Which bugs in Kombucha tea?

[Guest guest]

Hi.

Do you happen to know which beneficial bugs thrive in Kombucha?

There is so much talk about the benefits of lacto-fermented foods, but

sometimes I wonder if people overestimate their health-bolstering

powers. I drink Kombucha these days 'cause it's a fine substitute for

soda, and it contains tea, which is rich in anti-oxidants. I don't

really eat any other lacto-fermented foods. I don't drink Kefir, eat

yogurt or even kimchi any longer. So KT is my only bug-rich food. Do

you think it's accurate to imagine that it's as therpeutic to my gut

as, say, yogurt or sauerkraut? If it contains only one or two ho-hum

strains of lacto bacteria, I wouldn't want to fool myself into

thinking it was particularly good for me.

Thanks for reading!

Sleighteem in Minneapolis

[Guest guest]

Kombucha Tea is a acetic acid ferment. There may be lactic acid in some

ferments but not in all ferments. Indeed there may be a great many things in

any one kombucha, but the main identifying factor of kombucha is acetic

acid, gluconic acid and fructose. There are only a few strains of bacteria

and yeasts combinations that can produce this combination. Recently (1997)

one strain of bacteria unique to kombucha and one strain of yeasts unique to

kombucha Have been identified. 1) Zygosaccharomyces kombuchaensis sp. n.

(type strain NRRL YB-4811, CBS 8849) (yeasts)

2) Gluconacetobacter kombuchae sp. nov. i (type strain RG3T (=LMG

23726T=MTCC 6913T) (bacteria). For a listing of what has been found in

kombucha mushroom tea see

http://www.happyherbalist.com/analysis_of_kombucha.htm

Peace

Ed Kasper LAc. & family

www.HappyHerbalist.com

..........................................

Which bugs in Kombucha tea?

Posted by: " thesleighteem " sleighteem@... thesleighteem

Fri Dec 14, 2007 12:51 pm (PST)

Hi.

Do you happen to know which beneficial bugs thrive in Kombucha?

There is so much talk about the benefits of lacto-fermented foods, but

sometimes I wonder if people overestimate their health-bolstering

powers. I drink Kombucha these days 'cause it's a fine substitute for

soda, and it contains tea, which is rich in anti-oxidants. I don't

really eat any other lacto-fermented foods. I don't drink Kefir, eat

yogurt or even kimchi any longer. So KT is my only bug-rich food. Do

you think it's accurate to imagine that it's as therpeutic to my gut

as, say, yogurt or sauerkraut? If it contains only one or two ho-hum

strains of lacto bacteria, I wouldn't want to fool myself into

thinking it was particularly good for me.

Thanks for reading!

Sleighteem in Minneapolis