Kombucha tea benefits

Anyone around here actually drink this stuff?
Here’s the breakdown of what’s packed inside (in English):

Below is a list of some of the major ingredients found in Kombucha:

Various Enzymes

Acetic acid - detoxifier

Carbonic acid - presents in blood aids in CO2 release and regulation of blood pH levels.

Folic Acid - a B vitamin, works with vitamin B12 in reducing homocysteine, a risk factor for Heart Disease. Supplementation may prevent, correct deficiencies caused by, or be helpful with, Aging, Cancer, Crohn's disease, Heart Disease (atherosclerosis & hypercholesterolemia), Immunodepression (including AIDS & CFIDS), Memory loss (including Alzheimer's disease), Osteoporosis, Periodontal disease.

Gluconic acid - acts as a food preservative and is a product of the breakdown of glucose.

Glucuronic acid - Vital to detoxification of the body also produced by the healthy human liver. A precursor for mucopolysaccharide which helps in the prevention of the aging of skin tissue. There is a scientific dispute as to whether or not Kombucha contains this acid or its precursors. Trying to understand this debate and who is right or wrong will give you a headache.

L(+) Lactic acid - detoxifier, assist blood circulation, helps prevent bowel decay and constipation. Acid-base balance and believed to help in the prevention of cancer by helping to regulate blood pH levels.

Usnic acid - inhibits viruses an anti-bacterial agent.

Amino acids (various) - anti-aging properties, aids in the body's production of Growth Hormone (GH). Hydroxy acids (various)

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) - believed to aid in the prevention of arthritic conditions, atherosclerosis, cancer, free radical damage, skin aging, stroke, brain cell aging, and a immune system stimulant

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) - believed to aid in the prevention of allergies, arthritic conditions.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin, niacinamide) - believed to aid in prevention of arthritic conditions, hair loss and free radical damage. Skin healing. Promotes sexual excitation and stamina, also used as a tranquilizer substitute in high doses.

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) - believed to aid in the prevention of atherosclerosis, free radical damage, obesity, rheumatism, stroke, and promotes "sex flush" and orgasm.

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin, cyanocobalamin) - believed to aid in memory and learning functions.

Vitamin C (from Lactic acid) - numerous known health benefits, too many to list.

You can find more info on this site:
http://www.kombu.de/croa-1.htm

But seriously, watch out—if this isn't brewed under sterile conditions, it can become straight-up dangerous!

I used to be an active user here. I had access to the mushroom about 6 or 7 years ago and would drink the tea periodically, right up until around 2000 or 2001 when the batch finally gave out on me. Actually, it didn't just die—it was constantly molding. There was no way to fix it, so I had to toss it. A few months back, I started a thread over on the Health forum looking for more, but I didn't get any bites. It seems like most people don't know the first thing about it. That’s actually a huge advantage—it’s incredible for detoxing the system and general healing.

Honestly, I am absolutely obsessed with all these herbal remedies and teas (I actually have a cup of green tea right here next to me—my friends always joke that I’m basically a witch because I’m constantly brewing something up 😬)

Where can I pick some of those mushrooms up, and what kind of price am I looking at?

Check out the link in my first post; everything’s laid out there in English, and you'll find the contact info for this gentleman over in Washington, D.C., who gives these mushrooms away for free. My sister actually picked some up from him, but she just started her little experiment, so she hasn't really gotten organized enough to pass any along to anyone yet.
You seriously have to be careful not to mess this up—everything needs to be completely sterilized when you're brewing the tea or bottling it up.
Later, guys.

Man, tell me about it. What kind of monster is that thing? We actually tried keeping one at our place, but I guess it just grew so massive we couldn't even hold onto it anymore, so we ended up just getting rid of it. It grows like crazy, honestly.😲

bluewalker36 said:Man, tell me what kind of monster we're dealing with here? We had one at home once, but it grew so freaking huge we couldn't even find a spot to keep it, so we just dumped the whole thing. Now it's growing like crazy everywhere!😲

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Don't you get that you can just easily split it into layers and toss the old bottom stuff? Honestly, after about 8 to 10 fermentations, it's actually better to just restart fresh with one of the "babies."
By the way, have any of you guys noticed any actual positive changes since you started drinking this stuff?
Later.

Ugh. My ex-mother-in-law’s bloody diarrhea 😈

So, did any of you actually manage to track down that mushroom?

Kenneth Hernandez67 said:Yeah, my ex-mother-in-law had bloody diarrhea.😈

She probably didn't prep it right. She keeps saying everything has to be sterile, otherwise you risk your health.😲

Jose Gray5 bought some last month, but I wouldn't risk it personally. Dealing with germs and "sterility" in a college dorm? No thanks! hehe

Jose Gray5 said:---------------------------------------------------------------

I mean, don't you know you can just easily separate it into layers and toss out the old stuff at the bottom? Honestly, after maybe 8 or 10 fermentations, it’s probably better to just start over using one of the "babies." Has anyone actually noticed any real positive changes from drinking the tea?
Best,

Who could possibly remember? That was ages ago, and I was just a little kid back then. My mom used to tell me she felt some improvements, though.

Anyone else here recently started sipping on kombucha? I’m curious—what are your honest thoughts so far?

I love the idea of growing my own mushrooms, but I’ve been reading up on it, and apparently, maintaining an incredibly high level of hygiene is absolutely critical if you want the final product to be safe. Honestly, I’m too skeptical to take any chances here. You’re supposed to use these to boost an immune system that's already struggling, so why would I risk hitting it with a bunch of microorganisms, including potential pathogens?

casualowl32 said:Anyone else here recently started sipping on kombucha? I’m curious—what are your honest thoughts so far?

So, I've been drinking this stuff for ages, but I'm new to this forum. I got my own SCOBY and started brewing about 13 years ago. Before that, I mean, every single year I’d end up bedridden with the flu for a week, plus two or three nasty colds every winter, sinus issues, digestive stuff that was just... a mess.

Ever since I started, I didn't just feel more immune; I felt this surge of energy and, I don't know, optimism? Looking back, even the music I listened to felt more upbeat—before that, everything I played seemed so dark and heavy.
Digestion has been totally regular all these years (at least once a day... 😉). Since that first autumn, I haven't really gotten sick for seven years straight, except for that one time when I moved to a different state, and then basically eight years of being solid and flu-resistant without needing any shots. I've always struggled with my immunity, ever since I was a kid.

Plus, over the last few years, strangers constantly tell me I look younger than I am. I'm in my 40s now, but people honestly ask if I'm still in college. I actually stopped drinking it for a year just to "reset" and make sure I wasn't getting too dependent on it. But then my joints started acting up (after being off it for maybe six months), so I went back to the tea, and the pain just... vanished. During that year I skipped it, I noticed gray hairs coming in faster and my skin started looking way more wrinkled. Now? It’s better again.

I've moved it with me through various cities and states, and I never saw a speck of mold or anything weird happen to it. I've shared it with plenty of people, and everyone I know had good results. A few folks who can't stand sour flavors or vinegar types wouldn't touch it because they hated the taste. And one acquaintance who usually deals with loose stools complained he had to hit the restroom more often when he drank it. Those were basically the only downsides I've seen.

To answer an earlier question: yeah, I've kept it in all sorts of college dorms, and there was never a problem. Things don't need to be hospital-sterile, I guess. You just have to wash the jar, boil the sugar water because microbes can hide in there, and cover the top with a cloth and a rubber band so the SCOBY can breathe, but keeps fruit flies and other pests from getting in to lay eggs.