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history of Kombucha
Although people around the
globe have drunk kombucha for its reported curative powers for
centuries, many people want to know exactly what benefits Kombucha
Wonder Drink will bring them. Unfortunately, we at KWD can't really say
exactly what experience any individual will have from our great drink
(except an uplifting feeling). We can and do report what individual
Wonder Drinkers tell us about their experiences. For most of us, the Wonder
Drink experience is simply an opportunity to enjoy an aperitif with
friends without the heavy sugar in traditional sodas or the alcohol in
other fermented beverages. All this leads people to Wonder what's in
Kombucha Wonder Drink. Let's start with the basics-water and tea.
It All Starts with the Water and
the Tea
No beverage is better than the water used to
make it, and we ensure the purity of our water through a double
filtration. We use that pure, clean water from the Pacific Northwest to
brew the tea that forms the basis for Kombucha Wonder Drink. While
nearly everyone knows that tea is somehow good for us, few know any of
the details. A growing body of evidence suggests that a moderate
consumption of tea (in the form of Kombucha Wonder Drink, of course)
may protect against several forms of cancer, cardiovascular diseases,
the formation of kidney stones, bacterial infections, and dental
cavities. Kombucha Wonder Drinks contain either green or oolong teas,
which contain biochemical compounds called polyphenals, which include
flavonoids. Flavonoids, which are also found in fruits and vegetables,
are antioxidants that prevent cell damage thought to contribute to more
than 50 diseases. (See, for example, S.I. Trevisanato & Y-I Kim,
"Tea and Health," Nutrition Reviews, Vol. 58, No. 1, Jan 2000.) We at
KWD are not experts on the health benefits of tea, we just know that
the health benefits of kombucha start with our tea.
If you want to learn more about the
health benefits of tea, including research studies, try these websites:
TeaHealth.co.uk
Tea
Association of the United States
What About Kombucha's Reported
Detoxifying Effects?
Kombucha contains beneficial acids (such as
acetic, lactic, and glucuronic) that can aid in healthy digestion and
liver function. Some of these acids may combine with toxins in the
digestive system, making those toxins more soluble for subsequent
elimination from the body. (In effect, these acids are enhancing the
body's normal toxin elimination processes.) Every Wonder Drinker will
have a different personal health profile and chemical make-up, which
explains why the reported experiences of these Wonder Drinkers vary so
widely. KWD doesn't sell Kombucha Wonder Drink as a medicine or a
cure-all. We think it's a great tasting natural beverage, and if some
of you feel better for drinking it, buy more! Kombucha Wonder Drink is
pasteurized for safety. The Food and Drug Administration has expressed
concern that home-brewed versions of kombucha "may be prone to
microbiological contamination," unless fermented under sterile
conditions. Of course, most people brewing kombucha at home can't
ensure that their processes are sterile. KWD decided that product
safety should be our watchword, and we therefore pasteurize all our
products. While pasteurization does kill any live bacteria or cultures,
it does not eliminate any of the beneficial effects of the acids or tea
that Wonder Drinkers may experience from our beverages.
More Information For people who want to look into kombucha in greater
depth, there are many other websites (some reliable, some not). There
are also a couple of books, available from online booksellers, aimed
mainly at people who want to brew kombucha at home:
Alick & Mari Barthololmew,
Kombucha Tea for Your Health and Healing (Gateway Books; ISBN
1858600499; May 1998).
Gunther Frank, Kombucha: Healthy Beverage and
Natural Remedy from the Far East (Wilhelm Ensthaler; ISBN 3850683370;
January 1989).
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