kombucha

Many people traditionally start their day with a cup of reviving tea. But today, more and more enthusiasts are switching to a very different brew: Kombucha, a natural health tea-drink which has been popularly described as "the elixir of life". Kombucha is an ancient remedy, known revered as an immune-boosting treatment for centuries in the East, but now enjoying an upsurge of interest in the West. What is it and how does it work? The Kombucha fungus itself resembles a flat pancake. This is floated on top of a bowl of sweet tea and left to ferment for about a week. The resulting brew is a pleasant, slightly "zingy" and refreshing beverage, containing a wide range of vitamins, enzymes, minerals and organic acids. Drunk daily, it offers a host of well-documented benefits. As a bonus, Kombucha continually reproduces itself, forming a new culture every week, which means that there is always a spare one available to pass on to others. It provides an opportunity for networking. In America, AIDS and HIV-positive people have been helped to regain health and strength through drinking it. So much so, that Kombucha-sharing has become an established way of life there.