It is difficult to find a Soviet family of the mid-twentieth century, in whose kitchen there would not be a can of tea, in which a jelly-like substance floated. She was carefully “fed”, topping up strong tea, they talked to her, and many believed that this kitchen dweller fulfills her cherished desires. Few people know that in a scientific way “jellyfish” is called “jellyfish”, but the people have a more familiar name - kombucha. Why did we so love the jellyfish? How to care for and use kombucha?
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What is kombucha good for?
Where did kombucha begin to be consumed? It is not precisely established, however, even in the records of the ancient Chinese dynasty of the Han (250 BC) it is mentioned. But some researchers believe that the ancient Greeks actively used the mushroom. In Russia, he appeared in the XIX century.
Medusomycet looks little like a mushroom, at least in the “classical” sense. He has no hats and legs; he cannot be pickled or fried. Slippery and dense on top of the body of the fungus on the inside is covered with hanging threads. Filaments are colonies of living acetic acid bacteria, and the upper fungal part is formed by the same bacteria and yeast. The composition of the fungus may vary depending on the prevailing strain of microorganisms.The mushroom itself does not go into food, the liquid in which it is contained and which is processed into a special drink called mushroom (tea) kvass has value.
How does kvass turn out? Sweet tea is a breeding ground for a colony of fungus-forming microorganisms. Eating sugar, yeast contributes to its fermentation, releasing acid and alcohol. Alcohol is oxidized by bacteria to acetic acid. It turns out a slightly carbonated sweet-sour drink. The main components of the infusion are acids - gluconic and kojic, lactic, acetic, malic, citric and coal, as well as caffeine, sugars, ethanol and useful enzymes. The combined effect of these substances contributes to the regulation of the digestive tract, increase immunity, the prevention of certain diseases.
How to grow Kombucha at home from scratch - a recipe for cooking
Where do kombucha come from? Mostly from “good hands”. It is growing rapidly, and the owners give it in pieces to those who wish. However, if there is nobody to take the “mushroom baby”, you can independently acquire a medusomycete. It is enough to know how to grow Kombucha from scratch, and soon a real micro-plant for the production of tea kvass will appear in your kitchen.
The ideal “living space” for the mushroom is a glass jar. Remembering that medusomycete is growing rapidly, it is better to take a three-liter capacity. The bank should be sterilized.
To create a nutrient medium, only three components are needed:
- water (better spring);
- regular sugar;
- tea brew (black).
You need to make tea from these products. At first it takes a little - about a liter. The tea leaves are made a little stronger than regular tea, but sugar cannot be spared - 100 grams of sand is taken per liter of liquid. Pour tea into a jar, and bandage the neck with gauze. We remove the container in a dark place where the temperature does not exceed the range of room temperature. In a few days, a thin film will appear on the surface of the tea: this mushroom is born. In a few weeks, a full-grown Kombucha will grow out of the film. To nourish it, you need to regularly add freshly cooled tea to the jar: strong and sweet (3 liters of tea leaves and half a glass of sugar per liter of water).
Read also: how to grow kombucha from scratch
How to care for kombucha so that it does not darken
Like any pet, a jellyfish needs care and respect. It is worth noting that care for kombucha at home is simple.
It is enough to remember a few rules:
- It is important to add tea to the mushroom when it has cooled down, otherwise the surface of the mushroom will get burned.
- A jar of mushroom must be covered with gauze - this will protect it from clogging. You can not use the lid - the mushroom will suffocate.
- In a jar, the liquid should occupy from 2/3 of the volume.
- The mushroom needs regular washing. Clear signs that the fungus is dying - its lowering to the bottom, darkening, the appearance of holes in the body. For washing, boiled cooled water is suitable.
- After washing, the mushroom is dipped in fresh tea leaves! The jar is washed before this.
If it became noticeable that the mushroom exfoliated and started up the "baby", it is recommended to use the "young" for further preparation of kvass. Why is it worth doing? The drink will be more useful from a young mushroom, as the old one produces too much acetic acid.
How and why to use Kombucha:
The beneficial properties of medusomycete allow its infusion to be used as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent for a number of diseases.
Kombucha during normalization of the gastrointestinal tract
Acids in the composition of tea kvass allow you to regulate the activity of the gastrointestinal tract. To do this, take half a glass of drink half an hour before meals for at least a week. At the same time, digestion is established, problems with stool disappear, they cease to pester bloating and gas formation. This regimen allows you to quickly forget about colitis, pain in the lower back due to the kidneys, and in the right hypochondrium due to the liver.
Do not forget! Kombucha is not a panacea for gastrointestinal problems, and in some cases it may even be contraindicated. Consult a specialist before using tea kvass!
Help with a cold
Tea kvass is considered a good way to increase the body's defenses, and for the purpose of strengthening immunity, it is indicated for both adults and children, especially in autumn and winter, when viruses and bacteria literally attack. A couple of glasses of a pleasant drink per day make the body more resilient.
If you still get a cold, you can use a weekly infusion of the fungus - it forms natural antibiotic substances. And with angina and to relieve inflammation, it is recommended to gargle with kvass every 2-3 hours.
Kombucha treatment of hypertension and atherosclerosis
If Kombucha lives in the house, on its basis you can prepare a unique drink against hypertension.
High blood pressure gradually normalizes if you prepare the following medicine:
- for a tablespoon of dried rhizome of plants eleutherococcus prickly and safflower levze mix with a teaspoon of St. John's wort and the same volume of grass bird mountaineer;
- pour raw water with a liter of boiling water, darken it in a water bath for 1/4 hour, and cool the broth;
- mix the filtered broth with tea kvass 1: 1, leave in the refrigerator for three days.
Apply the medicine three times a day, 50 milliliters before meals.
With a disease such as atherosclerosis, a drink is used according to the scheme:
- week one: half a glass before going to bed at night;
- 2-3 weeks: at night - a glass of kvass, the next morning on an empty stomach - half a glass;
- a break in treatment - a month;
- repetition of the course.
Anemia Treatment
Kombucha drink is good for anemia. Anemia or anemia occurs due to iron deficiency in the body.
Treatment is carried out as follows:
- morning begins with a portion of grated raw carrots (100 grams), seasoned with olive oil;
- 45-60 minutes before dinner, drink a glass of tea kvass;
- after an hour after dinner, they drink juice from vegetables: carrot, cucumber, beetroot (proportions 3: 1: 1, respectively);
- in the evening an hour before going to bed - a glass of mushroom drink.
Is it possible to lose weight by consuming kombucha?
If you want to throw a couple of extra pounds in a short time, you can include tea kvass in the diet. The result is not long in coming without strict dietary restrictions. Of course, sweets and flour products should be excluded. The enzymes that make up the drink activate metabolic mechanisms in the body and promote the breakdown of fats. For weight loss, you need to drink a glass of kvass in the morning, and only after that have breakfast. Taking a drink between meals, you can significantly reduce the feeling of hunger, which will lead to a decrease in the eatable portion and quick saturation.
How to cure nail fungus?
To treat fungus with a fungus? Traditional medicine says: it is effective! To get rid of mycosis, it is necessary to carry out such compresses for several days in a row: attach a piece of tea mushroom to the affected nail and fix it with a bandage. It is more convenient to do this at night. In the morning, the bandage is removed, the nail is washed, keratinized particles are removed. This method of combating mycosis gives a positive effect with regular use.
Treatment of skin lesions, cellulite
A mushroom in the kitchen can be an effective remedy against minor skin lesions. To prevent a cut or wound from becoming inflamed, you can use kvass of kombucha instead of hydrogen peroxide.
It is known the use of tea kvass and as an anti-cellulite agent. Its action is similar to apple cider vinegar. Mushroom infusion can withstand 1.5 weeks. Then chop a large lemon with a meat grinder and 2 leaves of a golden mustache plant. A glass of kvass is heated and the lemon-leaf gruel is poured with liquid. After an hour, the mixture can be used: a compress from the mixture is applied to a problematic skin area that is steamed in a bath or hot tub, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and for a thermal effect - with a towel.The wrap is left for an hour and a half.
Who should not use Kombucha: harm and contraindications
Despite its usefulness, medusomycete may have contraindications for use. Who should not drink a drink based on it?
Primarily:
- persons with increased acidity of the stomach;
- those with diabetes;
- children under 3 years of age due to a tendency to allergies;
- pregnant women
- with thrush in women.
Kombucha does not take up much space in the house, is rather unpretentious to the maintenance, and in response to care it will thank the whole family with health, longevity and beauty.
