live understand what you are putting into your body and use common sense, everything in moderation!

What is kombucha?

It is a tea that is fermented with a live bacterial culture called a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) or tea mushroom. This culture changes the tea and sugar into a probiotic drink. To gain any benefits from this tea the recommended amount to drink is 4-6 oz per day, however there are people who drink way more than that and are better off for it. Like any probiotic you will want to get your body adjusted before drinking that much.

What nutrients does kombucha contain?

You get antioxidants from the tea, probiotics, enzymes, gluconic acid.
If you look at these key nutrients the benefits you gain are

• Energy boost 
• Improved digestion and assimilation from the probiotic
• Kills Candida over growth with high acid content 
• Liver detox from the gluconic acid
• Immune support from antioxidants
• Joint lubrication

Some say that it is beneficial in cancer prevention and treatment from high levels of gluconic acid. President Ronald Regan reportedly drank Kombucha to treat his stomach cancer and it is noted he died of old age not cancer. However again this is not proven but interesting information to think about.
I feel kombucha is more of a body balancer and when your body is balanced it is better equip to heal it's self. You have to try it to see how and what it does for your body. 

Possible Risks for nursing/pregnant mothers

It is worth noting that the heavy meal and environmental detoxing that occurs in the liver from kombucha poses a possible risk to the pregnant and nursing mother. If you have a moldy SCOBY it can make you sick or if you are not properly hydrated the detox from the acid will be too strong and can cause those toxins to escape your body through milk or to the unborn baby. You can buy pH test strips to see that your brew is not too high in acid. A pH of 2.5-3 is a good level.

Kombucha is rated at a level 5 safety for breastfeeding moms. Now the La Lache League administrator did say it was probably "out of an abundance of caution" because of the lack of evidence either way. So if you decide to drink it while nursing and you notice any change in your infants stools becoming more frequent, blowing out all the time or your baby shows excessive fussiness it would be time to stop drinking the tea.

Also there is alcohol in Kombucha so I would wait 3 hours after drinking it to nurse and avoid altogether while pregnant. It has about .05-1% alcohol depending on various factors. So 12 oz of Kombucha has roughly the same alcohol content as 2-3 oz of beer. To compare, fruit juice that has sat out all day, has the alcohol content of .08%. You know what is best for your body and baby so listen to it.

How do I make it?

It only takes a few simple ingredients to make a batch of kombucha and you can do lots of variations as well by changing types of teas and sugar. I even knew someone who made kombucha with Dr Pepper! However as some of the sugar remains after the bacteria feeds off it I would not use anything containing corn syrup.  The point is to make something good for you that tastes good too. Anyway here is what you will need

Kombucha Tea

• 1 Kombucha SCOBY
• 1 Cup of starter tea from the original brew
• 1 Cup sugar, maple syrup, agave, coconut sugar ect.
• 8 tea bags of your choice (you can use herbal)
• 1 gallon glass jar
• coffee filter or cheese cloth 
• rubber band
• wooden spoon
• 12 cups filtered water

Heat the water to it is just ready to boil then take off the heat and pour into your glass container. Add the tea bags and sugar and stir till sugar is dissolved.

Let tea cool. (Do not add the SCOBY till the tea has completely cooled off.)

Take out tea bags and add in the starter tea then the SCOBY. (Do not use any metal in contact with the SCOBY)

Cover the top of the container with cheese cloth or a coffee filter and secure with a rubber band.

Let it set in a warm area, about 70-80 degrees, for 7 or more days. The kombucha should be tangy, and have a vinegary taste with some sweet in the background.

You can take the remaining tea (all but one cup for the next starter batch) out of the bigger container and keep in smaller glass jars with plastic tops in the refrigerator. Now you can start another batch, and eventually you will have baby SCOBY's to give away for others to brew their own batches, it is the gift that keeps on giving!

 If you find you don't like the taste you can use it in place of vinegar in any recipe. I like to use it for dressings. Some people mix it with fresh fruit juice and let it ferment another two days it becomes more fizzy and soda like that way. At any rate we enjoy it and I hope you give it a try!

                                                                   The Farmer in the Dell