Another Gift From Russia

Another delicious, refreshing and salutary beverage consumed in Russia is chainyi grib, known in the US as kombucha, made from tea, sugar and a culture or "mushroom." Actually, fermented tea is consumed throughout Japan, Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, Manchuria and Indonesia as well as Russia. Other names for the drink are teeschwamm, wunderpilz, hongo, cajnij, fungus japonicus and teewass.
The tea fungus or culture is a symbiotic combination of vinegar-producing bacteria (Acetobacter sp.) with at least two yeasts. The fungus can only form when the Acetobacter and yeasts are present together. When Acetobacter is used alone, gas is produced and the film or culture does not form. The culture transforms sweetened black tea into a slightly fizzy, sour drink, redolent of cider, via a combination of acetic, lactic-acid and glucoronic fermentation. In the process, virtually all the sugar and caffeine are transformed into other compounds.
Kombucha is safe and healthy when prepared according to directions. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, remove from heat, add 1 cup of white sugar and steep with 4 bags of organic black tea. To avoid contamination, the sweetened tea should then be placed in a clean, clear glass bowl and the "mushroom" placed carefully on top. Place a crisscross of masking tape across the bowl and cover with a clean towel. Place in a warm, protected spot for about eight days until the beverage becomes suitably acid.
Some people claim that kombucha is not safe, but when reasonable care is taken, "you’re more likely to find contamination in a cup of coffee than in a cup of properly prepared kombucha," according to Dr. Samuel Page of the FDA. Of course, if the kombucha develops mold, you should not drink it—just as you would not consume any food that developed mold.

Kombucha is rich in B vitamins and a substance called glucuronic acid which binds up environmental and metabolic toxins so that they can be excreted through the kidneys. Glucuronic acid is a natural acid that is produced by the liver. Kombucha simply supplies the body with more and boosts the natural detoxification process. Glucuronic acid is also the building block of a group of important polysaccharides that include hyaluronic acid (a basic component of connective tissue), chondroitin sulfate (a basic component of cartilage) and mucoitinsulfuric acid (a building block of the stomach lining and the vitreous humor of the eye).In some cases, consumption of kombucha tea can provoke an allergic reaction. According to some practitioners, this is evidence that the liver is very toxic and cannot handle the detoxification products that the kombucha helps release. In these cases, it is best to begin the detox process using beet kvass, which helps the liver cleanse itself. Usually after two or three weeks of taking 8-12 ounces daily of beet kvass, the kombucha will be well tolerated and can be drunk both for its good taste and medicinal qualities.
Glucuronic acid content usually reaches its maximum on the eighth day, when the pH reaches 2.6. For testing, use pH Hydracid Papers 1-6, which can be obtained through any pharmacy.
Researchers looking at the toxic effects of fluoride have recently raised concerns about kombucha because most commercial tea is very high in fluoride. Fortunately, kombucha made with organic tea contains very little fluoride. We had fluoride levels tested in organic black tea and in the kombucha made with the tea. The levels in the tea were only slightly higher than those in the filtered water from which it was made and actually slightly lower in the kombucha than in the black tea. These results suggest that the process of fermentation actually removes some of the fluoride from the tea and may explain why the kombucha "mushroom" eventually gets black. These older, darkened "mushrooms" can be replaced with the newer, cleaner "babies" that grow on top of the original "mushroom" during the fermentation process.
more .....

Kombucha is the Western name for sweetened tea or tisane that has been fermented using a macroscopic solid mass of microorganisms called a "kombucha colony".

Biology of Kampucha : The culture contains a symbiosis of Acetobacter (acetic acid bacteria) and yeast, mostly Brettanomyces bruxellensis, Candida stellata, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Torulaspora delbrueckii and Zygosaccharomyces bailii.

The culture itself looks somewhat like a large pancake, and though often called a mushroom, a Mother of vinegar or by the acronym SCOBY (for "Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast"), it is clinically known as a zoogleal mat.

History: The recorded history of this drink dates back to the Qin Dynasty in China (around 250 BC). The Chinese called it the "Immortal Health Elixir," because they believed Kombucha balanced the Middle Qi (Spleen and Stomach) and aided in digestion, allowing the body to focus on healing. Knowledge of kombucha eventually reached Russia and then Eastern Europe around the Early Modern Age, when tea first became affordable to the populace. The name "kombucha" is said to have originated in Japan in 415 AD. Reportedly, a Korean physician called Kombu or Kambu treated the Emperor Inyko with the tea. It became known by a combination of the name, "Kombu" and the word, "cha," meaning tea. However, in Japan, kombucha tea is known as "kocha kinoko" which translates as "tea mushroom". Kombu literally means "kelp" in Japanese and the name "Kombucha" is used to refer to a hot drink made from powdered kelp.

Components: Kombucha contains many different cultures along with several organic acids, active enzymes, amino acids, and polyphenols.For the home brewer, there is no way to know the amounts of the components unless a sample is sent to a laboratory. The US Food and Drug Administration has no findings on the effects of kombucha. Final kombucha may contain some of the following components depending on the source of the culture: Acetic acid, which provides much anti-microbial activity; butyric acid, gluconic acid, glucuronic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, oxalic acid, usnic acid, as well as some B-vitamins.

Due to the acidic fermentation process used in its brewing, Kombucha contains ethyl alcohol in amounts that vary from 0.5% to 1.5%, depending on anaerobic brewing time and proportions of microbe. Commercial preparations are typically 0.5% for distribution and safety reasons.

Scientific Claims: Health claims for kombucha focus on a chemical called glucuronic acid, a compound that is used by the liver for detoxification. The idea that glucuronic acid is present in kombucha is based on the observation that glucuronic acid conjugates (glucuronic acid + waste chemicals) are increased in the urine after consumption of kombucha.

Early chemical analysis of kombucha brew suggested that glucuronic acid was the key component, and researchers hypothesized that the extra glucuronic acid would assist the liver by supplying more of the substance during detoxification. These analyses were done using gas chromatography to identify the different chemical constituents, but this method relies on having proper chemical standards to match to the unknown chemicals. A more recent and thorough analysis, outlined in the book in Analysis of Kombucha Ferments by Michael Roussin. suggests a different explanation. Roussin reports on an extensive chemical analysis of a variety of commercial and homebrew versions of kombucha, and finds no evidence of glucuronic acid at all. These scientific measurements contradict the earlier studies and conflict with the original hypothesis.

Instead, Roussin discovered that the active component in kombucha is most likely glucaric acid. This compound, also known as D - glucaro -1,4 lactone, helps in the elimination of glucuronic acid conjugates that are produced by the liver. When glucuronic acid conjugates are disposed in the bowel during the elimination process, normal gut bacteria can break up these conjugates using an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase. Glucaric acid is an inhibitor of this bacterial enzyme, so the end result is that the glucuronic acid + waste is properly eliminated the first time, rather than being reabsorbed and detoxified over and over. Thus, glucaric acid probably makes the liver more efficient.

Interestingly, glucaric acid is commonly found in fruits and vegetables, and is being explored independently as a cancer preventive agent. It has also been discovered that the bacterial beta-glucuronidase enzyme can interfere with proper disposal of a chemotherapeutic agent, and that antibiotics against the gut microbiota can prevent toxicity of some chemotherapy drugs (http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/56/16/3752.)

Reports of adverse reactions may be related to unsanitary fermentation conditions, leaching of compounds from the fermentation vessels, or "sickly" kombucha cultures that cannot acidify the brew. Cleanliness is important during preparation, and in most cases, the acidity of the fermented drink prevents growth of unwanted contaminants. If a culture becomes contaminated, it will most likely be seen as common mold, green or brown in color.