New research is pointing to the benefits of probiotic foods and supplements. Some of these benefits include relief of Autism Spectrum Disorder symptoms and leaky gut, improved metabolism, as well as decreased bloating, cramping and constipation during digestion.
Probiotics are living organisms that live in the digestive system. There are hundreds of species, and certain ones help actually produce essential nutrients, while others boost immune function by controlling harmful bacteria.
When people think of probiotic foods, we usually go straight to yogurt and then zone out. Other probiotic-rich foods include sauerkraut, tempeh, miso, pickles, yogurt, kefir (pronounced keff-ear, not like the first name of the star of the television series, 24), and kombucha.
Things like heat and exposure to light and certain metals kill the probiotic cultures, so even though probiotics can occur in some of these foods, not all of the above are probiotic all of the time. For example, many pickles are heated and/or pickled with vinegar, which kills good bacteria with the bad. Also, many yogurts are heated and pasteurized, which pretty much wipes out the entire population of good bacteria. Even for those who eat probiotic foods every day, it's always a good idea to take a high-quality probiotic supplement to round out the roster of cultures in the digestive tract. Diversity is a good thing.
Kombucha is full of cultures that rebalance digestion, support detoxification and help the body regulate blood sugar. No kidding. I really don't want to get science-y here, but there is a ton of info out there on kombucha's benefits. Try Wikipedia first.
2. Bring it to a boil, stir, then cut off the heat.
3. Throw in 8 bags of green tea. Steep for 15 minutes or so. Make a joke about tea-bagging - you know, because you're funny like that.
4. Remove the tea bags and let everything cool to room temperature. You will probably chuckle thinking about the tea-bagging joke you just told yourself. Or maybe not because you don't think anything is funny anymore because it's all just so played-out. #boredwithlife #hipsters #wingnuts #robot
5. Pour into a giant glass container, add kombucha starter bottle or SCOBY. Cover with a paper towel and hold in place with a rubber band. Kind of like castrating a bull, but not really. At all. Just another opportunity to keep the third-grade humor going.
FYI don't use square bottles. They will randomly shatter. Science, yo.
Most probiotic-rich foods are so easy to make that anyone can and should try at least making some of the simpler recipes (the easiest by far is kimchi).
For the past 4 years, our home has been a kombucha-shiner's den, with bottles, mason jars, cane sugar and organic green tea becoming pantry staples. The process is easy, with the only drawback being the jelly-fish-like SCOBY culture that floats in the brew and causes the tea-sugar mixture to ferment into the what tastes like the effervescent love-child of champagne and sweet tea. That and when people ask what's up with the big jar or horse urine on the countertop (I tell 'em "don't worry about it").
If you live where I live (Memphis), booch can be gotten by the bottle in places like Otherlands and Cosmic Coconut. Many mainstream grocery stores carry kombucha - Whole Foods, Fresh Market, and even Kroger all sell it. FYI: Kroger will rape you on the price, up to $1.50 more per bottle than WF.
The best thing to do is make it at home, which works really well until you get lazy and decide to not make it. It's really easy, here's a play-by-play:
1. Fill a Dutch oven with water and dump in 1-1/2 cups of unrefined sugar.
6. Let the mixture ferment for about a week. The time it takes really varies, so you will need to taste-test your brew to get the flavor just right. When it is ready, bottle it up. You can add juices to it at this stage for the second ferment. After a few days to a week, your kombucha will be fizzy and (unless you royally screwed up) delicious.
Enjoy your brewing.
