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Kombucha: The Wonder Funk from Monks

Written by Cherokee Bridges
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Kombucha tea originated with monks.

The media is abuzz about the health benefits of probiotics. The truth is that humans have been taking advantage of healthy microscopic fungi and bacteria since the beginning of time.

Any experienced gardener knows the value of having healthy microbial life in your plants’ digestive systems — the digestive system being the growing medium that surrounds the roots. When you have poor conditions like a lack of oxygen in the soil, an imbalance in the microscopic life can lead to disease.

Savvy gardeners treat their plants to beneficial inoculations of bacteria and fungi that prevent diseases and stimulate healthy growth. By filling the space available with friendly bacteria and fungi, there is less room for the bad guys to start up. Secondly, the good guys make things like growth promotants, enzymes, vitamins and plenty of other good stuff, for a difference growers can easily see and experience.

I find kombucha especially helpful if you have butterflies in your stomach or haven’t had the chance to eat right due to a busy schedule.

The ancients learned the power of composting to grow their food and their health. Possibly as far back as 221 B.C., kombucha tea, which is a naturally sparkling beverage produced through fermentation, has been adding a healthy array of probiotics to people’s digestive tracts. Basically, it’s a source and stimulator of living microorganisms for your body, and it delivers natural sources of:

Acetic acid (which is mildly antibacterial)

Butyric acid

B-vitamins

Alcohol (in very low amounts)

Gluconic acid

Lactic acid

Malic acid

Oxalic acid

Usnic acid

One of the really cool things about kombucha is that you can brew it yourself at home, and once you have a living culture going, in theory you will have a never-ending supply. You only have to pay for it once.

On its own, kombucha can taste a little funky. However, when blended with some green tea (which will help to raise its pH level) and possibly some organic grape juice, it can be tasty and refreshing.

I find kombucha especially helpful if you have butterflies in your stomach or haven’t had the chance to eat right due to a busy schedule. A little kombucha can help to put out that fire in your belly and quell things until you can get it right.

You can also check out Brandon Pillon’s Do-It-Yourself article on how to get your own kombucha culture started so that you can begin to toast with the monks to your health.