History

• First developed in Manchuria, kombucha spread throughout the Far East. The ancient Chinese consumed the fermented tea as a health remedy as far back as 220 B.C, according to "Better Nutrition for Today's Living." The word itself comes from a fifth-century Korean doctor named Kombu, who brought the drink to Japan. It wasn't until the 1960s that the drink was popularized in the United States by counterculture hippies in search of alternative means to good health.
  
  

Uses

• Kombucha is a folk remedy used to treat a wide range of health ailments, including lethargy, acne, gastrointestinal distress, weak libido, PMS, high cholesterol, obesity, lung problems, wrinkles, cancer and MS.
  
  

Active Ingredients

• Kombucha contains lactic acid and glucuronic acid. Lactic acid, an antibiotic, is especially good at combating putrefactive bacteria in the intestines. Glucuronic acid is a potent detoxifier. It binds with poisons and toxins in the body, causing them to be excreted instead of absorbed. The only other place to find glucuronic acid is in the liver, according to "Better Nutrition for Today's Living."
  
  

How Kombucha Is Made

• Kombucha tea is made by allowing a starter culture to ferment (grow) in a mixture of tea, sugar and water. The fermentation process is what produces the health benefits in the tonic, and no benefit can be gained from consuming the culture itself, according to "Coffee and Tea Trader Journal." Starter cultures can be purchased online, but there are many precautions for successful home-brewing of Kombucha tea.
  
  

Just Hype?

• The health claims and personal stories surrounding kombucha tea "Matches the FDA's fraud indicators," according to "Natural Health" magazine. "It is backed by studies from foreign countries, appeals to vanity, has origins that are ancient and is claimed to cure numerous ailments."