Have you heard of Kombucha, the beverage the ancient Chinese called the “Immortal Health Elixir?” It’s been around for more than 2,000 years and has a rich anecdotal history of health benefits like preventing and fighting cancer, arthritis, and other degenerative diseases.

It is a traditional fermented drink made of black tea and sugar. It contains a variety of vitamins, minerals and enzymes and has been prized by traditional cultures for its health-promoting properties. It contains a colony of bacteria and yeast that are responsible for initiating the fermentation process once combined with sugar. After being fermented, the Kombucha becomes carbonated and contains vinegar, b-vitamins, enzymes, probiotics and a high concentration of acid (acetic, gluconic and lactic), which are tied with the following effects:

Cleansing and Detoxification
The enzymes and bacterial acids in kombucha ease the burden on the liver by reducing pancreatic load.

Improved Digestion
Because it’s naturally fermented with a living colony of bacteria and yeast, Kombucha is a probiotic beverage. The healthy gut flora improves digestion, fights candida overgrowth, improves mental clarity and stabilizes moods.

Weight Loss
Drinking a glass upon waking up in the morning is recommended to help stimulate the metabolism and reset your digestive system for the day.

Increased Energy
Kombucha’s ability to invigorate people is credited to the formation of iron that is released from the black tea during the fermentation process. It also contains some caffeine (although in very small amounts) and b-vitamins, which can energize the body.

Immune Support
Kombucha is extraordinarily anti-oxidant rich, and you all know the benefits of anti-oxidants for boosting your immune system and energy levels.

Reduced Joint Pain
Kombucha contains glucosamines, a strong preventive and treatment all forms of arthritis.

Cancer Prevention
Kombucha is also beneficial for cancer prevention and recovery. A study published in Cancer Letters found that consuming glucaric acid found in kombucha reduced the risk of cancer in humans.

How to make your own Kombucha:
Here is a simple recipe for making your own kombucha at home. This recipe makes about eight cups of kombucha, but you can also double the recipe to make more and you still only need one SCOBY disk.

Ingredients:
You will need a glass jar to hold the liquid and a coffee filter or towel for a lid.

• 8 cups hot (not boiling) water
• 1/2 cup organic evaporated cane crystals (sugar)
• 4 tea bags (black, oolong or green)
• 1 cup already-made unflavored kombucha tea

Kombucha culture (Scoby). You will need to purchase a Scoby disk and can find one either in health food stores or online at very inexpensive prices. A Scoby disk can be vacuumed-sealed in a small pouch and shipped directly to your house for only a few dollars, while still preserving all of the active yeast ingredients.

1. Bring your water to boil in a big pot on the stovetop. Once boiling, remove from the heat and add your teabags and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
2. Allow the pot to sit and the tea to steep for about 15 minutes, then remove and discard tea bags.
3. Let the mixture cool down to room temperature (about one hour). Once it’s cooled, add your tea mixture to your big jar/bowl. Drop in your SCOBY disk and 1 cup of pre-made kombucha.
4. Cover the jar with a tight-weave towel or coffee filter and secure with a rubber band. Allow the mixture to sit undisturbed, out of direct sunlight, for 7-30 days, or to taste. The longer the Kombucha ferments, the less sweet and more vinegary it will taste.
5. Pour kombucha off the top of the jar for consuming. Retain the SCOBY and enough liquid from the bottom of the jar to use as starter tea for the next batch. The finished kombucha can be flavored and bottled, if desired, or enjoyed plain.