By Jennifer Adler, M.S., C.N.
Popping the cap off a bottle of kombucha—or “mushroom tea,” as it’s known by some—is a complete sensory experience. There’s the snap, crackle and fizz of carbonated bubbles, the visual display of mysterious slimy globules that slow-float as if in a psychedelic lava lamp, and the sharp vinegary tang that hits the nose like a slap. While fizzy, vinegary and slimy are not exactly the most tantalizing food descriptors, this trendy tea has a peculiar allure that’s winning devotees nationwide. At Google’s California corporate headquarters, the cafeteria slings upwards of 100 cups of homemade brew a day, and GT’s Kombucha, one of the most popular bottled brands on the market, reaps annual sales in the millions.
Kombucha may be one of the latest fads, but the stringy, tan-colored concoction has a lengthy history. Its roots stretch back to ancient China, where, as early as 221 BC, a tea called “the remedy for immortality” was brewed from fungi said to have magical properties. Kombucha eventually made its way into the natural health world of Germany in the early twentieth century, before debuting in the United States among the health-thirsty flower children of the 1960s.
The Mother Sip
Kombucha is not actually a mushroom at all, but a symbiotic colony of yeast and beneficial bacteria that grows in sugar-sweetened black tea. As in any yeast, a “mother” creates or buds a new “baby” with each new batch. Yeast budding makes it very convenient to share and “pass on” the kombucha craze. Owners of the brown, pancake-sized kombucha mothers have the option to start their own colony by placing the newly budded babes in a mixture of black tea and sugar. Left to rest in a warm, peaceful place, the colony grows until the black tea liquid reaches its desired flavor, in a few days or weeks.
“I can see that kombucha has live-culture benefits,” offers Sandor Ellix Katz, author of Wild Fermentation. “But when you can ferment vegetables, milk, beans, honey and so many more wholesome foods, why focus your fermentation practice around sugar and tea?”
Maybe it’s the ancient folklore or maybe it’s the “mother” infatuation. Whatever it is, this bubbly beverage has its own niche in the marketplace, and even Katz admits to drinking and enjoying it.
“I do believe that kombucha is full of beneficial live-cultures and enzymes,” he says. “But I am skeptical of the many miracle health claims that people make on its behalf.”
Kombucha’s Health Claims
Some of those health claims include: facilitating detoxification, boosting metabolism, assisting digestion and even curing cancer. Advocates believe that kombucha works by assisting the liver’s ability to detoxify the body. This hypothesis is due to early observations of increased glucuronic acid conjugates in the urine after kombucha consumption, a signifier of increased detoxification by the liver. However, more recent analysis of kombucha offers other explanations for its potential health benefits. First, kombucha’s high levels of organic acids help maintain proper acid/alkaline balance in the body by promoting tissue and blood alkalinity. The fermented brew is also rich in antioxidants and amino acids, namely L-threonine, which supports healthy protein balance.
A Cornell University study on the tea’s anti-microbial activity found that kombucha’s acetic acid content rendered it helpful against a range of pathogenic bacteria. But beyond this sole study, no authoritative research has been performed to prove or disprove the anecdotal raves of kombucha converts.
In addition to its potential properties as a liver booster, kombucha is loaded with enzymes and healthy bacteria thought to enhance the digestive process. Kombucha drinkers swear by the drink as a preventative for post-meal heartburn and acid reflux. Some rely on the fizzy bite of kombucha as an energy boost to battle the dreaded mid-afternoon slump (the tea’s copious quantities of B-vitamins make it a great caffeine-free energy drink).
If intrigued, start your own colony, or try your luck with some readily available bottled kombucha, and see if this magical elixir is a match for you.
This article is from Well Being Journal, Volume 18, No. 2, March/April 2009.
Jennifer Adler, M.S., C.N., provides individual and family nutrition counseling in person and over the phone at her private practice, Realize Health, www.realizehealth.com. She is an adjunct faculty member at Bastyr University. She holds a master of science in clinical nutrition and counseling from Bastyr University, and trained at the School of Natural Cookery in Boulder, Colorado.
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