An exotic, but incredibly common, drink from kombucha is considered. His homeland is China, more precisely Tibet, it was there that he was considered a healing elixir that prolongs youth and improves health. What properties does this tea, unusual for a European, have and how to use it?

History of the tea drink

Medusomycete - this is the biological name of the jellyfish fungus, which is carefully grown in many homes in Europe and Asia. This is not one organism, but a symbiosis of yeast fungi and acetic acid bacteria. From above it is quite dense, slightly shiny, and from below it resembles fused threads - this is the growth zone in which miraculous transformations of the tea drink take place. This is the so-called group of zoogley fungi.

There is evidence that the tea fungus drink was used even before our era in Ceylon, where tea bushes were grown even then. Later he came to India, China, Russia, and only at the beginning of the 20th century to Germany and other countries of Western Europe. It was in Germany that mushroom kvass underwent a thorough study of its composition and properties. After a positive assessment of its properties, zoogle became a popular drink with the average European.

The taste of mushroom tea is similar to bread kvass. It is both sour and sweet at the same time, refreshing with slight signs of soda. Tea perfectly quenches thirst, especially in the summer season, but it should not be drunk more than 3 glasses per day in order not to disturb the acidity of the stomach. In the household, this drink can be considered a universal product.

In addition to being a means of replenishing the level of fluid in the body, tea has a curative and preventive effect on human health. In addition, vinegar can be prepared from it, which will also be useful in home preparations. A few decades ago, the production of vinegar from mushroom kvass was established in France, where it was prepared in huge tubs, and the zoogle itself could reach a weight of 100 kg.

Useful properties of tea

The maximum benefit of tea will be achieved if the mushroom is properly cared for, the substrate is prepared from high-quality tea leaves and the drink is not overexposed. Regular cleaning of the mycelium also plays an important role in improving the quality and taste of the drink.

Tea has many health benefits:

has an anti-inflammatory effect on the mucous membranes, therefore it helps to fight against colds, flu and SARS;
has a pronounced antibacterial effect;
contributes to the normalization of body temperature during illness;
helps to cope with fever and headache;
helps to remove excess fluid, helps to relieve swelling;
heals the intestinal microflora, removes toxins and toxins;
lowers blood pressure, improves the condition of hypertension;
improves the functioning of the nervous system;
relieves the condition with tuberculosis;
protects against atherosclerosis, cleanses blood vessels.
With many diseases, you can drink a tea drink. These are influenza, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, conjunctivitis, gastritis, enterocolitis, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys, constipation, non-healing wounds, etc. A tangible effect from drinking tea is achieved only with regular intake at a dosage of 2-3 glasses per day.

Especially pronounced effectiveness shows tea in the treatment of the nasopharynx. With angina, it is recommended to gargle with a solution of kvass in a ratio of 1:10. Before use, the solution is heated. The procedure is repeated every hour. Do the same when washing the nose, treating stomatitis and pharyngitis.

If a person suffers from conjunctivitis, 2-3 drops of diluted tea in a ratio of 1:20 can be instilled into each eye several times a day. For the prevention of colds and infectious diseases, it is recommended to drink a glass of cool tea every day between meals.

Good results are obtained by the use of tea by the elderly. It improves overall well-being, gives a charge of vivacity, helps to cope with attacks of hypertension, lowering blood pressure and relaxing the walls of blood vessels. Thanks to the drink, digestion is normalized, constipation goes away, headaches calm down.

Compound

The chemical composition of the medusa mycete is unique. As a result of the hard work of yeast and bacteria, a huge amount of substances useful for humans are synthesized from tea leaves and sugar, which can be combined into whole groups.

Organic acids (acetic, phosphoric, malic, lactic, citric, koi).
Enzymes (amylase, lipase, catalase, sucrase, protease, etc.).
Ethanol.
Vitamins of group B, PP, ascorbic acid.
Chlorophyll pigment.
Caffeine.
Polysaccharides;
Medusa (antibiotic).
Sahara.
Lipids.
It is the high content of enzymes and organic acids in combination with jellyfish allow the drink to fight many microbes, help in the digestion of food and strengthen the immune system.

Mushroom tea in home cosmetology

You can talk about mushroom drink not only as an elixir for internal use. It is useful as a cosmetic product for the care of nails, hair and skin. To enhance the cosmetic effect, the drink is subjected to long-term storage to turn it into vinegar. It is with vinegar that it is useful to wipe the skin of the face and neck after washing in order to restore the correct level of acidity, soften and moisturize the epidermis.

The benefits of vinegar are appreciated by many when rinsing their hair. Curls acquire shine, are easy to comb, hair follicles are strengthened, which prevents hair loss. You can dilute the infusion with any decoction of medicinal herbs. So, sage infusion will help get rid of dandruff, burdock infusion will strengthen hair, chamomile infusion will relieve itching.

Fresh infusion of the mushroom can be added to the bath and used as a means of combating increased production of sebum and acne. To do this, add a few drops of tea tree or lavender oil to a small container with tea and wipe the skin of the face in the morning and evening. It is useful to make baths with mushroom vinegar, glycerin or any cosmetic oil. Such a bath will eliminate peeling of the skin of the hands, strengthen the nail plate, make the hands whiter and softer to the touch.

With increased sweating with an unpleasant odor, it is recommended to wipe the armpit area several times a day with a warm infusion of kombucha. It destroys bacteria, refreshes and removes odor. In this case, you should not use an antiperspirant.

Vital activity of zooglea

For normal and full-fledged life, kombucha must be provided with a sufficient amount of sugar (glucose). Yeast fungi process it and produce alcohol and carbon dioxide. Bacteria, on the other hand, synthesize organic acids by processing alcohol. Thus, the primary product (glucose) undergoes 2 stages of transformation and reaches its best biological value - it becomes a useful organic acid.

In order for such transformations to occur constantly and a person can quench his thirst with a healing drink, two conditions must be observed:

prepare a nutrient substrate from water, sugar and tea tea leaves;
provide the mushroom with moderate heat and a minimum of daylight.
Usually a tea drink is prepared in a 3 liter glass container. You can try the first portion of it in a week or a little less. Steps for making tea:

boil water, cool to room temperature;
in a separate container, brew black long leaf tea without additives and flavorings (1 tsp per 1 liter of water);
combine tea with water and add sugar (100 g per 1 liter of water);
mix everything thoroughly until the sugar dissolves;
pour the sweet liquid into a container, put the mushroom in it and close the jar with a bandage folded in several layers so that oxygen enters the contents;
within a week, the liquid from the container may evaporate, and its level drops significantly; in order not to be left without tea, it is necessary to periodically add sweetened tea to the container;
drain the drink every 5 days and add a new portion of the liquid.
If the air temperature in the room is below 20 degrees, the mushroom will grow more slowly, so it is drained after 5-7 days, in the summer, in the heat, the rate of biological processes increases, so mushroom kvass is ready for use every 3 days. An important condition for success is the hygiene of the body of the fungus. Once a week, it must be washed using boiled water at room temperature.

The following points can be considered the main conditions for the successful cultivation of the mushroom and recovery thanks to the drink:

be sure to drain the finished tea drink, otherwise it will become like vinegar, acquire some harmful properties and cause the death of the zoogley;
do not allow direct sunlight to enter the container with the fungus;
exclude cold drafts;
do not forget to feed the mushroom with a new portion of sweet tea;
periodically remove new grown layers of the fungus so that it does not fill the entire container.

Some people take green tea leaves instead of black brew - this is also acceptable, since tannin is important for jellyfish, which is contained in both types of leaves, and the more tannin in the substrate, the healthier and tastier kvass will be.

Harm and contraindications

Medusomycete is a fungus, so people with fungal infections should not drink tea from it. Organisms from the genus Candida live in every human body, and if there are cases of exacerbation of candidiasis in the history of the disease, drink a tea drink dangerous.

It can bring harm to health if a person suffers from a stomach ulcer or high acidity. It is forbidden for use by diabetics due to the high sugar content. The components of the drink can cause an allergic reaction in case of individual intolerance, therefore, when trying wonderful kvass for the first time, you should limit yourself to a small amount in order to assess the body's reaction to it.

The benefits