Kombucha Tea

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Friendly bacteria in a bottle by SIMON BROOKE, Evening Standard

(London)

TO its devotees, Kombucha is little short of a miracle potion. The

ancient libation, which is now on sale in London, promises to boost

the immune system, delay the effects of ageing, improve skin

problems, cultivate beneficial bacteria, cleanse the body's internal

organs, detox the system, fight off infections and pep up flagging

energy levels.

" In Germany, " says Lyons, of Richmond Marketing, the company

behind Red Bull, which is bringing the new super brew to

Britain, " people are going to the supermarket and buying 24 litres

at a time. " Introduced into Austria two and-a-half years ago, it now

outsells the leading fruit juice drink and its makers hope it will

be the successor to bacterial health drinks such as Yakult and

Actimel.

At Selfridges, which has just started stocking it, Food Hall manager

Nick Reitmeier says the drink is selling " very, very well - around

60 of the litre bottles a day " .

For maximum effect, say the manufacturers, you should drink it on an

empty stomach first thing in the morning, but in Germany, they drink

it the whole time - with meals, at the gym, or mixed with fruit

juice, spirits or Champagne.

Kombucha is produced by fermenting special bacteria in tea. The

result is a drink containing a large number of what are called

probiotics, bacteria that are described as friendly because they

improve the working of the gut and the digestive process. Also

present are organic acids, vitamins and enzymes.

These enzymes assist the splitting of nutrients into proteins and

carbohydrates, thereby improving the body's ability to extract

goodness from food as it is digested. Also included are

lactobacilli, which have a positive effect on the intestinal flora,

strengthening the immune system.

The liquid, claim its fans, works on many levels: flushing toxins

from the body, combating dangerous " free radicals " that accelerate

the ageing process and regulating both digestion and the metabolism.

It doesn't taste too bad either - pleasantly sweet, slightly fizzy

and clearly aimed to appeal to drinkers of Aqua Libra.

However, one taster described it as " smelling like bubble gum with a

sickly sweet aftertaste " .

Looking a bit like cloudy ros wine, it is non-alcoholic, despite the

fermentation process it undergoes, and there is a subtle taste of

tea together with something faintly citric. It is also a bit like

that old childhood favourite, Tizer.

Kombucha dates back to 221 BC when a Korean physician used it to

cure the Japanese emperor of his digestive troubles.

Present-day fans of the cure-all potion are said to include Madonna,

Barbra Streisand and Meg (and the most enthusiastic drinkers

brew it themselves). In Hollywood, they drink it, iced, while making

movie deals.

" I keep a bottle on my desk all day, " says Lyons.

" Every time I drink it I feel so much better. " Well she would,

wouldn't she? Nutritionist Holford is less excited by this

new tipple. " These bacteria can have some benefit, " he says. " They

are not naturally resident in the gut but introducing them can boost

the immune system.

They are a form of yeast which, when it reacts with sugar, produces

lactic acid which has some digestion-supportive qualities. "

However, he warns that the drink might not be suitable for anyone

susceptible to yeast infections such as thrush. He concludes: " It

certainly isn't a miracle potion, it's probably more of a general

tonic. "

Despite this lukewarm reaction, I'm willing to predict that the

drink, cringe-makingly nicknamed The Funky Fungus, will be a

success. It's got " wellness " written all over it, and we all want

that, these days.