mmm...kombucha

I thought I would take a moment to spread my new love of kombucha--a handmade Chinese tea that is cultured for 30 days, harvesting all sorts of active enzymes, probiotics, amino acids and antioxidants.

I am currently sprung on the Synergy kombucha, which is generally available in the raw foods section of Whole Foods. If you like things that taste bad in a good way, go for original. If you only drink nummy flavors, Divine Grape will change your life.

Allegedly, kombucha supports digestion, immune system, liver function, cell integrity as well as skin and hair...so I decided to do a little background research.

This site was very well-rounded, addressing the alleged health benefits, but also confronting the fact that this magical tea has been hailed as an elixir of life for centuries because, during those times, most people did not have appropriate diets. The implications are likely much more limited now that generally people have access to the good stuff, and whoever the fuck is drinking kombucha in the first place is probably more health-savvy.

It also addresses the two deaths potentially linked to over-consumption of kombucha, and clarifies:

There is probably no food that is safe for everybody! The Kombucha tea beverage can be a delightful, healthful food for many and a low grade poison for others. Remember the ancient but very valid observation of Lucretus, "ONE MAN’S MEAT IS ANOTHER MAN’S POISON."

Kombucha tea, if taken in excess, like any substance, can be harmful. For most adults, about four ounces of Kombucha tea twice or three times a day is probably the maximum amount of the tea that should be ingested. To go much beyond this amount one runs the risk of the reverse effect. (See the outstanding book THE REVERSE EFFECT written by NOHA member Walter Heiby [link]). It is extremely important to emphasize that excessive amounts can indeed be hazardous over a period of time. Many people erroneously assume that if a little is good, more is better. They, and anyone who works with nutrition, would be well advised to read the above book which has 4,281 scientific references showing the reverse effect of dosage of the various nutrients.

Anyhow...it really is great. Just don't drink too much (because it is tempting)