Kombu-wha???

I've been drinking this stuff for a few a weeks now. It has an acquired taste and an interesting story behind it. It can be known as a fad, a healthful beverage, or something that is not always safe to drink.

Kombucha (according to Wikipedia): a tea-based beverage that is often drunk for its anecdotal health benefits or medicinal purposes. Kombucha is available commercially and can be made at home by fermenting tea using a visible, solid mass of yeast and bacteria which forms the kombucha culture, often referred to as the "mushroom" or the "mother."

Synergy brand is a popular Kombucha drink company

The word that I noticed the most out of this definition was 'anecdotal' not because it sounds neat and uber intelligent but because that's how I view kombucha. From what I've "researched" on this beverage, there isn't much evidence that would have me come to the conclusion that it's a healthful and beneficial drink. Although it does come with warnings, especially for those who want to brew up a batch of their own, I still drink it.

I tell my friends it's like revitalizing stomach acid and although it has an acquired taste, I try to reassure myself that I'm doing something good for my body despite what the critics may say about a drink that smells like vinegar and is hard to chug*
*critics being myself.

A brief history lesson - the drink dates back to 19th century Russia and people in China and Japan have been drinking it for a long time. Done. See, I told you it'd be brief. Kombucha is a pro-biotic drink, meaning it contains good bacteria that help the body fight off bad bacteria. It also contains B vitamins, alcohol ( a veryy insignificant amount although the first time I drank kombucha I felt very floaty at work), and a lot of acid (amino, gluconic, lactic, and blah blah blah).

Pro-kombuchites claim that the drink helps with eyesight, aids in digestion, improves energy levels, prevents aging, and aids in cancer recovery (the last one I beg to differ with). There are other claims that it helps detoxify the liver but again, none of these studies have been proven on humans and if these studies existed (which they probably do) a definite answer hasn't been found yet.

With every food or beverage, there comes a precaution. My roommate Gianna sent me a picture message of a brief article she found in a magazine (not sure which one) but it stated the following:
Mark Moyad, M.D. says the drink may be risky: "It's very acidic, which could be a problem if your liver or kidneys aren't filtering properly. And if your immune system isn't up to speed, as in the case of a cancer or AIDS patient, the yeast and bacteria could be dangerous." Shit. Talk about a kidney infection.

I have to admit it's a bit pricey, ranging anywhere between $3-5. The floaty-like feeling I get wouldn't necessarily be worth that much but hey, it's cheaper than most alcohols. Even Lindsay Lohan likes it.

Funny story: My boss was having a bad day and on my lunch break I went to Whole Foods Market. I saw that GT's Kombucha was on sale 2 for $4. So I got myself one and my boss one thinking it'd uplift her spirits and all that good shit. She was out to lunch when I came back so I put it on her desk. It hadn't occurred to me to research before I placed it on her desk. And of course, different sites were telling me it's bad for pregnant women, it can cause this and that and maybe that if drunk too much. And it's fermented, meaning, "Oh hey, alcohol, glad you made it to the party!" Yah. I potentially could've been drinking in the office, on the job, and may have given my boss some alcohol too. Ugh, oops, I thought. But she came to see me later on in the day and said, "I don't know what you gave me, but this stuff is so good."