Kombucha TeaThe kombucha our readers are asking about is the one made by introducing a live bacterial/yeast culture, often called "the kombucha mother" or the "kombucha mushroom" into a solution of black tea sweetened with sugar. The live kombucha culture ferments the sugars in the tea, creating the effervescent kombucha drink. 
Kombucha is made through basically the same process as how acetobacter fermentation creates vinegar from apple cider.The name of this popular beverage is easily confused with a Japanese seaweed tea (Japanese word for tea is "cha"), made from powdered kelp (called "kombu") = kombucha, which is a different drink altogether. Most supporters of drinking kombucha tea (the fermented beverage) claim remarkable heath benefits from taking it on a regular basis. Some claim it helps promote liver detoxification while others claim it can cause liver damage, citing lab studies done on rats and mice. You can buy kombucha, already fermented and bottled, in some grocery stores. It's found in the refrigerated section, often infused with fruit purees to create a variety of tasty flavors. Synergy brand kombucha is the most popular variety I've seen, usually sold in health food stores. As someone who tends to have lower stomach acidity, I have felt digestive benefits by drinking a little bit of kombucha before meals. But you can also take diluted raw apple cider vinegar, digestive enzymes and/or betaine HCl to help with that if you don't have access to kombucha. Some describe the flavor of kombucha tea as that of a sweet champagne, while others say it tastes like soda-pop with a dash of vinegar. It's becoming quite popular for people to ferment kombucha at home. To get started you'll need someone to give or sell you a live kombucha culture from their supply. It's not a fail-safe process, and care must be taken to prevent mold from growing, as well as using the proper type of vessel (glass is good) to prevent the acidic liquid from leaching dangerous substances from the vessel (such as lead from some ceramic glazes). As kombucha tea is a live product, with probiotic Some people report feeling queasy after drinking it, which could be a sign of yeast die-off or other forms of detox occurring. Again, I have no definitive answer for whether anyone should or shouldn't drink it. I enjoy drinking bottled kombucha tea, in moderation, as a treat. Personally, I've never felt any bad effects from it. My best advice is to do your own research about it, and try it for yourself if you're so inclined. Just start with small amounts to avoid any possible drastic reactions. More detailed information on kombucha from Wikipedia
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