Kombucha on an empty stomach. Kombucha benefit and harm

Almost all residents of our country over 30 years old know that there is a so-called kombucha - before, many families used to have a jar with not very aesthetic, but useful contents. But in fact, what we habitually call kombucha has nothing to do with boletus and mushrooms. In addition, it has nothing to do with tea - it just needs tea infusion to exist. Therefore, instead of pigs floating in tea, we are dealing with a symbiosis of yeast and bacteria. The scientific name for this particular organism is jellyfish.

The body of the fungus, which floats in a jar of tea leaves, is a slimy multi-layered film that is made up of acetic acid bacteria and yeast-like fungi. Accordingly, for the existence of this culture, some nutrient medium is required, which is represented by sweet tea or fruit and berry juices. Yeast in the composition of the fungus is able to ferment sugar, resulting in the formation of carbon dioxide and ethanol. In turn, the bacteria of this fungus oxidize alcohol, making it ordinary acetic acid. The result is a sweet and sour drink, slightly reminiscent of bread kvass. As a result of the fermentation process, the drink turns out to be moderately carbonated, refreshing. It is also called "kombucha".

Interestingly, in nature (meaning wild), Kombucha, in principle, does not exist. The appearance of kombucha is a mystery shrouded in darkness. That, however, does not prevent scientists from putting forward various hypotheses (someone considers Ceylon to be the birthplace of the medusa mycete, someone Tibet, someone ancient Greece, probably, there are those who believe in the cosmic origin of kombucha) and argue among themselves.

Initially, the mushroom was not very popular, and its infusion was drunk as a tonic. Now it is in vogue and there are many families where medusomycete is grown. Why did kombucha so deserve attention and appreciation, the benefits and harms of which are the subject of a constant dispute among specialists?

Useful and medicinal properties of kombucha

Kombucha has an amazing composition. There are various sugars, and enzymes, and B vitamins, and tannins. In addition, beneficial microorganisms in the composition of kombucha actively produce various acids in the course of their life:

• gluconic,
• dairy,
• acetic,
• glucuronic,
• koi,
• lemon,
• apple.

So, consider kombucha, how it is useful for the human body:

• Enhances metabolism. Someone joyfully drinks, adding a little to it, thereby speeding up the metabolism and enjoying the taste. But what if you don't like ginger, cinnamon and various spices? Then take a closer look at kombucha: because the substance lipase, which is part of the fungus (is a catalyst in the process of fat breakdown), plays a role in the complete assimilation of animal proteins. The amylase component of the fungus breaks down starch, regulates the amount of sugar in the blood, and eliminates its increase.
• beneficial effect on digestive system and pancreas. Kombucha activates the digestive glands, stops inflammation in the intestines (thick and thin). Able to restore the intestinal microflora, prevents the development of dysbacteriosis. It is especially useful for various intestinal infections and poisonings, and is also effective for constipation. And even in advanced cases with chronic colitis and chronic gastritis with a low level of acidity from medusomycete, relief can come.
• Treatment of diseases of the throat and the entire oral cavity. Thanks to its unique composition, kombucha effectively eliminates inflammatory reactions in the oral cavity, in the presence of stomatitis, tongue diseases, and removes bad breath. The mushroom also helps in the complex treatment of angina, scarlet fever, enriching the body with essential nutrients.
• Runny nose treatment. This disease is cured as follows: the nasal passages are washed with a weekly infusion, and then instilled into the nostrils.

• Treatment of skin diseases. Kombucha heals purulent wounds and burns in the shortest possible time. Treats psoriasis, boils. A thin film of the fungus is applied to the affected areas of the skin for several minutes, the procedure is repeated three times a day. Acne is also treated with infusion of the fungus: if you carefully wipe the skin with a cotton swab dipped in tea infusion for 1-3 weeks, then acne will leave you for a long time. The ability of medusomycete to get rid of the fungus of the feet and nails is noted. To do this, wipe the skin between the fingers with the juice of the mushroom daily at night, and then attach a piece of it to the nails. From above, securely fasten with a bandage or plaster. In a month you will forget about the unpleasant symptoms of this disease. It also treats: after washing your hair with shampoo, rinse with a solution-infusion of kombucha and clean well water in a ratio of 1: 1.5.
• Provides effective support to the work of the cardiovascular systems s: contributes to the normalization of pressure, fights against atherosclerosis, hypertension, preventing the formation of plaques. It is recommended for these diseases to drink the infusion three times a day for half a 200-gram glass 2 hours before meals.
• Using the properties of kombucha for cosmetic (cosmetic) purposes. The valuable composition of tea rejuvenates the skin, tightens and cleanses the pores. Compresses, face masks, lotions are made from infusion.
• It has a curative effect against eye diseases. The infusion of the fungus is able to cure conjunctivitis, it is enough just to wipe the eyes 3-4 times daily with a cotton swab dipped in tea liquid.
• Help in shedding excess weight. As a medicine that helps with excess weight, it is used two to three hours after a meal or two to three hours before a meal.

Summing up, it seems that kombucha, the medicinal properties of which are described above, is a real miracle drug. This is far from true. It's time to pay attention to the contraindications of this product

Harm caused by the use of kombucha and contraindications to it

• It is not recommended to use more than the recommended doses for people who have an increased level of acidity in the stomach, especially with peptic ulcer.
• It is strictly not recommended to use in large quantities in diabetes mellitus.
• You can not infusion with gout.
• The use of kombucha inside at reduced pressure is excluded (since the properties of the infusion are to lower pressure).
• In rare cases, the infusion can cause liver and kidney failure.
• Due to the content of a small amount of alcohol as a result of fermentation, the possibility of driving is excluded. For the same reason, it should not be consumed much so that there is no intoxication.

Tea mushroom, contraindications to the use of which look rather modest compared to useful properties, yet in reasonable quantities it is harmless, it is given even to children.

And almost forgot. One of the main fears when using kombucha is the fear of swallowing it. “If a mushroom accidentally gets into the stomach, it will germinate in an ideal environment for reproduction, and I will feel bad,” some people think. So, doctors say that in this case, nothing will germinate there and the fungus will come out naturally. If you don’t believe me, you can watch a video in which a doctor is asked about this:

Kombucha: Making a Nutritious Drink

Healing properties Medusomycete will show if it is properly prepared and properly cared for.

The method of preparing a nutrient solution for kombucha is quite simple: one sachet of any tea is brewed in one liter of water (or even, if you are an aesthete, the type of tea in this case is not very important, only its presence is important), add 50 grams of sugar, that's all mix well, cool, pour into a jar of mushroom, insist 2-3 days. In no case should sugar be poured directly onto the mushroom, this is a sure way to kill kombucha.

Kombucha - how to care for it?

Kombucha should be stored in a jar of ordinary glass (a three-liter jar is best suited for these purposes - if the mass of medusomycete can reach 100 kg in the production of kombucha on an industrial scale, then for home use a small capacity is enough for us) in a dark place. It does not tolerate direct sunlight. The ideal temperature is + 25 C, but not lower than 17 degrees.

Periodically it is necessary to drain the infusion: in summer it is done after 2-5 days, in winter - once every 6-8 days. In principle, you can navigate by taste - if there are any unpleasant taste changes, then it's time to do something with it. Mushroom washed with water room temperature once every two weeks in hot weather, and once a month in winter. Do not leave the fungus in the old solution - it will turn brown and die.

By the way, after using kombucha and realizing all its usefulness, you will recommend it to your friends. Where can they find kombucha? There are 2 options: either buy or borrow from you. The second option is possible, because with proper care, after about a month and a half, a thin film will separate from your mushroom. This film is taken out and placed in another jar, fed and used for treatment.

drink healthy drink, previously filtered through cheesecloth. It is not recommended to use before, after and during meals, otherwise hunger will return to you very quickly. Drink two to three hours after each meal.

Those who constantly use the healing drink from kombucha avoid many diseases and easily cope with various ailments.

Kombucha is grown at home to get a refreshing delicious drink, which also has medicinal properties. This type of fungus is the result of a symbiosis of yeast fungi (mainly of the genus Torula) and acetic acid bacteria. The scientific name for this fungus is Medusomyces Gisevi (medusomycete).

Appearance

By appearance This mushroom is very similar to a jellyfish. From above, the surface of the mushroom is smooth and shiny, and the lower part does not look very attractive and is represented by a growth zone from which numerous threads extend.

Where does it grow

It is believed that the birthplace of kombucha is Tibet. It was used there as early as the third century BC. For the ancient Chinese, the infusion of this mushroom was an elixir that bestowed longevity and youth. A little later, kombucha began to grow in Korea, Japan and other countries. It was brought to the territory of Russia at the end of the 19th century. In the 80-90s of the 20th century, this mushroom received the greatest prevalence and popularity in our country. Rarely did anyone not grow it at home at that time. Gradually, interest in kombucha decreased, which was also facilitated by an untrue rumor about the carcinogenic effect of this fungus.

Characteristics

• The normal development of kombucha occurs at a temperature of +22 to +25 degrees.
• Kombucha develops well in a 10% sucrose solution, represented by tea leaves with an average strength.
• The fungus needs an influx of oxygen.
• Healing properties are acquired by a mushroom, the thickness of which has reached 1-7 centimeters.
• Kombucha will benefit at any age, but small children should not be given tea kvass because of the caffeine and alcohol content.

Nutritional value and calories

100 g of kombucha drink contains:

Chemical composition

The contents of the jar are used by the fungus for its life. Yeast fungi process sugar with the formation of carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol, which is converted by acetic acid bacteria into acetic acid. The result of this processing is a pleasant-tasting liquid containing:

• organic acids
• carbon dioxide,
• sugar,
• enzymes,
• catechins,
• amino acids,
• caffeine,
• alcohol,
• minerals,
• polysaccharides;
• antibiotic jellyfish;
• vitamins (PP, C, group B).

Beneficial features

The usefulness of kombucha is provided by a large number of substances necessary for human life in its composition.

The sweet and sour refreshing drink made with kombucha has the ability to:

• Increase appetite;
• Quench;
• Normalize acidity and increase the production of gastric juice;
• Improve metabolism;
• Disinfect;
• Improve blood circulation;
• Have a mild laxative effect;
• Invigorate;
• Increase efficiency;
• Improve digestion;
• Increase immunity;
• Restore the microflora in the intestine;
• Cleanse the kidneys and liver;
• Stimulate the functions of the pancreas;
• Calm down;
• Have a general strengthening effect;
• Remove cholesterol from the body;
• Resist tubercle bacillus;
• Dissolve kidney and gallbladder stones, as well as remove them;
• Reduce inflammation;
• Improve vision and hearing;
• purify the blood;
• Stimulate the work of the heart;
• Get rid of a hangover.

Also, this infusion is in demand in cosmetology. It is used in the care of skin that has acne. The infusion diluted with water can be rinsed with hair.

You can learn more about the beneficial properties of kombucha from the following video of the program "About the most important thing."

Contraindications

Kombucha infusion should not be used when:

• Gastritis with high acidity;
• peptic ulcer (exacerbation);
• Diabetes;
• Hypotension;
• Gout;
• Pregnancy (allergic reactions are possible);
• Acute kidney disease;
• Breastfeeding (if mother and baby have a reaction to kombucha);
• fungal diseases;
• Individual intolerance.

To ensure that kombucha is safe to consume, hygiene should be observed when preparing it and fresh water should be used. You should not use the infusion of the fungus if it has not been drained for more than two weeks. Also, the infusion should not be drunk by drivers going on the road, since it contains alcohol, albeit in small quantities.

The infusion will be ready in about 7 days. It is filtered and stored in a refrigerator.

After a week of cold storage beneficial features drink will appear to the maximum.

You can even drain the drink without removing the gauze, but at the same time replace it periodically.

Do not close the mushroom tightly, otherwise it will disappear. The gauze will help protect the mushroom from flies.

Application

In cooking

• From the infusion of the mushroom, you can prepare cocktails by mixing the drink with lemon and carrot juice and also with honey.
• The infusion can be made a component of okroshka.
• Kombucha vinegar can be added to sauces, salads, fish marinade.

How to cook

To prepare a drink, you need to fill a 3-liter jar with strained and chilled not very strong tea (you can use coffee), in which dissolve 200 grams of sugar (you can use honey). Kombucha is placed in this liquid, after which the jar is covered with gauze.

You need to put the container with the mushroom in a bright and warm place that does not get direct sunlight. Soft water is preferable for making tea or coffee.

Sugar should be dissolved in tea in advance so as not to damage the mushroom. Before combining tea with mushroom, the tea leaves must be cooled.

Vinegar

Vinegar can be obtained from the infusion of kombucha if the mushroom is left in the nutrient liquid for 3-4 months. Thanks to acetic acid fermentation, natural vinegar, whose properties are far superior to artificially prepared industrial vinegars.

Such vinegar can be successfully used in cosmetology for all procedures involving the use of ordinary vinegar.

For example, rinsing your hair with a solution after washing, you can strengthen your hair, make it silky and shiny, stimulate hair growth, and also eliminate dandruff.

In medicine

Indications for the use of infusion on kombucha are:

• Colds, tonsillitis, flu, whooping cough;
• Stomatitis;
• Furunculosis, frostbite, burns;
• Insomnia, headaches, loss of strength, VSD;
• Heartburn, gastritis, colitis, dysentery, enteritis, diphtheria;
• Diseases of the gallbladder, pathologies Bladder and kidneys;
• Disorders of the nervous system;
• Atherosclerosis;
• Haemorrhoids;
• Polyarthritis;
• Pulmonary tuberculosis;
• Prolonged use of antibiotics.

It is recommended to drink the infusion separately from meals - best of all three hours after a meal or one hour before a meal. It is diluted with boiled water 1 to 1 and consumed twice or thrice a day for a glass of drink. An infusion drunk on an empty stomach will help prepare the digestive tract for work, and 1/2 cup of the drink at night will improve the condition of the stomach and set you up for sleep.

With pharyngitis, stomatitis, tonsillitis and similar diseases, you need to rinse your mouth with infusion, diluting the product with water 1 to 2. For gynecological problems, douching is done with infusion, for hemorrhoids - microclysters, and for skin diseases - lotions and compresses.

Watch the following video about kombucha from the program "Live Healthy!", where you will learn a lot useful information about drinking this mushroom.

Medical use

There are relevant recommendations for the use of kombucha drink:

• It is claimed that due to the higher amount of antioxidants, the benefits of a green tea drink are much higher than those of a black tea infusion.
• The inclusion of honey instead of sugar in the drink will complement the infusion with useful minerals and increase the tonic effect.
• Preparation of infusion on kombucha is possible not only on tea brewing. The basis of the infusion can be herbal mixtures, for example, a mixture of nettle, strawberry and blackberry leaves, linden flowers, plantain and birch leaves. To get a liter of tea, brew from one to three teaspoons of these herbs in crushed form.
• It is very tasty if you brew rose hips for infusion. After steaming the fruits, after an hour, strain the liquid and combine with the mushroom.
• Do not take herbs for brewing, in which there is a lot of essential oil (chamomile, sage and some others).
• Infusion of kombucha on immortelle (flowers, leaves and stems) will make the drink more useful.

The drink is also used as medicine for some diseases:

• For analgesic, antimicrobial, anticonvulsant and anticancer effects, the infusion is prepared with the addition of celandine (4 tablespoons of the plant per 2 liters of water).
• To get a remedy that helps with cholelithiasis, kombucha is combined with chicory infusion. You can use such a healing agent both inside and as lotions or baths.
• To enhance the anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, choleretic and diuretic effect, kombucha should be grown on an infusion of meadow cornflower.
• In the treatment of the liver, an infusion of kombucha on dry leaves of horseradish is very effective.
• For the treatment of hypertension, kombucha is recommended to be infused with a solution of mulberry leaves or cudweed grass.
• To get rid of female diseases, peony (flowers, leaves and roots), yellow sweet clover, Ivan-tea lemon balm and oregano are used for infusion.
• In the treatment of kidney diseases, an infusion of the fungus is effective, in the preparation of which they used calendula, rose hips, dried oat stalks, plantain seeds and leaves, black elderberry flowers.

With diabetes

Please note that not all forms of diabetes are allowed to drink kombucha, so it is important to consult a doctor.

If the fungus can be used, then for a diabetic patient, its especially important property will be the normalization of metabolism.

Drink a glass of mushroom infusion per day (divide into several servings) to mobilize the internal forces of the body and gradually achieve a decrease in blood glucose levels. Dilute the mushroom infusion with herbal tea or mineral water. It is necessary to prepare tea kvass for a diabetic patient with less sugar - 70-80 gr is enough. for 2 l.

For weight loss

The use of kombucha promotes weight loss by enhancing the effects of other means, in the first place, proper nutrition. Recommended for weight loss daily use 6 glasses of mushroom infusion, drinking a glass one hour before meals and after meals (after 2 hours) for three months. To enhance the effect, you can use slimming tea or herbal tea in the preparation of the infusion. The drink will help to lose weight due to the tonic effect and the normalization of metabolic processes.

In cosmetology

• For ingrown toenails, use kombucha compress. Strain the mushroom and wrap a finger with an ingrown nail with one part of it, cover cling film, and put on two socks on top - regular and woolen. Three procedures are enough to completely soften and remove the nail.
• To accelerate hair growth, strengthen them and make them thicker, rub kombucha infusion into the scalp, massaging it.
• Rinsing your hair with tea kvass after washing your hair, you will add shine, softness and rich color to your hair.
• Even to strengthen the hair, a drink from kombucha can be taken orally, drinking it in turn with food.
• To get rid of dandruff after shampooing, using gauze, moisten the skin and hair roots with infusion of the fungus, and after 30 minutes wash your hair again.
• You can make a hair mask by mixing a tablespoon of honey in a glass of mushroom infusion. The heated mixture is applied to wet hair, and after 20 minutes it is rinsed with infusion of chamomile flowers.
• Acne is advised to be treated with lotions from the infusion of kombucha.
• To make a mask for nails and skin of the hands, mix in the same proportion olive oil and mushroom infusion.
• For dry facial skin, prepare a mask, the components of which will be warm tea kvass (4 tablespoons), wheat bran (3 tablespoons) and honey (3 teaspoons).
• If you mix 1 to 1 infusion of the mushroom and mineral non-carbonated water, you get a tonic for the face. Wipe it on the skin twice a day after washing.
• You can use kombucha drink as a natural deodorant by rubbing the infusion on the areas that sweat the most.

At home

Kombucha is in demand in veterinary medicine. An infusion of this mushroom helps to strengthen the immunity of animals, as well as enrich their diet with minerals in winter period. It also helps to cleanse the stomach of cattle. You can also treat wounds, injuries and burns on the skin of animals with tea kvass. Giving a drink poultry(chicks) in a diluted form 1 to 1, reduce its mortality.

How to grow at home

To grow a mushroom at home, you can take it from friends or purchase it in an online store. The name of the mushroom is associated with the method of its production, since tea is used to grow it. However, this mushroom can also be grown on coffee. It is only important that the infusion is sweetened. The jar containing the mushroom is covered with gauze on top. Boiled water should be used for tea, as it does not contain soluble calcium salts, due to which a precipitate may appear in the drink (when interacting with gluconic acid in the infusion).

Over time, the fungus grows in the infusion and forms a gelatinous translucent layer on the surface, which is separated.

To divide a heavily overgrown mushroom, it is not cut, but divided into layers by hand. The lower layer of the mother fungus is placed in a jar and filled with tea.

The first days this mushroom will lie at the bottom, but due to the release of carbon dioxide, it will soon emerge. It is due to this gas that a drink from kombucha turns carbonated. Valuable organic acids begin to form in the infusion for 4-5 days. If the resulting infusion is too sour and stings the tongue, most likely it has been overstayed. This often happens in winter, when the infusion is used less.

It is good that it is a warm place with good lighting, but not in the sun.

A film will gradually form on the surface of the liquid. It will grow quite slowly, sometimes several months. As a result, you will get a mushroom with a thickness of about 1 mm or more with a pleasant acetic smell. Then you need to look after this fungus and wait for its growth. It will be covered with bulges that will merge and grow.

How to care

The fungus requires some care:

• It is important to rinse your kombucha regularly (weekly) with warm, clean water. The washed mushroom is placed in a fresh tea leaves with sugar.
• The finished drink must be drained every 6 days in winter, and every 2-4 days in summer.
• If necessary, the mushroom is divided.
• Do not keep the mushroom in direct sunlight or in a cool place.
• Carry out all manipulations with the fungus carefully to prevent punctures, cuts and other damage.
• Kombucha can develop diseases, in which case it is impossible to drink the infusion.
• If the mushroom is covered with brown spots, then this indicates that undissolved sugar or tea leaves have fallen on it. The damaged area must be separated and removed.
• If you grow a mushroom at a temperature of less than +18 degrees or put a jar in the sun, this can cause blue-green algae to appear in the solution. Such algae can accumulate on the walls or float in the infusion, giving the liquid a cloudy appearance. Rinse the mushroom and replace the tea leaves, then correct the unfavorable conditions.
• Do not forget to close the container with the mushroom with gauze (especially in summer) so that fruit flies do not get into the jar.

For caring for kombucha, see the following video.

How to store

Kombucha is usually stored in a glass jar, which is not hermetically sealed. It is not recommended to keep this mushroom in metal or plastic containers. A jar of mushroom does not need to be put in the refrigerator, as this will stop its vital activity.

The best option places to store mushroom jars - a warm place that is well ventilated and protected from direct sunlight. It is worth putting the mushroom in the refrigerator only with a long absence, for example, for a vacation period.

If the mushroom does not float

This often happens with young mushrooms and the first advice is to wait. If several days have passed, and the mushroom has remained at the bottom, reduce the amount of tea leaves. It does not matter if there is very little tea solution in the jar. After a few refills, the strength of the mushroom will increase and it will float in more liquid.




Japanese geisha often used kombucha to keep them slim and remove warts and brown spots on their skin.

In Indonesia, an infusion of the mushroom is used for poisoning.

Kombucha has many "folk" names - Manchu, Japanese or sea ​​mushroom, some call it mushroom Kombucha, tea kvass or fango.

Tea mushroom - one of the oldest organisms used by man. There is a version that it was grown in Ancient Greece, the first documentary mention of it dates back to 220 BC (Manchuria), but the scientific history of kombucha is much shorter. The origin of kombucha is still a mystery. The official version of scientists involved in the study of the history of kombucha is as follows: its homeland is Ceylon, it was from there that the culture spread to India, then to China, where the mushroom was considered as a sure way to prolong life; then Manchuria and Eastern Siberia.

Useful properties of kombucha

Kombucha, famous for its medicinal properties, is a symbiosis of several organisms at once: yeast fungi and acetic acid bacilli. Among the people, the mushroom is valued not only because of its ability to have a beneficial effect on the body, but also because the drink prepared with it - tea kvass - has a very unusual and interesting taste. The tonic and strengthening beneficial properties of kombucha were known in the Middle Ages, but now its benefits for the body are confirmed not only by fans folk methods recovery, but also representatives of official medicine.

The infusion of kombucha contains a huge amount of biologically active beneficial components. During the fermentation of acetic bacteria and different kind yeast, which are part of the fungus, produces ethyl alcohol. Also, thanks to the mushroom, caffeine and various acids are present in the infusion: gluconic acid, lactic, oxalic, citric, phosphoric and acetic. As a result of fermentation, vitamins are also released, in particular vitamin C and D.

Thanks to this, the drink normalizes the metabolism in cells and can be used for a variety of diseases. The infusion has a healing effect on the gastrointestinal tract with dyspepsia, constipation, gastroenteritis, dysentery, etc. Kombucha acts as an antibiotic if you are sick with acute respiratory infections, tonsillitis, flu. He also treats diseases of the ear, throat, nose, eyes. For example, conjunctivitis. Infected wounds can also be treated with kombucha infusion. Surprisingly, the magic mushroom is able to cope with such a serious disease as tuberculosis. Although he does not cure him, the course of the disease is greatly facilitated.

How to grow kombucha?

To grow kombucha, it is best to take the so-called "baby", that is, the offshoot of the fungus, from people involved in its cultivation. This process should be placed in a thoroughly washed and well-dried three-liter jar. In a separate bowl, you need to brew ordinary tea at the rate of 100 g per 1 liter of water and dissolve in it from 30 to 60 grams of sugar. Sugar must be dissolved in advance, since undissolved sugar particles, if they enter the fungus, can destroy it. Then you need to cool the tea leaves and carefully pour it into a container with a mushroom.

How to care for kombucha?

In direct sunlight, the fungus can die, so it is better to keep it in the shade. In addition, it is important to remember that in a cool room it ceases to function. +25 degrees is considered the best temperature for its breeding. In the summer, tea fungus infusions are recommended to be drained every 2-4 days, in winter - after 4-6 days. Also, the mushroom must be washed with clean cool water every three weeks.

If the fungus stays in solution, then its upper film begins to turn brown. With untimely feeding or a complete cessation of nutrition, this living organism begins to get sick and eventually dies, sinking to the bottom. In this case, drinking its infusion is strictly prohibited.

TOhow to cook kombucha?

First of all, you need to brew ordinary tea, then by adding to hot water get sugar sugar syrup high density. After the syrup and tea leaves have cooled, pour them into a three-liter jar and mix thoroughly with ordinary clean water. Make sure there is enough space left in the jar and place thoroughly rinsed kombucha in it. Cover the jar with clean gauze, which will allow the solution to breathe and protect it from dust. The drink will be ready to drink within 8-15 days.

The use of kombucha

Folk medicine in many countries of the world has long used the medicinal properties of kombucha. It is actively used in diseases intestines, kidneys, bladder, liver, headache. It has analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic effects, and also normalizes activity gastrointestinal tract, Helps lower blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure. The fungus has proven itself as an effective prophylactic against polyarthritis, rheumatic heart disease and atherosclerosis.

Its infusions are often used for chronic rhinitis, tonsillitis, tonsillitis. Many experts note that in case of bacillary dysentery, such infusions can provide better help than some pharmaceutical preparations. The use of a solution of Kombucha helps to overcome insomnia, get rid of pain in the heart area and headaches. It should be noted that this natural medicine has a tonic and sedative effect, and also has a positive effect on the general well-being of patients.

tea fungus treatment

Since ancient times, kombucha has been considered an elixir for many diseases. Not so long ago, it was grown in almost every Soviet family. Nowadays, not only fans traditional medicine know about the beneficial properties of the fungus: they are confirmed by modern clinical studies.

Treatment of nails with Kombucha. There is such a disease as onychocryptosis - this is when the nail grows into side part nail roller. This usually happens on the big toe. In the early stages, the disease is accompanied by inflammation of the soft tissues, and in the later stages purulent discharge appears. If the disease is started, then in the future it is simply impossible to do without surgical intervention.

Very good results with timely treatment, natural medicines based on folk recipes including kombucha. It is used in the form of compresses. First of all, we stratify the mushroom, then we wrap the sore finger with one part. We wrap the finger with cling film, put on a simple sock, and then also a woolen one. The nail softens after three such procedures, and it can be removed independently.

Kombucha for hair. There are many ways to take care of your hair with kombucha. Preparations from it help to strengthen the hair, make it thicker and accelerate hair growth, the fungus is used in the treatment of various diseases of the scalp. In case of hair loss, the infusion of the fungus should be rubbed into the scalp with light massaging movements. For a more saturated and intense color, as well as to make the hair soft and shiny, you should rinse your hair with infusion of the mushroom after washing your hair.

To strengthen the hair infusion of kombucha can be drunk daily before meals. This will not only help strengthen the hair, but will also favorably affect their growth. If you need to get rid of dandruff, then the following will help: divide your hair into strands and lubricate the roots along the parting line with a piece of gauze dipped in mushroom infusion. Wash your hair after 30-40 minutes. This procedure is desirable to carry out after each shampooing.

To strengthen hair, you can also mix one tablespoon of honey with one glass of mushroom infusion. The mixture should be slightly warmed up, without bringing to a boil, and mix thoroughly. The mask should be evenly applied to damp hair. After 20-30 minutes, the hair can be rinsed with chamomile infusion.

Kombucha from nail fungus. Fungal infection of the nails is a chronic infectious disease that steadily destroys the nail plates and threatens to pass to other people, especially family members. The disease is the entrance gate for many other infectious diseases, it leads to allergization of the whole organism, the development or worsening of such diseases as bronchial asthma, allergic dermatitis, nicotic eczema and others.

This is why the fungus should not be started, especially since the disease is easily treated with kombucha. To do this, a thin plate is separated from the fungus and fastened to the sore finger at night. From above, the lotion is covered with cellophane and several socks are put on so as not to stain the bed linen, as the juice will flow from the fungus. The first reaction is likely to be painful, but if this is overcome, then you can get rid of the disease once and for all.

In the morning, the compress should be removed, the leg should be washed in warm water, cut off dead skin pieces and treat the entire damaged surface with brilliant green or a solution of potassium permanganate. The procedure should be repeated every other day - and so on until the signs of the disease completely disappear. It usually takes up to seven treatments. After the end of the course of treatment, the procedure can be repeated for prevention. The new nail will grow slowly, but it will be even and healthy.

Kombucha for gastritis. Today, gastritis is the most common disease of the gastrointestinal tract. It is characterized by damage to the gastric mucosa and its inflammation. The causes of the disease can be malnutrition, drinking alcohol, smoking, long-term medication, etc.

A mixture of kombucha and honey will help get rid of pain and heaviness in the abdomen. The first 7-10 days when taking mushroom infusion, a light diet is recommended, then spices and bitterness, for example, barberry, dill, hops, can be gradually added to food. Tea kvass is consumed 3 times a day, 100 ml.

Infusion: Chopped chestnut bark must be added to boiling water at the same time as tea brewing. Infuse for 20-30 minutes, then strain and consume for two weeks a quarter cup of kombucha infusion 3 times a day 1 hour before meals.

Kombucha for diabetes. Kombucha is good because it is able to normalize the metabolism in the human body, including carbohydrates. It is this feature that is used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. However, you can not use the mushroom for all forms of the disease; in this regard, it is best to consult with your doctor. Just one glass of kombucha infusion per day, divided into 3-4 servings, will significantly improve the functioning of the whole organism, mobilize internal reserves to fight the disease, and ensure a gradual decrease in blood sugar levels.

When drinking a drink, patients with diabetes are advised to dilute the mushroom with mineral water or herbal tea, while putting only 70–80 g of sugar is enough for two liters of tea. In addition, in the course of its life, kombucha processes sugar without residue.

Kombucha for ulcers. With increased acidity and stomach ulcers, Kombucha should not be drunk. As an exception, you can use an infusion of the mushroom with honey, prepared on the basis of only black tea. Honey neutralizes the effects of acid, eliminating exacerbations.

Kombucha for children. Kombucha drink is very healing and tonic, it can also be used by children. It is a good substitute for many carbonated drinks. Although it is undesirable to teach children to tea kvass from an early age. Even the minimum amount of alcohol and caffeine with their regular use will adversely affect the children's body. For babies the best drink is pure water, and dessert - compotes, juices, fresh fruit puree, fruit drinks.

Kombucha during pregnancy. Tea kvass can be consumed during pregnancy only if the woman has no allergic reactions to the polysaccharides and acids that make up Kombucha. Regular use of this healing drink will help strengthen the protective functions of the body and maintain a woman's well-being.

It is possible and even necessary to use the infusion during lactation, also provided that the mother and baby are not allergic to the components that make up the kombucha.

Kombucha for weight loss

Kombucha is a very good and unique remedy for weight loss. It means that it enhances the therapeutic effect in combination with other means. However, positive results will be achieved only when the nutrition is correct and healthy. For weight loss, you need to drink six glasses of kombucha daily: one glass one hour before meals, one glass two hours after. The course of treatment lasts three months, and after each month you should take a week break.

To achieve a greater effect, you can prepare an infusion of the mushroom on teas for weight loss. Very useful and tasty, it turns out on herbal teas. Drinks prepared on the basis of kombucha normalize metabolic processes body, improve the functioning of the cardiovascular and hematopoietic systems. A person gets rid of edema and body fat, becomes more attractive and slimmer.

Contraindications to the use of kombucha

It is not recommended to take kombucha infusion for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type I diabetes). People suffering from fungal diseases are also not recommended to take the infusion in fresh because the sugar present in it is unhealthy. Do not use the infusion in large quantities, undiluted or fermented. Consultation with the attending physician is recommended for those people who have acute forms of diseases of the internal organs, and those who are undergoing drug treatment.

“Jellyfish in a jar” is the first impression that an unusual creation of nature calls for, the name of which is kombucha. The names tea jellyfish, sea mushroom, or Manzhursky mushroom have also stuck to it. Many people know him firsthand, and for many he lives for a long time, delighting with coolness on a hot day and maintaining health throughout all seasonal periods.

Composition of kombucha

The reaction that occurs when mixing tea leaves, sugar and water forms a fermented drink, the taste of which varies according to the degree of fermentation and can have a slightly sweet, sour and very sour taste.

A mixture of fermented kombucha includes a lot of acids of various types, namely:

• acetic - transparent in color, is a good solvent and preservative;
• oil (butyrate) - supports metabolic processes in the intestines;
• gluconic - regulates acidity and enhances the effects of antioxidants;
• glucuronic - being a detoxifier, binds toxins and removes them from the body through the kidneys;
• L-milk - improves blood circulation and prevents the process of decay in the stomach and intestines, helps prevent cancerous tumors;
• coal - when decomposed into water and carbon dioxide, it forms salts of sodium bicarbonate. Used medically to treat burns;
• caprylic - the most active and necessary in the gastrointestinal tract. It is she who prevents diarrhea, thrush in women;
• citric acid is a natural antidepressant;
• oxalic, is responsible for the efficiency of muscle tissue and the physical condition of the muscles;
• usnin - capable of killing gram-positive bacteria is used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Substances with antiseptic and antibacterial action, B vitamins, vitamin C, caffeine and a small percentage of alcohol, ranging from 0.5 to 1%.

Kombucha - 11 Health Benefits

1. Gets rid of toxins

   The glucuronic acid contained in the mushroom is a natural detoxifier. By binding toxins that enter the body, it helps the liver to remove them through the kidneys, reducing the load on the pancreas and improving digestion.

2. Antioxidant action

   The concentration of a large composition of organic acids in kombucha protect the body from the passage of excessive oxidative processes in it, while antioxidants neutralize the effects of oxygen free radicals, protecting the body from inflammatory processes.

3. Liver protection

   Kombucha is considered by many to be alive. The presence of beneficial microorganisms in it helps to restore the level of glutathione, the most powerful "fighter" with the presence of free radicals in the cell. Supporting cell immunity, protecting lymphocytes, glutathione has the ability to self-repair, but during increased toxicity of the body, when the liver "sluggishly" performs the work of a filter, its level may decrease. In this case, the consumption of kombucha increases glutathione levels and reduces induced hepatotoxicity.

4. Cancer prevention

   The use of kombucha in the diet is a good prophylactic against the development of various kinds of tumor formations. Studies have shown that the presence of lactic acid in it prevents the development of neoplasms of a negative nature, and the effective property of detoxification is one of the positive factors in the prevention of cancer.

5. Antimicrobial effects

   To combat pathogens, the fungus contains not only acetic acid, but also a number of other antimicrobial components that will provide protection against diseases of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, staphylococcal infections.

6. Diabetes treatment

   Kombucha is also valued for its natural properties in assisting in the treatment of diabetes. Research has shown that a fermented drink balances blood sugar levels, bringing and maintaining them at normal levels. Reduces the content of urea in the blood of patients, while maintaining the functioning of the kidneys and liver.

7. Arthritis prevention

   Hyaluronic acid, stimulated by kombucha glucosamines, improves the nature of cartilage, prevents damage by free radicals, and takes care of the elasticity of the joints. Increases the percentage of moisture in the joints, which significantly reduces pain in arthritis.

8. Cholesterol Reduction

   Another positive quality of kombucha is the ability to reduce the absorption of cholesterol and increase the level of good cholesterol in the body.

9. Treatment of stomach ulcer

   Reduce pain in peptic ulcer disease, reduce the state of discomfort. Kombucha gets these properties for its ability to control the production of excess stomach secretions. The presence of these properties put kombucha on a par with drugs aimed at treating peptic ulcer.

10. Strengthening immunity

    The antioxidants in the tea stimulate the immune system by fighting viruses and bacteria. The use of kombucha will help strengthen the protective function in the fight against the adverse effects of external factors.

11. Improving digestion

    Kombucha has the best effect on the digestive system. Acting as a probiotic, it ensures the health of the intestinal flora, contributing to the rapid breakdown of proteins, eliminating unwanted fermentation processes in the intestines.

How to grow kombucha from scratch at home

Brew one teaspoon of strong tea, per 1 liter of boiling water, add one teaspoon of sugar to the tea leaves. Let it brew in a warm place for about three days. After a while, a small film will appear in the infusion, this is the germ of the fungus.

After about a month, the grown mushroom should be transferred to a larger container. Can be used three-liter jar. At the same time, for the growth of the fungus, 2 liters of boiled water and five tablespoons of sugar and tea leaves will be required.

The young mushroom should be kept in a warm, well-lit place, covering the neck of the jar with a napkin. If you do everything right, then the fungus begins to grow quite quickly and takes on the shape of a puff pie.

How to care for kombucha

1. Use water for the fungus only after boiling.
2. A three-liter glass jar is best suited for growing mushrooms.
3. Metal utensils are not recommended.
4. Use of dishes from synthetic high-quality materials is allowed.
5. The grown mushroom should be kept in a ventilated, not too lit place. The direct rays of the sun will slow down its development.
6. The optimum temperature for storage and growth of the fungus is 24-25 degrees. A temperature of about 17 degrees can provoke the formation of blue-green algae in the tank.
7. Do not close the container tightly, the fungus will not be able to breathe. It is better to cover the jar with a napkin and fix it with an elastic band.
8. A young mushroom should be placed in already sweetened water, if sugar is poured on top, it will provoke brown spots on the mushroom, the so-called mushroom burns.
9. Too strong tea leaves can slow down the growth of the fungus. The ingress of tea leaves on the body of the fungus is also not permissible.
10. It should be bathed at intervals of once every two weeks under running boiled water.
11. Brown spots on the body of the fungus indicate its death, you should separate the healthy layer and transplant it into a freshly prepared infusion of tea leaves and tea.

How to drink kombucha

If you are satisfied with the taste of the drink, and there are no contraindications for taking it, then you can use it up to one liter per day. Having determined at the same time in what period (before meals, or after) it brings pleasant drinking comfort. Contraindications for the use of kombucha

1. Everything useful should be taken in the norm, no matter what harm your health. A large amount of the drink can cause irritation of the gastric mucosa.
2. With caution, it should be taken by patients with an ulcer.
3. The drink contains a small percentage of alcohol, so you should not drink a lot of it if you need to drive.
4. For people with fungal diseases, the drink is contraindicated.

Kombucha Recipes

For individual improvement palatability it is allowed to add pre-prepared decoctions to the drink:

• Dried fruits;
• lavender;
• Mint;
• sage;
• Coffee;
• Chamomile flowers, etc.

You should only be aware of possible individual allergic reactions.

tea fungus treatment

1. Colds and inflammatory diseases

   The anti-inflammatory properties of kombucha allow it to be used as additional ingredients during treatment acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory infections, tonsillitis. Slightly warmed with a solution diluted with water, rinse the throat. However, it should be slightly sour taste, but not sharply sour, otherwise there is a chance of getting a burn of the mucous membrane. You can repeat the procedure up to 15 times a day, it will help relieve pain and relieve fever. The infusion will help strengthen the immune system during the cold season, relieve chronic tonsillitis and stop her relapses by removing inflammation of the nasopharynx.

2. Diseases of the stomach

   The presence of organic acids in tea will favorably affect the work gastric tract, improves intestinal motility, normalizes appetite.

3. eye inflammation

   The bactericidal properties of the drink are also used in the treatment conjunctivitis, rubbing eyes with cotton swabs moistened with tea.

4. Skin injury

   In the treatment of minor burns and wounds, in surgical practice, they use an infusion of kombucha as a means of helping the fastest healing by applying gauze bandages to damaged areas of the body. Change these dressings up to six times a day.

5. Atherosclerosis

   People suffering from high blood pressure and high readings cholesterol level in the blood, the drink will help strengthen the walls of blood vessels, relieve headaches. With regular use, it stabilizes blood pressure readings, performing a preventive action in the fight against atherosclerosis.

6. Diseases of the teeth and oral cavity

   Research in the field of oral and dental care has shown interesting data, namely, that using kombucha infusion as a rinse can protect teeth from the harmful destructive effects of microbes that enter our mouth with food. With constant rinsing with an infused seven-day solution, you can get rid of ulcerative stomatitis and strengthen the structure of the gums.

7. Liver disease

   The prepared solution of kombucha on a decoction of immortelle leaves has a therapeutic effect in liver disease. In this combination, immortelle relieves pain and enhances useful qualities kombucha. Useful for liver disease and the combination of celandine infusion with kombucha. When using celandine, the dosage should be strictly followed, namely 4 tbsp. infusion of celandine for 2 liters of mushroom.

8. Gastrolithiasis

   The combination of a solution of chicory and kombucha will improve the functioning of the pancreas, regulate the metabolism in the body. Enhance the choleretic and diuretic effect.

9. Diarrhea

   A decoction of the galangal plant, combined with an infusion of kombucha, will help with a delicate problem. The tandem of the qualities of the components of the infusion will cope with the intoxication of the body and restore the peristalsis of the gastric tract.

10. Women's diseases

    Kombucha in combination with herbs melissa and yellow sweet clover will help restore the menstrual cycle for women, protect against irregularity. The infusion of the mushroom with oregano is able to clearly regulate the cycle.

11. kidney disease

    It is quite possible to heal a large number of kidney diseases, using an infusion of kombucha with decoctions of elderberry, plantain, rosehip. In this case, both leaves and fruits of plants are used. And for the removal of kidney stones, carrot seeds and madder root are suitable.

12. Treatment of nail fungus with kombucha

    A concentrated infusion of tea fungus will help for nails damaged by onychomycosis, a fungal infection. For treatment, you should use an infusion of the fungus boiled for an hour. Applying the pulp of the fungus to the damaged nail plastitis to achieve their softness, then carefully cut off the damaged areas with scissors. After cutting off a piece of kombucha, rub it into the nail several times a day. Don't count on instant healing.

13. Hypertension - infusions from kombucha

    With cudweed

    At the first manifestations of signs of increased blood pressure, doctors recommend drinking an aqueous infusion of cudweed with an infusion of kombucha. This will help expand the peripheral blood vessels, slow down the heart rate and reduce pain. You can also use the solution for taking foot baths during a hypertensive crisis, expanding blood vessels, it will increase blood flow from the head to the limbs.

    With mulberry

    In a pre-prepared Kombucha, pour a decoction of mulberry leaves. The leaves, having enriched the mushroom with vitamins, will enhance its antihypertensive properties, improve health.

    With blueberries

    Being a natural antioxidant, blueberries, in combination with useful acids of kombucha, will have a preventive effect in case of vegetovascular dystonia, cleanse the vessels of toxins.

    with parsley

    The infusion is used for edema associated with impaired cardiac activity, as well as for the irregularity of the menstrual cycle caused by hypertension.

    With dill seeds

    Of particular benefit will be a mushroom drink in combination with dill seeds for nursing mothers suffering from hypertension. The drink, expanding blood vessels, tones up the work of the heart, takes care of the normalization of pressure.

    With dry bean pods

    Infused in equal doses, the mushroom and the bean solution are recommended to be taken in the chronic form of hypertension. It will also reduce pressure readings and relieve pain in the head. It should be taken into account that the dosage of herbal plants in kombucha directly depends on age and individual health status.

Kombucha for weight loss

You can lose weight quickly and tasty. The pleasant sweetish-sour taste of kombucha will also take care of proper metabolism. The drink, due to the presence of enzymes (specific proteins) in it, will increase the speed of chemical reactions in the body, favorably affecting the metabolic processes of the body.

The food that has entered the body will be processed faster, without "stale" in the stomach, causing the processes of putrefaction in it. About 4 glasses a day of drunk tea will help to actively absorb all the beneficial substances and remove unnecessary toxins. All this, of course, will affect the loss of unnecessary weight. Adding a decoction of several leaves of mint, or yarrow, will help enhance the effect of the drink.

Where Kombucha came from before the village remains unknown. There are suggestions that it was discovered in Ceylon, and eventually moved to the northern parts of the world. Starting from the nineteenth century, it began to be used in the territories of the Volga region, where acetic acid was prepared with its help. In special barrels, the mushroom grew to enormous sizes and could weigh about 90-100 kg.

Interestingly, kombucha is successfully used not only for health purposes. It is also used in the manufacture of artificial leather.

Nowadays, kombucha has found its use in medicine, cosmetology and cooking. Many housewives use the drink as a marinade for meat, a preservative for pickled foods, add it to green salads, making their taste more piquant. He successfully found application in cosmetology. The infusion of the mushroom will gently cleanse the face of impurities without overdrying the skin and maintaining its acid balance. By adding an infusion to the water for rinsing the hair, you can achieve the effect of their healing. This is the miracle that nature gave to people.

What else is useful?

Remember that slimy thing in the jar on the windowsill? You still need to “feed” her with sweet tea and in no case poke her finger. Meet this medusomycete or just kombucha.

What is kombucha

Kombucha, also known as a Japanese mushroom, medusomycete or even Medusomyces gisevi, and in everyday life just a “mushroom” is a combination of acetic acid microorganisms and yeast colonies. From the USA to Europe, the fashion came to us to call Kombucha (from the Japanese word "kombutya"), but in Spain and southern France it is called "hongo".

The body of the fungus is disc-shaped, dense, smooth and shiny on top, in the center lives a colony of fungi and bacteria, which are involved in the processing of sugar, and the bottom of the medusa is a germ zone consisting of hanging threads formed by colonies of bacteria. The fungus is constantly growing, filling all the space allotted to it, therefore, on an industrial scale, its body weight can reach 100 kg.

The more layers the fungus has, the stronger and healthier it is, but it is more difficult to manage it - it is more difficult to remove it from the jar, rinse it properly. If your mushroom has grown fat, then remove one or two layers and donate them to other kombucha lovers, let them grow them.

The mushroom lives in a transparent glass container and eats sweet tea. The variety of tea can be any, and instead of sugar, you can add honey or fructose. You can replace tea with herbal infusion, but you can not use those varieties of tea and herbs that contain a lot of essential oils(for example, sage, pepper, chamomile, wild currant and a number of others). From such infusions, the medusa mycete can get sick.

Yeast living in the fungus ferments sugar, forming alcohol and carbon dioxide, and fungal bacteria oxidize ethyl alcohol into acetic acid. Thanks to these processes, an 8% solution of sugar in tea turns into a sweet and sour, slightly carbonated drink - “tea kvass”.

The main components of the infusion of jellyfish on sweet black tea are gluconic and kojic acids, lactic, acetic and carbonic acids, small amounts of citric and malic acid, sugars, caffeine, up to 2.5% ethanol, vitamins of group B, C, D, PP , various aromatic substances, enzymes protease, amylase and catalase.

Do not forget to wash the tea jellyfish with warm boiled water once every two weeks. And you can also send the mushroom to rest if you suddenly need to take a break in production: fill it with boiled water or a weak solution of tea, let it relax.

Useful properties of kombucha drink

Tea kvass has a slight antimicrobial (antibiotic) effect, and thanks to the enzymes it contains, it helps to improve digestion. Protease helps to break down proteins into amino acids, amylase is involved in the processing of carbohydrates, and catalase destroys toxic hydrogen peroxide formed during various oxidative processes in the body.

Back in 1929, a scientist named Germani conducted an experiment with kombucha: already knowing that the main active principle of kombucha is gluconic acid, he poisoned the experimental rat, rabbit, dog and cat with vitantol. This drug caused a sharp increase in blood cholesterol levels in animals, and they would certainly have died if the scientist had not injected them with an infusion of kombucha. The drug helped bring cholesterol levels closer to normal.

In the 50s of the 20th century, at the Department of Microbiology at the Yerevan Zoo Veterinary Institute, Professor Shakaryan and Associate Professor Danielyan developed methods for detecting the active principle from Kombucha infusion using the adsorption method on ion-exchange resins. They managed to isolate highly effective antibacterial substances: crystalline bactericidin KA, KB, KM, completely devoid of toxic properties.

Around the same years, Professor Naumova drew attention to the therapeutic properties of kombucha, especially its jellyfish concentrate. She tested the drug on rabbits, guinea pigs and white mice. After infecting rabbits with an experimental pneumococcal infection, guinea pigs with diphtheria, mice with salmonella infection and diphtheria bacteria, she injected them with Kombucha preparation for several days and achieved positive results in 80% of cases.

Doctors rightly believe that the content of medicinal substances in the infusion of kombucha is small, so it cannot replace medicines, it can only be taken for preventive purposes.

Concentration useful substances in kombucha infusion is optimal when its pH is in the range of 4.5-3.5. When the pH of the solution is less than 3.5, a rapid accumulation of acids begins. Drinking at this stage is useful, since many useful components, for example, jellyfish, accumulate during long-term cultivation, but only in a diluted form, since kommuch already turns into vinegar and its acidity is high.

How to care for kombucha

If the infusion of kombucha is left at room temperature, then after 1-2 weeks a thin translucent layer forms on the surface of the liquid - a colony of microorganisms, which over time will also turn into an adult fungus.

It is possible to grow a mushroom in this way, but it is difficult. It is better to find a donor from which you will tear off several layers. This is a normal process, mushrooms only benefit from this, but in the first days a young mushroom may lie at the bottom or even get a little sick and become stained. If in a week or two he does not recover, then throw it away and buy another one.

Do not store kombucha on the windowsill - it is cold there.

How you care for your kombucha affects not only the taste, but also chemical composition, and hence the beneficial properties of the drink. The cycle is as follows: the infusion was drained, the mushroom was washed, new sweet tea was poured.

Find a mushroom home: glass jar(volume not less than 3 liters) with a wide mouth. The fungus should not be kept in containers made of metals other than stainless steel, as the acids produced by the culture may react with the metals.

Prepare the nutrient mixture: for every liter of water put 2 teaspoons of black or green tea and 5 tablespoons of sugar. Completely dissolve the sugar and strain the mixture: there should be no particles of tea leaves. Let the tea cool to room temperature and then pour directly over the jellyfish.

If your mushroom is still young, then add a little infusion of the mushroom from the jar where it was previously contained as a “starter culture” to the tea - about 1/10 of the total volume.

Infusion maturation: tightly close the container with the mushroom with gauze or a paper towel. This will allow the kombucha to breathe, but midges and dust will not enter the jar. Place the jar in a dark and warm place - the ideal temperature is from 22 to 25 ° C. After 4-6 days, the infusion is ready for use.

Storage: pour the finished drink into a glass container with a tight lid, and let it ripen in a cool place for another 2-3 days - the bacteria stop functioning without air access, and the yeast continues to work. Therefore, if the container is tightly closed, then the gas resulting from the activity of the yeast will not be able to escape and you will get a more fizzy drink.

The mushroom at a venerable age reaches a thickness of several centimeters, so you can drink the infusion daily directly from the jar where he lives. Do not forget to replenish the infusion with a new portion of cold, sweet tea.

Keep the jar of mushroom in a dark place with good natural ventilation. Cold and direct sunlight inhibit the development of kombucha, so it's best to keep it away from a window.

Do not pour sugar on kombucha and place it in a solution with undissolved sugar. This causes burns in the form of brown spots. Tea should not be too strong - excessive concentration of tea inhibits the growth of kombucha. If the upper part of the kombucha begins to turn brown, this is a sign that the kombucha is starting to die. Sometimes this happens if kombucha stands out in solution. Rinse the mushroom, separate and discard the top layer, and start taking care of your pet again.

Sources:

• Kombucha and its biological features, L.T. Danielyan, 2005 http://www.skif.biz/files/b32901.pdf
• The yeast spectrum of the "tea fungus Kombucha", 1995 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8559192
• A Case of Hepatotoxicity Related to Kombucha Tea Consumption, 2016 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26882579
• Lactic acid bacteria: promising supplements for enhancing the biological activities of kombucha, 2015 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25763303
• Current evidence on physiological activity and expected health effects of kombucha fermented beverage, 2014 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24192111
• Kombucha: a systematic review of the clinical evidence, 2003 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12808367