Kombucha Anyone?

Just wondering if anyone else around here brews or drinks Kombucha; Kombucha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia?

I've been brewing and drinking it for a few months with no adverse affects and some minor positive ones. For example, I haven't been sick since I've been drinking it and usually catch some minor bug when the seasons change or when the usual nasties get passed around (and consistently being in high traffic public places doesn't help). Maybe my immune system has gotten a bit of a boost, but I can't prove a connection so I won't make any magnificent claims for it. In general, though, edible yeasts and probiotic bacteria are supposed to be beneficial for digestion and possibly other metabolic processes, so at the very least, it's like eating yogurt for the probiotics.

Hey Russell, only because I was involved in some of the leg work during the investigation. The following is a very balanced report by highly competent folks, where some sites that promote the use of Kombucha are not.

Unexplained Severe Illness Possibly Associated with Consumption of Kombucha Tea -- Iowa, 1995

None of the suspected causes were ever identified.

Yeah, I've seen alot of the solid documentation, as well as the junk that's out there. There was a case of a person getting lead poisoning from using a ceramic vessel that had a glaze on it that released lead into the acidic kombucha, but nearly all of the info sites tell you to use glass to be safe.

Do you have a personal opinion on the stuff?

No opinion one way or the other. As long as you are getting some benefit (and are careful as above from the cooking and cleaning), I can't possibly tell you that what you are doing is bad for you. Especially when I have no contrary evidence.

A good many of our current therapies were based on trial and error results from the herbalists with a lot longer experience than present day western medicine has. One example is red rice yeast. This is where all our anti cholesterol medications came from. Peoples who ate this yeast didn't have as many heart problems. When they figured out the compound that was giving them the benefit, bingo, a new medicine.

There is also the psychological benefit of confidence. None of us in the health business have any right to take away any person's confidence. Besides, the human gut can take just about anything.