Hannah Crum is the creator of Kombucha Kamp and has mentored 1000’s of homebrewers around the world. She has been featured as The Kombucha Mamma on the Veria Network as well as in BevNet, Whole Life Times Magazine, LA Times Best Bets, Vital Juice and many more. Her speaking engagements include the Freestone Fermentation Festival, Eat Real Festival, Green Festival, and the upcoming Real Food Symposium (May, 2012). Keep up on Kombucha industry news, interviews & brewing secrets at http://www.KombuchaKamp.com or e-mail her at [email protected]
What is Kombucha?
What do Steve Nash, Olivia Wilde and Ronald Reagan have in common? Yep, they all drink (drank) Kombucha! If the first thing that crossed your mind was “what”? then you are not alone. While those in the Whole Foods & health conscious scene have been drinking Kombucha for years, it is just barely scraping the surface of the collective consciousness.
While the origins of Kombucha remain shrouded in mystery, researchers quickly noticed that Kombucha was useful for a variety of common health ailments such as colic, gout, indigestion (Mollenda, 1928) and even cancer (Sklenar, 1964). As Hippocrates said, all diseases start in the gut. Our guts are made up of our most important organ (and newest) the microbiome. Home to thousands of bacteria some known and most unknown, this newest organ of the human body is just beginning to be explored. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
So what the heck is it? Simply put, it is a culture that feeds on sugar and tea. The yeast consume the sugar creating ethanol and CO2. The bacteria consume the ethanol and convert it to healthy acids. Kombucha is an acetic acid ferment, similar to vinegar, and the gluconacetobacter give it it’s signature sweet and sour punch. It contains trace amounts of the B vitamins, vitamin C, and gluconic acid. These microdoses of nutrients are in a living form that the body can easily assimilate. It is true alchemy that the culture converts the sugar which is normally toxic to our bodies in large quantities and converts it into healthy acids that help our inner ecosystems thrive!
Most regular drinkers of Kombucha find that they have more energy, clearer skin and easier digestion. Even those who only drink it on occasion report feeling in a better mood or experiencing a lift. Don’t take our word for it – try it for yourself and see!
Want to kickstart your Kombucha habit? Take the 30 Day Kombucha Challenge! (http://
Nice to meet you too Lauren 😉
So glad we could help! Stop on by anytime or drop me an email at [email protected] if you need further assistance.
P&L
Hi Hannah – nice to ‘meet’ you. Great article! I love Kombucha!
BTW: Hannah, I think we’d been emailing back and forth regarding my brew. Want to let you know, thanks to your wonderful advice, it has turned out great! Just needed a few minor adjustments (mainly more warmth – now on top of fridge).