The benefits and harms of kombucha, how to grow it at home

The benefits and harms of kombucha are of interest to fans of exotic homemade drinks. Some consider the mushroom to be an incredibly useful product, others are wary of its properties - it is worthwhile to properly understand the features of the product.

What is kombucha and what does it look like

Kombucha, kombucha or medusomycete is a slimy, smooth film that forms on the surface of sweet tea under special conditions. Kombucha consists of carbon dioxide, alcohol and yeast - that is, it is a fermentation product. The liquid in which Japanese kombucha floats acquires many useful properties and becomes slightly carbonated, sour in taste.

Outwardly, the mushroom brought to Russia from Japan during the war between the two countries looks like a dense and elastic disk with a shiny upper surface and thin threads on the lower side. The thickness of the mushroom depends on age - young mushrooms are very thin, and adults, in which a mass of valuable substances is concentrated, can reach a thickness of several centimeters.

Composition and calorie content of kombucha

The popularity of the mushroom is due to its rich composition. It includes:

• a huge amount of valuable acids, among which are not only citric, acetic and lactic, but also more rare, for example, kojic and gluconic;
• caffeine and tannins;
• aldehydes and saccharides;
• B vitamins;
• valuable digestive enzymes - amylase, lipase and others;
• chlorophyll;
• purines;
• xanthophyll;
• amino acids;
• vitamin C;
• vitamin D;
• antibiotics.

Basically, a useful medusomycete consists of carbohydrates, presented in a volume of about 8 g, but it also contains 2.5 g of proteins. There are almost no fats in the composition of the product. The calorie content of 100 ml of kombucha solution is about 32 calories.

Why is kombucha useful for the human body

The rich composition of the mushroom makes it an extremely valuable element of the diet. The product contributes to:

• lowering blood pressure and cleansing the blood;
• strengthening blood vessels, cardiac system, improving brain activity;
• elimination of harmful substances from the body - the mushroom has a good diuretic effect;
• increasing the resistance of immunity to viruses.

In addition, the benefits of kombucha for the body is that it relieves inflammation and helps get rid of pain, fights bacteria and fungal ailments, soothes the nerves and tones.

The benefits of kombucha for women

Kombucha is especially appreciated by the fair sex because it makes it easier to endure heavy menstruation and menopause. The beneficial properties of kombucha for women are manifested in the treatment of gynecological ailments.

Useful properties of kombucha for men

A strong half of humanity can also appreciate a useful kombucha. Medusomycete protects men from inflammation and tumors of the prostate gland, has a beneficial effect on the genitourinary system and prevents the development of infectious processes. With regular use of the product, the functioning of the reproductive system improves.

The benefits of mushroom kvass will be undoubted for men who are engaged in hard physical labor. Kombucha replenishes the loss of nutrients after serious exertion, restores vigor and promotes the growth of new muscle fibers.

Is it possible to drink kombucha for pregnant and lactating

The doctors' comments on the benefits and dangers of kombucha for the health of expectant mothers are different. Kombucha does not have dangerous properties that would directly forbid the inclusion of the mushroom in the diet of pregnant women. On the contrary, a healthy drink with kombucha can relieve toxicosis and help get rid of edema.

But at the same time, the properties of the product remain not fully understood. Therefore, taking kombucha while carrying a child should be very careful, if absolutely necessary.

It is recommended to abstain from kombucha while breastfeeding. It can harm babies by causing allergies, colic or flatulence. During lactation, it is better to give preference to well-studied products, which will definitely only benefit.

Is it possible to give kombucha to children

Since caffeine and alcohol are present in a small amount of kombucha tea solution, you cannot offer the drink to babies. For the first time, kombucha can be introduced into the diet only after the child is 12 years old - and in minimal dosages.

How to cook and drink kombucha

In order for the properties of the tea drink to bring maximum benefit and not be harmful, it is recommended to use it twice a day in small portions - only 200 ml each morning and evening. In its pure form, the infusion with kombucha is too concentrated, so it is recommended to brew kombucha with regular tea or drink it diluted - along with water, herbal decoctions, juice.

They drink healthy mushroom tea exclusively between meals - either half an hour before it, or a couple of hours after. You cannot drink food with a drink with kombucha, as this will harm the body.

The use of kombucha for medicinal purposes

The taste of kombucha is quite specific and not everyone likes it. Therefore, the popularity of the product is mainly due not to its culinary, but to its medical properties.

Kombucha is used in folk medicine for:

• dysentery, diarrhea and constipation;
• hypertension, atherosclerosis, heart ailments;
• colds, tonsillitis, bronchitis and asthma;
• cough and runny nose;
• dysbiosis;
• skin lesions and inflammatory diseases.

A useful product is used for treatment in accordance with proven recipes.

With a cold

Since kombucha actively fights inflammation, mushroom kvass can be used to treat colds and some of its symptoms.

• To lower the temperature, it is recommended to slightly warm the drink until warm and dilute with water. Properly diluted mushroom tea should have a pleasant, sour taste that does not tingle in the mouth. They drink 200 ml of mushroom kvass twice a day.
• For sore throat with colds and sore throats, gargling with a mushroom drink will help.Prepare the product in the same way, slightly warming up and diluting with water in equal proportions, and rinsing is carried out up to 10 times a day. You need to gargle for at least 5 minutes so that the beneficial properties of the mushroom have time to penetrate the mucous membranes.
• With a cold, you can arrange rinsing with warmed mushroom kvass. Also, the remedy helps well with nasal congestion, if from time to time you moisten gauze tampons in a solution and put them in each nostril for half an hour.

Mushroom kvass is drunk to prevent colds - the drink raises immunity and is especially beneficial in the autumn and winter.

With anemia

The use of the mushroom for kvass is that it improves blood composition and protects against anemia. In case of anemia, the drink is recommended to be included in the comprehensive health menu. You need to take mushroom tea in the afternoon, 40 minutes before lunch, and in the evening, shortly before bedtime, in the volume of one glass.

In addition to kombucha, it is recommended to consume more vegetables - cucumbers, carrots, beets. The health benefits of all of these products will help you to quickly regain your wellness.

Dysbiosis treatment

The benefits of kombucha kombucha help to eliminate discomfort and pain in the abdomen, re-populates the intestines with the microflora necessary for healthy functioning.

For treatment, it is recommended to use a well-infused solution with the addition of natural honey. Then the remedy will not only restore the bacterial balance, but also eliminate all harmful microorganisms. You need to drink healthy mushroom tea before eating, in the volume of a glass twice a day, and after taking the product, it is recommended to lie down quietly for about an hour.

To improve the digestive tract

In case of a tendency to flatulence, constipation or diarrhea, it is recommended to consume kombucha on an ongoing basis - the product improves bowel function and stabilizes the condition. Kombucha fights against pathogenic bacteria, inhabits the intestines with beneficial microflora, and slightly speeds up metabolism.

• With frequent constipation, it is necessary to take the remedy half an hour before eating, in the amount of no more than half a glass.
• With diarrhea, mushroom kvass is drunk in 100 ml a couple of hours before meals - the next day the stool is normalized, abdominal pain disappears and a normal appetite appears.

The medicinal properties of kombucha are very useful for the prevention of gastrointestinal ailments and diseases of the internal organs. Kombucha stimulates the pancreas, increases appetite, helps to get rid of the problem of "sluggish" intestines that digest food too slowly.

With hypertension and atherosclerosis

Chronically high blood pressure and atherosclerosis increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. But the benefits of a tea drink from a mushroom will help improve health, strengthen blood vessels, normalize heart function and reduce blood pressure.

• To get rid of the listed ailments, you need to take mushroom tea three times a day.
• The drink is not consumed with food, but a couple of hours before it, in the amount of a third of a glass.
• You need to continue treatment for 3 weeks, then take a break in therapy so as not to get harm.

The beneficial properties of kombucha help lower bad cholesterol and increase vascular elasticity.

With diabetes mellitus

Kombucha is a food that contains a fairly high amount of sugar. However, at the same time, it is allowed for use in diabetes mellitus, since the amylase enzyme present in it has an extremely positive effect on metabolism, liver and pancreatic function. The main thing is to consume kombucha little by little, no more than a glass a day, and this amount must be divided into 3 or 4 doses.

For the use of the product with diabetes, it is recommended to prepare the tea leaves with less sugar - about 70 g per 2 liters of drink. Before drinking mushroom kvass, it is better to dilute it with mineral water or herbal infusion.

With gastritis and stomach ulcers

Kombucha can be beneficial for ulcers and gastritis - especially if the stomach is low in acidity. However, the dosages must be kept to the minimum - no more than 100 ml of tea kvass three times a day. It is worth adding a little liquid honey to the drink, which has an anti-inflammatory and healing effect.

Ingrown toenail treatment

The benefits of the mushroom in the jar are also manifested in external inflammations. Kombucha is actively used to eliminate pain symptoms with ingrown nails. Small pieces are separated from a large adult mushroom and applied with compresses to the sore spot. In a few days, the mushroom will remove suppuration, soothe inflammation in the tissues and reduce pain.

From nail fungus

Compresses from small pieces of jellyfish will help to cope with nail fungus. To do this, it is enough to apply compresses to the problematic nail plates and fix them with a bandage or plaster for the whole night. Kombucha quickly eliminates pathogens and removes the damage caused to the nail plate.

Treating warts and skin lesions

The antiseptic properties of the product allow you to disinfect wounds, burns and even bedsores, remove such cosmetic defects as warts.

It is very easy to use kombucha on sore skin. You can wipe the damaged areas with tea infusion. And you can apply to them a whole young jellyfish, which is a fairly thin film.

Kombucha in cosmetology

Thanks to its beneficial properties, kombucha is used to improve the health of hair and skin. Mushroom kvass regulates the oiliness of the scalp and face, helps to eliminate acne, acne and dandruff, and has a slight tightening effect.

How to use kombucha for hair

The condition of the curls improves markedly even with the internal use of mushroom kvass - if you drink it daily, the hair quickly becomes thicker and gains a healthy shine. But the effect can be enhanced if:

• use mushroom solution three times a week instead of rinse;
• from time to time, apply a mask of natural honey mixed with mushroom tea to the hair.

Benefits and uses for facial skin

The antiseptic, rejuvenating and firming properties of the product effectively tighten the skin, help restore alkaline balance and remove acne and irritation.

• To improve skin condition, simply wash your face with a kombucha solution several times a week.
• A good remedy for acne and acne will be a lotion of kombucha and onion juice - add 2 parts of mushroom solution to 1 part of the juice, and then wash with the product before bedtime.
• Also, to eliminate inflammation and tighten the skin, you can put a whole thin jellyfish on your face for a quarter of an hour - it will not only moisturize and nourish the epidermis, but also even out the complexion.

Kombucha slimming

Kombucha mushroom helps speed up metabolism, regulates metabolic processes and helps cleanse the intestines. Therefore, when losing weight, the benefits of mushroom tea will be very noticeable - it will help you say goodbye to excess weight a little faster.

The healthy solution can be drunk in the volume of a glass one hour before eating. You can also consume kombucha a couple of hours after eating. The total amount of product per day should be no more than 6 glasses. It is better to continue the course of taking tea kvass for no longer than a month, and then take a break for a week so that there is no harm.

The harm of kombucha and contraindications

In general, kombucha is a safe food that benefits most people.However, in some conditions, the fungus can still be harmful. It is not recommended to take it:

• with hypotension;
• with a stomach ulcer in the acute stage;
• with exacerbation of gastritis with high acidity;
• with gout;
• with complicated diabetes mellitus.

It should be borne in mind that a concentrated kombucha solution contains many organic acids - and can harm sensitive tooth enamel. It is also dangerous to exceed the dosage of the agent - alcohol is present in small volumes of mushroom kvass.

You can not use fermented mushroom kvass, which has been infused for more than a week - this will be harmful. It is important to ensure that the mushroom placed in the beverage can is healthy and free of mold spots on the surface.

How to grow a kombucha from scratch step by step

In order to prepare Kombucha for 3 liters of water according to the classic recipe, it is not necessary to purchase an adult kombucha and plant its pieces in separate jars. The product can be grown from scratch - it only requires tea, sugar and water.

• Black or green tea leaves in the amount of a couple of spoons are brewed with a liter of boiling water and insisted for a quarter of an hour.
• Then strain the tea leaves, leaving only the tea, add a couple of large tablespoons of sugar to it and mix thoroughly.
• The cooled liquid is poured into a previously prepared dry jar with a volume of 3 liters, instead of a lid, a gauze folded several times is pulled over the neck and fixed with a thread or elastic band.

In this form, the solution should be infused in a dry place at a temperature of 25 degrees for several days. After about 3 days, a thin film of the future mushroom forms on the surface of the tea. And after about 5 weeks - subject to the conditions - the mushroom will get stronger and grow to a thickness of several centimeters. Then you can divide the kombucha and use its properties to ferment a new drink.

How to care for kombucha

The rules for caring for a healing culture are quite simple.

• The ideal temperature for kombucha is 25 degrees above zero. If the room is too cold, then the mushroom cannot grow.
• The jar of kombucha must not be covered with a lid, since the medusomycete needs oxygen to develop.
• The mushroom must be kept clean. Do not touch it with dirty hands, it is better not to allow sugar or tea leaves to get on the smooth sensitive surface - they will harm the medusomycete.

It is recommended to wash the jellyfish several times a year in clean water; it is also necessary to ensure that black spots and mold do not appear on the surface.

Why did the kombucha sank to the bottom of the can

When growing a kombucha, it always sinks to the bottom after being transferred to a new solution - and that's okay. It takes time for a culture to adapt to a new environment.

You should only worry if, after a few days, the mushroom still does not emerge. Most likely, this indicates an illness - the mushroom must be removed from the jar and carefully examined. If there are dark layers, remove them, rinse the kombucha, allow it to dry slightly and return to the jar.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of kombucha depend on compliance with the rules for growing, care and consumption. If you follow all the recommendations, in the absence of strict contraindications, the mushroom will bring tremendous health benefits.

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