kombucha daily, too much?

[joya]

Hello All,

I have yet another question.

Apparently my addictive personality has found another vice, (or perhaps its a virtue?)... Kombucha. Specifically, the Synergy brand.

I've been drinking one bottle of this a day. (mango or guava flavor, yum!)

I'm wondering if this is too much? I know, I know... everything in moderation, but I am thinking this might be okay. What what I've read it's pretty good for one's health. Any thoughts? Any daily kombucha drinkers out there?

Hey, it's better than eating a cremehorn everyday, which was my last obsession. :)

[Carlsbad]

I do it too. :p The key thing for me in terms of whether or not it is "okay," is listening to my body. On the days when I don't have a kombucha for whatever reason, I don't notice it. With other "addictions," I'd be thinking about whatever it was all the time, and I would definitely notice if I didn't have one one day (i.e. diet soda). So the fact that I don't go into any sort of physical or mental withdrawal without the kombucha lets me know that my body is okay with it.

It does get expensive though!

[northernstars]

I found that for nearly a month I was drinking up to a quart a day, then settled down and was drinking just a cup or so. The kombucha got rid of a very severe asthma I had and I was able to get rid of all my asthma medications until last year when I was again hospitalized after my stroke! My husband bought a new kombucha starter off ebay and now we make kombucha regularly and once again the asthma disappeared!

From what I read in a book I borrowed from a healthfood store about kombucha it is fine to drink that amount daily.

I found that IF I want asthma, all I have to do is start taking medications and it comes back! I think that is due to the medications causing my body to become very acidic soon after taking them.

[lynnc72]

Yes, I'm an addict too :o

Homemade tastes so much better IMO and much much cheaper!! My brew finish so quickly nowadays that I shared a gallon of it with co-workers today. Good way to make friends too ;)

I drink about 8 to 32 oz a day.

[blizzful7]

lynnc72,

Can you give me a resource (site, book...) on how to make my own?

[northernstars]

My husband googled kombucha and there was a lot of info to read. You might want to try that. Also, the person from ebay where he got the kombucha also sent info on how to use it.

Basically it was to boil some water with added sugar (for the kombucha), add the black tea bag (I also used some red berry zinger tea for really good flavor, half black and half red) let it steep for at least 20 minutes and then cool to room temperature. Remove the kombucha and put this tea in a ceramic or glass container, add more water to bring it up to the amount needed, cover with a tea towel or cheesecloth and set aside for about a week. I found that if I put this tea in a bottle and capped it that it somewhat carbonated! Then refrigerate the tea and it keeps well. I also always refrigerate the kombucha and the new one that was made during the week of sitting.

I also loved giving away the babies so that other people could have a start on the tea. Your original kombucha start will last for at least two or three times before you actually need a new baby.

I have used kombucha for over 15 years off and on. I now add some to my savory green smoothie in the morning.

[lynnc72]

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/original_kombucha
http://www.geocities.com/kombucha_balance/

[lynnc72]

Free SCOBYs can be found at the yahoo list I posted. All you pay is postage.

You can make your own SCOBY like I did. It took about 2 months to grow a thick SCOBY. It's easy, but takes patience.

1. Buy bottle of Kombucha from store (GT's brand is unpasteurized).
2. Brew white/green/black tea.
3. Add white sugar to warm tea to dissolve.
4. Cool sweet tea to room temperature.
5. Pour everything into a glass jar.
6. Cover with old cotton shirt and tie tightly with rubber band.
7. Wait 1-3 months for SCOBY to form.

Read everything you can about Kombucha while waiting for SCOBY to form. That's what I did :D

[Stina]

I get too wired to drink a whole bottle of the Synergy. Reminds me of my drinking days :confused: But I will occasionally buy a bottle and drink one to two ounces a day. I'm surprized I have the will power to do that. But that little amount is gently energizing without being too stimulating. I'll drink a whole bottle if I'm going out to see live music and going dancing!

[greenfeline]

I love kombucha too, but the white sugar thing bothers me. How can it be so great for you if there is white sugar in it? Can you use agave or a little stevia?

[Clare]

Stevia has no calories. The probiotics need food! You feed them white sugar but they turn it into other organic molecules like glucuronic acid, malic acid, etc...those and the microbes themselves are why we drink the kombucha, not for trace minerals/vitamins such as in molasses and honey. You can spend a lot more money using agave or maple but the results might be unpredictable. I brew mine until the whole thing tastes like vinegar - I cannot detect any sugar at all. Mine eats a cup of sugar per week. You can buy fair-trade unbleached sugar in bulk at the HFS

[Jeannine]

I'm a daily kombucha drinker and I have not noticed any negative side effects. I brew my own from a scoby I bought online.

When I'm in the mood for a beer but don't want to drink, I drink kombucha and I feel really, really satisified.

Here are my tips for brewing. These are time honored traditions GUARANTEED to make the best brew possible:

1. Use filtered water. If you have a Brita filter like me, you may find that the water will boil before you are able to fill the darn pot up. Keep filtering until your water reaches the top of the biggest pot you have.

2. Stand next to the pot. Remember that old saying that a watched pot never boils? Well the opposite is true for kombucha. Your water will not boil unless you are standing right next to it. For fastest results, put your face over the top and caress the sides of the pot until it gets too hot to touch.

3. Use the most expensive organic sugar you can get. I don't have a good reason for this, except that mother earth appreciates organic. Plus you've heard the stuff about the bones in the processing (ewww!) - better to just avoid white sugar altogether.

4. Hold the tea bags. You could drape the strings over the sides, but it won't work. You must hold them, gently swirling through the water for 5 minutes. Occasionally lift the tea bags up and gleefully anticipate the magical drink.

5. Drink while you make. This should be #1 - you cannot make kombucha without drinking kombucha. It just won't work, period.

6. Cool to room temperature in an ice bath. I have left the tea out overnight and it is still burning hot in the morning (it's the strangest thing). Unless you want to wait an EXTRA day for your brew to be ready, fill your sink with ice water, place your pot in, and gently stir the kombucha until it is room temperature.

And finally..... the MOST important brewing tip I have for you:

7. Sing while you make your brew. Not any song, it HAS to be sung to MC Hammer's "Hammer Time". Use your best voice for the opening notes - Bhwew doo dee doo,drrr DRRR, KOM-BU-CHA (cant-touch-this). This works best when combined with a dance and in front of a loved one. Use the hips. No need for parachute pants.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMzoBkaFxh4

Follow these SIMPLE instructions, and you will be the envy of all your friends. Good luck, let us know how it turns out!