The History and Spread of Kombucha:
As early as 220 BC in China - during the Tsin Dynasty - immortality was sought after through the use of fungi as they were considered to have special magical properties. There was one plant which was prized above all others - the Divine Che - Ganoderma japonicus Lloyd, known to the Chinese as Ling-tche. This particular fungus is still being used today for specific ailments such as gastritis. In 414, the Japanese Emperor Inkyo sought for a physician as far afield as Korea to cure his digestive troubles and he summoned the doctor Kombu who probably brought the Divine Che with him. Japanese warriors considered the properties of the fungus to be so special that they took it into battle in their field flasks! This must be one of the few instances where tea is fermented on the move. Historical archives indicate that their habit was to top up the ferment in their hip flasks with freshly brewed tea. They considered it to be a refreshing and strengthening beverage. Historians consider that the tea fungus was first used for its healing benefits in the Far East - mainly in Japan, China and Korea. As trade routes extended, oriental merchants probably carried the fungus with them first to Russia and then indirectly to Eastern Europe. The habit of drinking fermented tea became quite acceptable throughout Europe until the unavoidable rationing restrictions of World War II prevented many households and retail outlets from making Kombucha due to the widespread shortages of its two essential substrates: tea and sugar. It is known that Kombucha appeared in Germany about the turn of the century via trade routes from Russia. Italian high society had a real passion for this fermented tea during the 1950s, but for some inexplicable reason there soon followed unsubstantiated rumours that the Russian Tea Kwass was likely to induce cancer. A few years later in the 1960s (perhaps as a reaction to this) scientific research in Switzerland found that drinking Kombucha was as beneficial as eating yoghurt and its popularity soon increased as it became widely available throughout chemist stores. The Fermentation Process:
When the fungus is placed in a freshly prepared infusion of tea and sugars, the fermentation and oxidation processes commence. These chemical reactions are highly involved - with as high a degree of complexity as those encountered when yeasts react with complex sugars and dextrins in the production of beers and wines. Essentially, the fungus will feed on sugar and in return produce glucuronic acid, lactic acid, many vitamins, amino acids and antibiotic substances. Unlike traditional brewing with hops and malts, or wine making with the juice of grapes, Kombucha produces a beverage that is very low in alcohol - about 0.5 per cent by volume. Its rejuvenating properties are thought to arise from the glucuronic acid, the vitamin B complex, vitamin C and lactic acid. Research in Russia has identified that many of the substances in Kombucha beverage have quite significant antibiotic properties.a
When Kombucha starts to ferment the sugars in its supply of nutrient tea, it is the wide range of acids and vitamins which give the drink its unusual flavour. That refreshing and veritable thirst-quenching quality of the beverage can be attributed to the production of carbonic acid. Noted for its antibiotic properties, it is the lactic acid that has a retarding effect on the growth of many bacteria and yeasts. This popular drink has a beneficial action throughout the entire body and in particular there are noticeable changes at the cellular level which provide enormous benefits to the individual. Kombucha Treats Many Diseases:
One of the main reasons why Kombucha seems to be efficacious against such a wide spectrum of diseases is that it does not have any specific action on particular illnesses, but rather its systemic detoxification of the whole body through glucuronic acid has an overall beneficial effect that invigorates the entire person. When all the toxins have been successfully eliminated, the body is much more able to heal itself. Although this miracle 'Tea Kwass' is capable of treating many diseases, some of these physiological changes are well documented but others do require further investigation. However, it is clear that the following effects may be observed in those who drink the beverage on a daily basis: regulation of intestinal flora, cellular strengthening, detoxification of the entire organism, dross elimination, metabolic harmonisation, a general antibiotic effect, a balancing of the blood pH. Physicians Treat Cancerous Conditions with Kombucha:
Over thirty years later, in 1961, Dr. Valentin Koehler wrote in the periodical "Medical Practice" about the medical effects of glucuronic acid and how that this natural method was giving courage to cancer patients. This sparked off a debate about the existence of the Kombucha culture and Dr. Koehler was encouraged with the results that he was observing in his patients. He considered that in the long term, Kombucha may well increase the overall performance of the immune system and boost interferon production. It seems to be that around the late 1950s and early 1960s that the scientific community became aware of the cancer healing properties of the fungus. A few years later in 1964, in the publication "Cancer diagnosis based on Blood and the Treatment of Cancer, Pre-cancerous Conditions, and other Metabolic Diseases with Kombucha and Coli-Preparations" Dr. Rudolph Sklenar of Oberhessen concludes that it is able to produce an outstanding detoxification of the organism. Additionally, the glands are revitalised and the metabolism is considerably enhanced. For cancer patients, this detoxification process that is triggered by the ingestion of glucuronic acid is good news indeed, for many medical specialists feel that there is a direct link between the overall toxicity of the body and the potential for the onset of tumours and other malignant growths. In several of his books, Alexander Solzhenitzyn relates how he considers his cure from stomach cancer was due to the discovery of Kombucha whilst he was in prison. The Acid/Alkali Balance of the Body:
Considering the acid/alkali balance of the body it has been found that humans who are free of cancer usually have a pH balance which is less than 7.5, whereas people suffering from cancer usually have a pH higher than 7.56. Kombucha will cause the blood pH to fall by increasing its acidity. (Gastric secretions may be as low as pH 1.7.) Research from 1944 to 1987:
In 1944, Hans Irion, the Director of the Academy for Chemists in Braunschweig reports in the Course for Druggist Speciality Schools (vol 2, page 405) that Teekwass invigorates the entire glandular system, and is highly recommended for gout and rheumatism, furunculosis, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and aging problems. By further harmonising and balancing the metabolism, unwanted fat deposits in the body are removed or prevented from building up. Damaging deposits of uric acid and cholesterol are converted into more soluble forms where the body can easily excrete them via the kidneys and intestines. Barbancik produced a booklet titled "The Tea-Mushroom and its Therapeutic Properties". In it he refers to the practical application of the beverage as a healing remedy in the Omsker Hospital therapeutic clinic. In particular, the booklet mentions that the fermented tea was used for the treatment of tonsillitis, diverse internal diseases, especially those of an inflammatory nature, stomach catarrh (due to deficient acid production), intestinal inflammations, dysentery, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and scleroses in general. Ten years later, Dr. Rudolf Sklenar of Oberhessen reported in the periodical "Experiential Healing Science" about his various techniques of diagnosis and therapy. The tea fungus is mentioned as an outstanding remedy which he considered to be a powerful agent for detoxifying the human body since it dissolves micro-organisms and also cholesterol. Some of his specific cancer treatments were based on the use of fermented tea for the balancing of intestinal flora. With the tea fungus he successfully treated gout, rheumatic conditions, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, dysbacteria, constipation, impotence, non-specific draining, obesity, furunculosis, kidney stones, cholesterol and finally cancer in the early stages of detection. In 1987, Dr. Veronika Carstens, recommends Kombucha in a series called "Help from Nature - My Remedies Against Cancer" with the words: "Kombucha detoxifies the organism and enhances the metabolism; this improves the defense capacity." In the Netherlands, A J Lodesijkx of Ermelo - a natural healing specialist - describes the health-giving benefits of the fungus in his book "Life Without Cancer". He concludes that the Kombucha fungus has strongly antiseptic properties. It purifies the glandular system and promotes the elimination and neutralisation of uric acid. He concludes that the fermented beverage is an excellent remedy for gout, rheuma, arthritis, kidney stones, intestinal dysbacteria and early stages of cancer due to its influence on disease causing endobionts. (Red corpuscles are eliminated by these endobionts when the pH of the blood shifts unfavourably to the alkaline side.) Kombucha is considered to be unique in that it actively re-balances the blood pH and thus helps to counter any disease processes that are in operation. SOURCE: The History and Spread of Kombucha
By James Roche, Taoist Philosopherjroche@zetnet.co.uk
http://users.bestweb.net/~om/~kombu/roche.html
