What Is Kombucha Tea?
Usually I write about the wonders of my favorite beverage, green tea, but I’ve been reading a lot about Kombucha tea lately, so I thought I’d write a little about it - in case you were curious too!
I had always thought Kombucha was a mushroom! Turns out I was almost right. Kombucha is not a mushroom; rather, it’s a colony of bacteria and yeast. Kombucha tea is made by adding the colony to sugar and black or green tea and allowing the mix to ferment. The resulting liquid contains vinegar, B vitamins and a number of other chemical compounds.
It is a sweet-sour, fermented, acidic, slightly carbonated beverage and has been used as a “fountain of youth elixir” in China for thousands of years.
Only a few of the health claims made for Kombucha tea have a scientific basis, even though some existing studies do suggest potential health benefits. Other studies suggest that too much Kombucha can be detrimental to your health - so be careful!