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| GT's Organic Raw Kombucha |
For a few years, I've read and heard about folks drinking up this "kombucha" thing. I've heard wonderful things about what it does for your digestion but also heard that it tastes...uh, a little "different". So after many, many, many months, I decided to take the plunge and give Kombucha tea a try.
I decided to pick up some GT's Organic Raw Kombucha drink a try. I chose this one because I read that it was 100% organic and raw. I ended up trying the botanic no.7 that has hisbiscus and ginger in it. I discovered that the "different" taste that it has is similiar to apple cider vinegar. So it wasn't a turn-off for me since I've been drinking ACV diluted in water. I actually kind of like it. They also have their Synergy line, which is 95% raw organic and 5% real fruit juice. May give this one a try tomorrow just for kicks.
Let me provide some explanation as to why I had interest in this drink and chose to give it a try.
Sounds so mysterious.... Da heck is Kombucha?
Kombucha is a fermented beverage made of tea and bacteria cultures. For the last 2,000 years in Asia, families drank kombucha for its purported medicinal qualities. The special yeast and bacteria cultures are usually circulated person-to-person, although now mixtures can be purchased online. This homeopathic drink tastes tart but full-flavored, like carbonated apple cider. Kombucha recipes have travelled to Korea and Japan, from there to Russia, and finally reached Europe after WWI.
You must have a "mother brew" to cultivate kombucha, which is why originally it was handed down through generations of a family. Much like yogurt, a cup of kombucha can be reserved to make the next batch. This is because it is a living brew, with microorganisms that are beneficial to our digestive tract and others claim help other internal systems. The culture is not a fungus, as some report, but a mixture of bacteria and yeast that forms a gelatinous, yellowish substance.
While the health benefits of kombucha have not been officially evaluated as a medicine, many people have experienced positive effects from 1/2-2 cups (120-470 ml) a day. It's said to be calming, aid in digestion as the bacteria stays in our intestinal tract, ease the pain of arthritis, improve immunity, and lower cholesterol. A poultice of kombucha can be applied topically to sores as an antiseptic. Some people even drink kombucha to detoxify, as a part of an overall health strategy such as a vegan diet, a juice fast, or only eating raw food.
*above info from Wisegeek.com
What are the reported health benefits of kombucha?
First, there’s all the benefits of detoxification, such as healthy livers and cancer prevention. One of kombucha’s greatest health benefits is its ability to detox the body. It is rich in many of the enzymes and bacterial acids your body produces and/or uses to detox your system, thus reducing your pancreatic load and easing the burden on your liver. Kombucha is very high in Glucaric acid, and recent studies have shown that glucaric acid helps prevent cancer. I know 2 people in my immediate circle of friends who have had cancer (pancreatic and breast) and fought it into remission without any chemo or radiation therapy. Instead, they warded it off by detoxing their lives (going 100% organic, removing chemical cleaners and agents in their home, changing their diet to be at least 80% raw or fermented, etc.) Central to the detoxification process was drinking Kombucha regularly. Even Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the recently deceased Russian author and nobel-prize winner, in his autobiography, claimed that kombucha tea cured his stomach cancer during his internment in soviet labor camps. (And because of this testimony, President Reagan used Kombucha to halt the spread of his cancer in 1987. You’ll note he didn’t die until 2004, and that was from old age, NOT cancer.)
Next, there’s all the benefits of the glucosamines it contains, such as preventing or treating all forms of arthritis. Glucosamines increase synovial hyaluronic acid production. Hyaluronic acid functions physiologically to aid preservation of cartilage structure and prevent arthritic pain, with relief comparable to NSAIDs and advantage over glucocorticoids. Hyaluronic acid enables connective tissue to bind moisture thousands of times its weight and maintains tissue structure, moisture, lubrication and flexibility and lessens free radical damage, while associated collagen retards and reduces wrinkles.
Then, there’s all the benefits of the fact that it’s a probiotic beverage, such as improved digestion, fighting candida (harmful yeast) overgrowth, and the general health and well-being associated with this. As such, it’s noted for reducing or eliminating the symptoms of fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, etc.
Plus, it’s extraordinarily anti-oxidant rich, and you all know the benefits of anti-oxidants for boosting your immune system and energy levels.
*above info and more from FoodRenegade.com
Have any of you tried this type of beverage before or drink it on the regular?.....
Post Title → I FINALLY TOOK THE PLUNGE...INTO KOMBUCHA
