Appendix 2 The history of the appearance of kombucha The origin of this amazing creature remains a mystery to this day - so far none of the researchers have been able to discover the natural habitat of this zooglea. However, many scientists suggest that

Description of Kombucha The scientific name of Kombucha is Medusomyces Gisevi. It was given to him by the German mycologist Lindau, who compiled the first complete scientific description of the fungus in 1913. Despite the fact that kombucha has nothing in common with jellyfish, due to its appearance

Kombucha drink A drink made from kombucha is quite tasty and vaguely resembles fruit wine or strong, highly carbonated kvass. It has long been believed that it has amazing healing properties, and therefore it is rare to be without it.

Chapter 4 The Kombucha Phenomenon A Little HistoryWhere was Kombucha Born? The Indians claim that they are in India, the Chinese claim that they are in China, and the Japanese claim that they are in Japan. Scientists have discovered “traces” of kombucha in Manchuria, which can be dated back to 200 BC. e. And one ancient Japanese doctor

Cleansing with Kombucha One of the ancient Chinese legends tells about an emperor suffering from a serious illness. The best doctors from all over the country were invited to the sick ruler, but they all turned out to be powerless. When the emperor's relatives had already come to terms with

299. The power of kombucha This healing product contains a lot useful substances: enzymes, organic acids and vitamins. Regular treatment with kombucha activates metabolism, has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract and helps in the fight against

Propagation of Kombucha To propagate Kombucha, transfer the two resulting layers into a 3-liter jar filled with strained tea solution. After this, cover the jar with gauze and leave in a warm (18–30 ° C) place for 2–5

Using Kombucha It is recommended to drain the Kombucha infusion through cheesecloth every 2–4 days in summer and 5–6 days in winter. The solution can be poured into containers and stored in the refrigerator. It is believed that the infusion, which was stored in the refrigerator for 2-4 days, has healing properties.

About it healthy drink Many people have heard, but there is still debate - is it a mushroom or this kind of tea. Strange creature corrupting appearance even the richest studio kitchens, floats in a transparent three-liter jar. And everyone in the house is convinced that this is a healing liquid that gives excellent health and strong immunity. Let's study what a kombucha is, or, scientifically speaking, a tea jellyfish is a medusomycete. What are the benefits of a product consisting of acetic acid-type bacteria and yeast? Can pregnant women drink kombucha? At what age can it be given to children? Why tea jellyfish is beneficial for men – let’s study it together and in detail.

What is Kombucha

When did medusomycete first appear? This question worries not only ordinary people, but also researchers. It is known that the mushroom was introduced into the human diet as a healing drink several centuries ago. It was called either the Manchurian, or the Japanese, or the Volga jellyfish for its resemblance to the famous creature. There is a version that the mushroom was first grown in Ceylon, was widely used in Japan and ancient China, and then spread throughout Asia. According to legend, during the Qin Dynasty, around 200 BC, it was prepared only for high-ranking officials and members of the court. Even then it was proven that kombucha has magical properties– strengthens the immune system, treats serious illnesses, including cancer.

According to archaeologists and historians, it is indicated that Japanese matka (kombucha) appeared in Russia only at the beginning of the 20th century. The product was brought in by warriors who took part in the Russian-Japanese campaign. So the mushroom began its journey with Far East, then across Siberia, Ukraine, Belarus, Transcaucasia, etc. Soon the drink found its way into the diet of Europeans.

There is another version according to which residents of Transbaikalia used kombucha as a medicine. And there are sources in which the drink was first mentioned in Russia back in the 19th century. In France and England, jellyfish were used to obtain regular vinegar, making cider, wine, fruit liqueurs. The tea jellyfish gained particular popularity before the Great Patriotic War.

Since 1940, the fashionable drink has been consumed in almost every family. But during the war years, due to a shortage of sugar and tea, there was a catastrophic shortage of healing infusions.

Tea mushroom, also scientifically called zooglea, is a film that forms layers on the surface of the drink. It consists of a mixture of yeast, carbon dioxide and alcohol. Once in a sweet environment, the yeast begins to ferment, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. Thanks to this, the liquid acquires a slight carbonation. And the mushroom continues to grow and, if the capacity allows, it can grow to a volume of 100 kilograms.

The outer contours of the mushroom are disc-shaped. In the lower part you can visually see sprouts, threads formed by bacteria. In the middle is concentration, that is, a symbiosis of bacterial colonies, fungi that process sugar, and the top is smooth, dense and shiny.

What is included in the beneficial composition of kombucha?

Initially, when there were no laboratories and no opportunity to study the chemical composition, it was already clear that the drink was very healing and unique. Residents of the eastern and southern regions They used it for only one purpose - to cure complex diseases.

The solution is a rather complex composition. From chemistry lessons we know that during fermentation, not only alcohol and carbon dioxide appear. The composition is also replenished with fermentation products, microorganisms, intermediate substances and phosphoric acid. It is she who is involved in the creation of acetic acid, which in the same process is converted into pyruvic acid, then vinegar aldehyde appears.

Experts indicate that acetic acid bacteria are participants in the synthesis unique substances– vitamins and microelements.

Thanks to the above processes, the following arise in kombucha:

• acids – glucuronic, gluconic, lactic, kojic, acetic, citric and oxalic acids;
• caffeine;
• alcohol;
• vitamin D, C;
• saccharides (mono and poly);
• aldehydes;
• enzymes – zymase, protease, levansucrase;
• resinous and fatty particles;
• tanning components.

On the tenth day of the mushroom infusion, B vitamins and proteolytes appear in the composition - enzymes that can strengthen and build muscle fibers.

On the 15th day, the volume of ascorbic acid increases to 0.64 thousandths per milligram.

Let's summarize - according to scientific research, it was possible to classify the beneficial substances of kombucha, which we indicated above. They were also joined by enzymes:

• linase, amylase, catalase, tryptase and carbohydrase;
• phosphatides and sterols;
• chlorophyll and xanthophyll – pigments;
• purines.

Useful benefits of kombucha

Not only representatives of the people, but also traditional medicine recommend paying attention to unique properties tea jellyfish. To verify the benefits of the drink, studies were conducted on mice. As it turned out, the product is great for helping with stress, for regulating the functioning of the liver, kidneys, and strengthening vitality and a defense mechanism.

1. Bacterial symbiosis is also used as an anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and antimicrobial agent. The drink improves performance gastrointestinal tract, relieves headaches, dizziness, reduces the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. It is also recommended to consume tea jellyfish for arthritis, arthrosis, rheumatic diseases, for the prevention of polyarthrosis, atherosclerosis, and rheumatic carditis.
2. Regular consumption of the drink calms the nervous system, relieves insomnia, regulates stool, eliminates bloating, constipation and chronic diarrhea.
   

   Kombucha, as the drink is also called, perfectly quenches thirst and quickly eliminates the feeling of hunger.

3. For dysentery, as well as sore throat, laryngitis, runny nose and tonsillitis, tea helps more than chemicals.
4. The mushroom solution allows you to get rid of pain in the chest and heart.

The role of kombucha acids for the body

Considering the fact that the solution contains a lot of acids, let’s consider the properties of each of them.

1. Glucuronic acid is a unique detoxifier for our body.
2. Any toxins, poisons and decay products of cells and pathogenic microbes harm the liver and are excreted through the kidneys and genitourinary system. But a large proportion of poisons remain inside the body. Thanks to glucuronic acid, which can bind them to itself, toxins are completely eliminated. This drink for this reason, it should be used by persons working in hazardous industrial conditions - at oil, chemical and radiation enterprises.
3. The substance is a unique assistant for people suffering from allergic reactions.
4. Kombucha is an indispensable drink for those who suffer from joint diseases. Clucosamine, by-product from glucuronic acid is a natural lubricant for cartilage, natural collagen involved in the formation of joints.
5. Lactic acid. The best component for regulating digestive processes. The substance regulates the pH balance, prevents the accumulation of putrefactive bacteria, cleanses the intestines, which prevents the development of cancer and inflammatory processes.
6. Usnic acid. A rare element, also called lichen. Destroys bacterial colonies, is a natural, natural antibiotic. Consequently, it inhibits inflammatory and infectious processes and has powerful antimicrobial properties. Used for trophic ulcers, boils, streptococcus.
7. The substance effectively eliminates severe, neglected cough, treats tuberculosis, and relieves purulent wounds when applied externally. The component also has the ability to increase the immune abilities of our body. Usnic acid has a mild choleretic and laxative effect.
8. Acetic acid. The strongest preservative, destroys bacteria and stimulates peristalsis.
9. Oxalic acid. It also has conservative properties and is involved in the body’s energy production. Insomnia is eliminated, activity increases, depression and stress go away.
10. Apple acid. Stimulates metabolism, regulates cellular metabolism, increases blood flow. The substance increases appetite, normalizes the digestive process, and strengthens the immune system. Has an anti-edematous, anti-inflammatory effect.
11. Strengthens the walls of blood vessels, makes them elastic, improves the condition of hypertensive patients. It has a mild laxative property, eliminates bloating and heaviness in the abdomen.
12. Gluconic acid. The substance is perfectly absorbed by the body within two days. Enhances the effect of antioxidants on the body, regulates metabolism, strengthens the immune system. Has a mild laxative effect.
13. Butyric acid. Supports intestinal function and is an anti-inflammatory agent. Eases the severity of the condition in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Butyrate prevents the development of cancer and diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases. Reduces the level of harmful and increases the amount of good cholesterol.
14. Kojic acid. Has powerful anti-aging properties. Improves skin color, reduces harmful effects sun rays. Treats melanoma, which is very useful for pregnant women with signs of pigmentation.
15. The substance can discolor scars, has an antifungal effect, and protects the skin from bacterial inflammation.

How and where to use kombucha

Before starting treatment for a particular disease, you should consult your doctor. It is also important to know that the healing properties of the drink have been proven traditional medicine. Tea jellyfish helps with diseases such as:

• premenstrual syndrome (PMS);
• dementia – senile and congenital;
• problems with appetite;
• aging of the body and skin;
• rheumatic pains;
• oncology;
• hypertension;
• hair loss - ;
• arthritis;
• constipation;
• low immunity;
• asthma and cough;
• tuberculosis;
• autoimmune diseases - psoriasis;
• thrush;
• Chronical bronchitis;
• high level of leukocytes, etc.

1. For diseases of the upper respiratory tract and oral cavity, you need to rinse your throat and mouth with the solution. The drink also freshens breath and relieves unpleasant odor from mouth.
2. For hemorrhoids, you need to apply a napkin (bandage, gauze) soaked in a solution to the cones.
3. In non-acute phases of pancreatitis, the solution improves peristalsis and promotes food fermentation.
4. In the early stages of oncology, you need 20 birch leaves (dried), dilute one bag of black tea in 2.5 liters of boiling water, add 4 spoons granulated sugar. Infuse all this overnight, strain, pour into three liter jar and a layer of mushroom. After a week, you can take a healthy drink.
5. For purulent inflammation of the conjunctiva, dilute half a glass of kombucha in a glass of water and drip like eye drops.

Is it possible to drink kombucha during pregnancy?

As we already know, the Japanese jellyfish contains a lot of useful substances, vitamins and acids. Doctors have nothing against the consumption of the drink by the expectant mother. The main thing is that there are no contraindications. Here it is important to contact your gynecologist and get advice. Contraindications also include:

• increased acidity;
• gastritis;
• peptic ulcers of certain types;
• diabetes of a certain (1) type.

Important: despite the above, it still makes sense to refuse the drink during the period of bearing a child and breastfeeding. After all, its medicinal properties have not been fully studied by official medicine, only partially.

Is it possible to give kombucha to children?

This drink is an excellent replacement for soda. True, getting a baby to drink an infusion with a specific taste is not so easy. If he doesn't want to, don't insist. Also, some doctors consider it wrong to include kombucha in the diet because it contains a small dose of alcohol and caffeine. It is better to start at an older age - 11-12 years. Before that you need to include in your diet clean water, compotes, jelly, juices, fruit drinks.

What are the benefits of kombucha for men?

This drink, if there are no contraindications and allergic reaction, must be included in the diet of every man. The list of vitamins has a beneficial effect on the entire body as a whole, and antioxidants and acids remove waste and toxins from the body. 100 grams of the drink contain only 20 kilocalories, which already makes it dietary.

1. The components of the Japanese infusion have an excellent effect on the condition of the prostate gland. The substances prevent the development of cancer and prevent the development of prostate cancer and inflammatory processes.
2. Thanks to the drink, the genitourinary system is cleansed, bacteria are destroyed, which allows the canals to be cleansed and get rid of stagnation processes.
3. Japanese jellyfish has a beneficial effect on male reproduction. When consumed regularly, the drink improves the quality and activity of sperm and the ability to conceive.

The drink should be drunk after prolonged periods of physical activity in the gym or at work. The solution also helps build muscles, and carbohydrates provide energy and vigor for the whole day.

Cosmetic properties of kombucha

1. Nails. A condition called ochinocryptosis is often observed - the nail grows into the soft tissue. Most often this situation occurs on the toes. As a result of pressure and infection, purulent inflammation develops and acute pain occurs. A kombucha compress will help. Place a small piece of the exfoliated mushroom on your finger, cover it with film and wrap it with a bandage. Change every few hours and when completely softened, you can remove the ingrown toenail.
2. Fungal disease of the nail plate. Apply compresses from a piece of kombucha, cover with film, apply a bandage and put on several socks. In the morning, remove, wash, treat with potassium permanganate or brilliant green. Repeat again in the evening.
3. Hair. Thanks to the drink we are studying, you can improve the condition and accelerate hair growth. The roots are strengthened, new bulbs are born, and the hair becomes thick and shiny. The infusion is used both externally and internally.

• internal use - drink a glass of the drink every day before eating;
• externally – rub into hair roots 2-3 times a week with massage movements. Can also be used as a rinse aid. The product will help get rid of dandruff, seborrhea, fungal infections;
• to strengthen the hair follicles, apply a mixture of drink and honey to the roots (heat the solution until hot and add a spoonful of honey). Rinse with chamomile infusion.

Kombucha contraindications

Like any other product, the substance we describe has a number of side effects. There are a number of ailments for which you should refuse or limit your drink consumption:

• acute phases of diseases in the gastrointestinal tract;
• individual intolerance;
• jaundiced skin color;
• vomiting and nausea.

Doctors recommend including a drink prepared in... production conditions. Home preparation can cause serious damage due to the contamination of the drink with putrefactive bacteria and dangerous mold, for example Aspergillus. Also, people with very low blood pressure should absolutely not drink kombucha. immune system suffering from AIDS, after severe illnesses and operations. Also, the drink should not be consumed if:

• alcoholism;
• chronic diarrhea;
• irritable bowel syndrome, etc.

Important: you should not combine consumption of kombucha with taking the drug Disulfiram, otherwise vomiting may occur. headache, nausea and other reactions.

Losing weight with kombucha

For those who are dissatisfied with their shape, that is, suffer from excess weight, it is imperative to include Japanese jellyfish in your diet. Thanks to useful composition, metabolism and metabolic processes improve, the intestines are cleansed and the fat layer is burned. Drink the infusion according to the following scheme:

Drink a glass of solution 1 hour before meals or 2 hours after meals.

You can drink a maximum of 6 glasses of tea per day. The weight loss course should last 1 month, then take a break for a week and repeat the course again. For the mushroom diet, infuse green tea.

During the diet, exclude flour, fatty, smoked, and sweet foods from the diet. In this case, you need to do sports, gymnastics.

How to prepare the right tea kvass

If you decide to make kombucha at home, take the process seriously. Prepare clean dishes, water, tea, sugar.

Cooking instructions Japanese tea(kombuchi)

1. Prepare tea - per liter of water, 2 teaspoons of tea leaves, 5 tablespoons of granulated sugar and leave for 15 minutes.
2. Strain the infusion and cool.
3. Place a piece of mushroom into the solution and hide it in a warm place. If the mushroom is young, add the solution from the jar where it was before.
4. Leave for 5 days and the drink is ready. Take out the jellyfish and put it in a new solution, leave it for the same amount of time, and before that drink the ready-made solution.

1. Do not prepare the solution in metal containers.
2. Do not completely cover with a lid, let the mushroom “breathe”, it is better to use gauze.
3. The mushroom is “afraid” of burns, so the tea must be cooled first.
4. Infuse at a temperature of 25 degrees.
5. You cannot make a solution based on strong tea leaves, better than medium strength.
6. Do not expose to direct sunlight.
7. The sugar should be completely dissolved in the tea.
8. The mushroom can be washed several times a year.
9. If brown spots appear on the formation, they should be completely removed and only a clean product should be used.

Proper storage

The main rule is not to mix mushroom consumption with meals. Otherwise, digestive problems may occur. The drink also increases appetite and through a short time you will want to eat again. Those wishing to temporarily postpone taking kombucha should store it properly. To do this, it is recommended to dry the layer, place it on a plate and turn it over daily to prevent midges and mold. When the layer becomes thin, hide it in a closet. We decided to make kombucha again - put the mushroom in tea for 7 days, there it will grow and come to life with new life.

Bye everyone.
Best regards, Vyacheslav.

Kombucha, which has been used as a healing agent for many centuries, will help you cope with many ailments, and at the same time improve your health, improve your metabolism, and boost your immunity. The book tells about the origin and history of medicinal kombucha, its use for sick and healthy people, cooking methods at home. A list of diseases for which this drink is most effective is also given.

A series: Pocket Healer

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by liters company.

Origin and history of kombucha

For many centuries, kombucha has been very popular as a healing remedy at home. Even in ancient China during the Jin dynasty (221 BC), it was considered as a sure way to prolong life. It was as if magical powers emanated from him. The most famous was the divine power of the mushroom - Che (or Ling-Che). In 414, one of the Korean doctors was called to Japan to heal Emperor Inkyo there with a mushroom. This year can be considered the date of Che's appearance in Japan. From this time on, kombucha begins its victorious march through the countries of Asia and then Europe. It has become very popular due to its beneficial effects on metabolic diseases.

Rumor about healing effect Kombucha tea, in particular, that it helps with cancer, has spread widely in Russia. Kombucha came to Russia back in the 19th century. from China and spread to Transbaikalia, where it was widely used as a medicinal product. After the Russo-Japanese War, it was transported throughout Russia, first of all it ended up in the Volga region, then in Belarus, the Baltic states, Ukraine and Transcaucasia.

IN scientific research Kombucha in Russia was also first mentioned in the 19th century. in the works of scientists N. Kirillov, A. Bachinskaya, L. Danielova and others. They became interested primarily in tea kvass, an infusion of kombucha, which by that time had already become widespread among the population.

By the beginning of World War II, kombucha could be found in literally every home.

It's so popular folk remedy and methods of its application can now be found only in old literature, under different names.

In the 50s, kombucha became the favorite drink of Italian high society. However, over time, it was rejected there too, because there was a rumor that it was supposedly a pathogen cancer diseases. In 1960, one of the researchers convincingly proved: kombucha in no way contributes to the appearance of any diseases at all, but, on the contrary, is the same healthy drink as, for example, yogurt. It is freely sold in many pharmacies in Europe and is popular.

The body of the fungus consists of both its mycelium and a cluster of acetic acid bacteria, which give this colony its characteristic consistency by secreting a special substance. The type of bacteria that makes up kombucha is widespread in nature and has long been used to make vinegar.

The symbiosis of the fungus and bacteria forms an entire colony, which can be divided both transversely and longitudinally into parts, each of which will grow again in sweet tea.

Kombucha is a delicious drink, somewhat reminiscent of fruit wine. And it has already been definitely proven that it has a beneficial effect on intestinal function and destroys intestinal bacteria that can cause various diseases.

According to numerous and long-term studies of biologists, a drink made from kombucha - natural product fermentation with high content vitamins that have a beneficial effect on metabolism in the human body.

The German physician Valentin Köhler studied glucuronic acid because it is a component of kombucha and has shown successful results in the clinical treatment of cancer.

As a result of his research, Koehler stated that there were no new metastases in patients; stopping weight loss; improvement in general well-being, allowing patients to get out of bed; restoring interest in the outside world and limiting the consumption of painkillers.

These studies allow us to conclude that kombucha has a positive effect on the body's defenses and can be placed on a par with other drugs that have a beneficial effect on patients.

No less impressive were the studies of Rudolf Sklener from Germany.

He not only substantiated the possibility of obtaining an extract from kombucha, but also received a patent for the treatment of metabolic diseases using this drink. He was able to achieve successful results using kombucha for cancer. In 1964, Sklener, as a result of many years of practical research, first introduced kombucha into medical circulation. Since then, the mushroom has experienced its rebirth, and its former popularity has returned to it in Europe.

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Given introductory fragment books Healer in a jar. Kombucha (Yuri Konstantinov, 2018) provided by our book partner -

Remember that slimy thing in the jar on the windowsill? She still needs to be “fed” with sweet tea and under no circumstances should she be poked with her finger. Meet this medusomycete or just kombucha.

What is Kombucha

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

The body of the fungus is disc-shaped, dense, smooth and shiny on top, in the center there lives a colony of fungi and bacteria, which process sugar, and the bottom of the medusomycete is a growth zone consisting of hanging threads formed by colonies of bacteria. The mushroom is constantly growing, filling all the space allotted to it, so industrial scale its body weight can reach 100 kg.

The more layers a mushroom has, the stronger and healthier it is, but it is more difficult to manage - it is more difficult to remove it from the jar and rinse it properly. If your mushroom has become “fat,” remove one or two layers and give them to other kombucha lovers to grow.

The mushroom lives in a transparent glass container and feeds on sweet tea. The type of tea can be any, and instead of sugar you can add honey or fructose. Can replace tea herbal infusion, but you cannot use those varieties of tea and herbs that contain a lot essential oils(for example, sage, pepper, chamomile, wild currant and a number of others). From such infusions, medusomycetes can get sick.

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

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

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

Beneficial properties of kombucha drink

Tea kvass has a slight antimicrobial (antibiotic) effect, and thanks to the enzymes it contains, it helps improve digestion. Protease helps 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 by the name of Germani conducted an experiment with kombucha: already knowing that the main active principle of kombucha is gluconic acid, he poisoned experimental rats, rabbits, dogs and cats 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 Yerevan Veterinary Institute at the Department of Microbiology, Professor Shakaryan and Associate Professor Danielyan developed methods for identifying the active principle from the infusion of kombucha using the method of adsorption 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 medusin concentrate. She tested the drug on rabbits, guinea pigs and white mice. Having infected rabbits with experimental pneumococcal infection, pigs with diphtheria, mice with salmonella infection and diphtheria bacteria, she injected them with a 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 medications; it can only be taken for preventive purposes.

The concentration of beneficial substances in the kombucha infusion is optimal when its pH is between 4.5-3.5. When the pH of the solution is less than 3.5, rapid accumulation of acids begins. It is useful to drink the drink at this stage, since many useful components, for example, jellyfish, accumulate during long-term cultivation, but only in a diluted form, since the flour is already converted into vinegar and its acidity is high.

How to care for kombucha

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

It is possible to grow mushrooms this way, but it is difficult. Better find a donor from whom you can tear off several layers. This is a normal process, the mushrooms only benefit from this, but in the first days the young mushroom may lie on the bottom or even become a little sick and covered with spots. If it doesn’t recover in a week or two, then throw it away and buy another one.

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

Not only the taste, but also the chemical composition, and therefore the beneficial features drink The cycle is as follows: drain the infusion, wash the mushroom, pour in new sweet tea.

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

Prepare the nutritional mixture: For every liter of water, add 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 until room temperature, and then pour directly on top of the medusomycete.

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

Maturation of the infusion: Close the container with the mushroom tightly with gauze or a paper napkin. This way the kombucha will be able to breathe, but midges and dust will not penetrate the jar. Place the jar in a dark and warm place - ideal temperature 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 - bacteria stop functioning without air access, but yeast continues to work. Therefore, if the container is tightly closed, then the gas resulting from the activity of yeast will not be able to escape and you will get a more effervescent drink.

At an advanced age, the mushroom reaches a thickness of several centimeters, so you can drink the infusion every day directly from the jar where it lives. Do not forget to replenish the infusion with a new portion of cold, sweet tea.

Keep the mushroom jar in a dark place with good natural ventilation. Cold and straight Sun rays inhibit the development of kombucha, so it is better to keep it away from the window.

Do not sprinkle sugar on kombucha and place it in a solution with undissolved sugar. This causes burns in the form of brown spots. The tea should not be too strong - excessive concentration of tea inhibits the growth of kombucha. If the top of the kombucha begins to turn brown, this is a sign that the mushroom is beginning to die. Sometimes this happens if the kombucha sits too long in the solution. Rinse the mushroom, separate and discard the top layer and start caring for your pet again.

Sources:

• Kombucha and its biological characteristics, 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