Reali-Tea

Kombucha: Magical cure-all or deadly blob?

by Felicia D'Ambrosio

Felicia D'Ambrosio SCOBY-DOOBIE-DOO: Kombucha is brewed by combining tea with a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast. (CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

Blurring the line between science project and dietary supplement, kombucha tea has been touted as a miracle elixir for more than 2,000 years. Sour, funky and literally alive, kombucha (kom-BOO-cha) is created when a bloblike symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) combines with sweetened tea to create a tart, sparkling active drink. You might've heard about it thanks to its status as a trendy health aid for Hollywood starlets — fans of the fermented beverage claim daily drinking bolsters well-being. But many established American medical authorities still won't recommend its consumption.

Written record of kombucha dates back to 221 B.C.during the Tsin Dynasty of China. The restorative properties of the tonic were extolled by soldiers who carried it into battle. Cultures changed hands, the "miracle elixir" made its way to Russia and then on to the West.

Though it's now available cold-bottled in many health food stores, kombucha is historically a homemade affair. SCOBYs (also known as "Manchurian mushrooms") are typically passed along — always given, never sold — by home brewers, but there are also DIY kits and mother cultures available for purchase online.

The SCOBY itself resembles a smooth, rubbery pancake; after it's combined with sweet green or black tea in a glass vessel, it's left to ferment in a warm, dark place for seven to 10 days. During that time, the bacteria and yeasts consume sucrose and caffeine, morphing the solution into an almost vinegary brew rich in B-vitamins, amino acids and probiotics. Taste-wise, the result is acidic, almost cidery, with a hint of carbonation.

The alleged health benefits of kombucha range from restoring color and thickness to hair and banishing cellulite to fighting cancer and AIDS. But this body of anecdotal evidence has never been formally evaluated by a major health organization in the United States. "In the case of kombucha, there isn't a single human trial that has been reported in the peer-reviewed literature," dietitian Katherine Zeratsky writes on the Mayo Clinic Web site. "This doesn't mean that kombucha tea can't possibly have health benefits, it just means that at this time, except for some lab and animal studies, there's no direct evidence that kombucha tea actually provides any of the health benefits it's reported to have."

As a rule, the FDA does not evaluate the health claims of herbal supplements, the broad category under which kombucha falls. And in 1995 the Centers for Disease Control issued a warning regarding illnesses (and one death) possibly linked to kombucha consumption. In 1999, the Medical Journal of Australia reported on a married couple who regularly drank the beverage who were diagnosed with lead poisoning; lead had leached out of the ceramic vessel they were using to brew. Other risks are inherent to the nonselective growing medium of sugar and tea — until the brew acidifies sufficiently, dangerous airborne molds such as aspergillus can potentially take root. Harmful molds are identifiable by fuzzy rings on the surface of the SCOBY.

Condemnation by the mainstream health community has not dampened kombucha drinkers' enthusiasm for their chosen tonic. Hundreds of Web pages provide instructions on brewing, tips on flavoring and bottling your homebrew and (somewhat against tradition) SCOBYs for sale.

Commercial kombucha bottlings (G.T. Dave's GT Organic Raw Kombucha and Kombucha Wonder Drink are two of the most popular) are sold in upscale grocery stores and have enjoyed status as a celebrity health fad. Lindsay Lohan and Tina Fey have been spotted with bottles. Cases arrive on the set of television show Grey's Anatomy to fortify the ostensibly hard-working and depleted cast and crew. Marie Claire UK reported that Madonna and Kirsten Dunst are also fans of the unusual ferment. Commercial kombucha is available locally at several locations, including Essene Market (719 S. Fourth St.), Black Olive (7122 Germantown Ave.) and both Whole Foods locations (929 South St. and 2001 Pennsylvania Ave.).

What kombucha lacks in formal clinical trials and approvals, it makes up for in thousands of years of anecdotal raves. It has been posited that the B-vitamins and antioxidants in the drink supplemented the limited diets of our predecessors, which is why they regarded the elixir as an all-powerful — even magical — panacea.

(felicia.dambrosio@citypaper.net)