I followed up a reference on drinking tea to dissolve kidney stones
and came to the following about kombucha.

(quote)
This 2000 year old tea is made using a extraordinary mushroom* that is
placed into a batch of regular sugary tea. The tea then begins to
ferment and in about 7 days it is ready to drink. During that same 7
day period a second mushroom grows within the tea, this new mushroom
is used to make your next batch of tea. Each time you make a batch of
tea a new mushroom is produced. Because of this quick reproductive
cycle of the Kombucha you can make an endless supply of this
incredible tea for FREE !
(unquote)

If anyone has a comment about making kombucha tea or use of tea to
dissolve kidney stones, I would be interested to read it. bookburn

I've had it, it's good, don't know why they call it a "mushroom." Don't
know if it "dissolves kidney stones" but it perked me up.

On Jul 13, 2:07 am, wrote:
> I followed up a reference on drinking tea to dissolve kidney stones
> and came to the following about kombucha.
>
> (quote)
> This 2000 year old tea is made using a extraordinary mushroom* that is
> placed into a batch of regular sugary tea. The tea then begins to
> ferment and in about 7 days it is ready to drink. During that same 7
> day period a second mushroom grows within the tea, this new mushroom
> is used to make your next batch of tea. Each time you make a batch of
> tea a new mushroom is produced. Because of this quick reproductive
> cycle of the Kombucha you can make an endless supply of this
> incredible tea for FREE !
> (unquote)
>
> If anyone has a comment about making kombucha tea or use of tea to
> dissolve kidney stones, I would be interested to read it. bookburn

I really enjoy kombucha, but I neither make it nor really believe in
any miracles teas. I mostly buy it already made in a bottle (Kombucha
Wonder Drink) from health food stores/whole foods. It is slightly
"prickly" on the tongue like carbonation and also slightly vinegary. A
great invaluable resource to me on natural cures/herbs/etc. is a book
called "Back to Eden" by Kloss it has info for any type of malady such
as kidney stones. I like it because most of what it offers are very
primitive and proven time-tested "cures."

You can buy a starter culture for Kombucha online though, and it can
be tasty so it might be worth tackling. I will say though that many
claims of healing are made about it beyond kidney stones. I'm sure it
is healthful and good for you overall no matter what. It is labor
intensive to make though to some extent. Good Luck!

- Dominic

On Jul 13, 2:07 am, wrote:
> If anyone has a comment about making kombucha tea or use of tea to
> dissolve kidney stones, I would be interested to read it. bookburn

Welp, I broke out my copy of Back to Eden to see what it said about
kidney stones just for you so here goes (and it was actually cool that
by total chance it offers a tea) I'm going to paraphrase to shorten it
a bit:

Prevention: high intake of fluids. 2-4 quarts a day. Kidney stones are
made up of calcium oxalate eat a diet low in them, avoid items high in
oxelates such as: spinach, parsley, beets, beet greens, swiss chard,
asparagus, okra, collards, celery, leeks, and sweet potatoes. berries,
highest of all fruits is rhubarb. almonds, cashews, peanuts and peanut
butter. Ovaltine and cocoa as should dark tea, coffee, and dark colas.

Once formed: A tea made of wild carrot seeds, valerian, and pepermint.
mix together and use a teaspoon to a cup of boiling water, steep for
30 mins. Take one half cupful every hour until pain is relieved. Queen
of the meadow, peach leaves, or cleavers may also be used.

Also for pain a hot bath (100f and increased up to 112) while keeping
head and neck cool with a sponge. Standing up and sponging down if
getting weak then back in to tub. He also mentions hot compresses on
the back in the kidney region for pain.

Now my usual disclaimer. I am not a true adherent to this type of
thing. I find a lot of old remedies have a lot of merit and natural
cures are sometimes better than medicines or good in conjunction with.
I find it more academically interesting than a life choice personally.

- Dominic

On Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:36:09 -0700 (PDT), "Dominic T."
> wrote:

>On Jul 13, 2:07 am, wrote:
>> If anyone has a comment about making kombucha tea or use of tea to
>> dissolve kidney stones, I would be interested to read it. bookburn
>
>Welp, I broke out my copy of Back to Eden to see what it said about
>kidney stones just for you so here goes (and it was actually cool that
>by total chance it offers a tea) I'm going to paraphrase to shorten it
>a bit:
>
>Prevention: high intake of fluids. 2-4 quarts a day. Kidney stones are
>made up of calcium oxalate eat a diet low in them, avoid items high in
>oxelates such as: spinach, parsley, beets, beet greens, swiss chard,
>asparagus, okra, collards, celery, leeks, and sweet potatoes. berries,
>highest of all fruits is rhubarb. almonds, cashews, peanuts and peanut
>butter. Ovaltine and cocoa as should dark tea, coffee, and dark colas.
>
>Once formed: A tea made of wild carrot seeds, valerian, and pepermint.
>mix together and use a teaspoon to a cup of boiling water, steep for
>30 mins. Take one half cupful every hour until pain is relieved. Queen
>of the meadow, peach leaves, or cleavers may also be used.
>
>Also for pain a hot bath (100f and increased up to 112) while keeping
>head and neck cool with a sponge. Standing up and sponging down if
>getting weak then back in to tub. He also mentions hot compresses on
>the back in the kidney region for pain.
>
>Now my usual disclaimer. I am not a true adherent to this type of
>thing. I find a lot of old remedies have a lot of merit and natural
>cures are sometimes better than medicines or good in conjunction with.
>I find it more academically interesting than a life choice personally.
>
>- Dominic

Thanks for your commentary. I've been drinking lemon juice daily,
after having my kidney stone identified as the typical calcium type.
Lemon could be added to tea, I suppose. The pages I've read suggest
drinking lots of water, avoiding some foods, as you say, and adding a
few others. Tea is often mentioned as a substitute for other drinks,
especially sodas.

Kombucha does get some positive health benefits, a few warnings, but
no special links to dissolving kidney stones, as far as I can tell.
bookburn

wrote:
> If anyone has a comment about making kombucha tea or use of tea to
> dissolve kidney stones, I would be interested to read it.

Purely anecdotal, of course, but... an otherwise absurdly healthy aged
aunt of mine was hospitalized with thrombocytopenia (easy bruising) and
other, more serious ailments that escape me just now. The diagnostician,
who knew her well, was nonplussed until she mentioned that she'd started
drinking kombucha daily a few months prior. He ordered her off it
instanter, and she soon recovered completely.

YMMV-

DM

On Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:46:08 GMT, DogMa >
wrote:

wrote:
>> If anyone has a comment about making kombucha tea or use of tea to
>> dissolve kidney stones, I would be interested to read it.
>
>Purely anecdotal, of course, but... an otherwise absurdly healthy aged
>aunt of mine was hospitalized with thrombocytopenia (easy bruising) and
>other, more serious ailments that escape me just now. The diagnostician,
>who knew her well, was nonplussed until she mentioned that she'd started
>drinking kombucha daily a few months prior. He ordered her off it
>instanter, and she soon recovered completely.
>
>YMMV-
>
>DM

Yipes! I read that the "mushroom" formed during kombucha preparation
is susceptible of being invaded by unfriendly fungae and bacteria
unless care is taken; plus the brewing is capable of causing chemicals
to leach out of non-glass containers. bookburn

wrote:
> Yipes! I read that the "mushroom" formed during kombucha preparation
> is susceptible of being invaded by unfriendly fungae and bacteria
> unless care is taken; plus the brewing is capable of causing chemicals
> to leach out of non-glass containers.

Still seems to imply that kombucha itself is harmless, as few things are
when employed immoderately or by susceptible persons.

-DM

On Jul 13, 11:19*pm, wrote:
> Yipes! *I read that the "mushroom" formed during kombucha preparation
> is susceptible of being invaded by unfriendly fungae and bacteria
> unless care is taken; plus the brewing is capable of causing chemicals
> to leach out of non-glass containers. *bookburn

That's why it is the one bottled "tea" I enjoy. I figure the folks who
brew it have to be pretty careful or else they would have some scary
litigation coming their way. But, who knows what effect the
pasteurization has on any of the good bits. Anything that requires me
to grow a potentially harmful fungus/bacteria in a non-lab setting
involving a large pickle jar and a tea towel is not for me. Waaaaay
too many variables and downsides for a potentially small upside. But
that's just me.

- Dominic

On Jul 14, 3:15*pm, "Dominic T." > wrote:
> On Jul 13, 11:19*pm, wrote:
>
> > Yipes! *I read that the "mushroom" formed during kombucha preparation
> > is susceptible of being invaded by unfriendly fungae and bacteria
> > unless care is taken; plus the brewing is capable of causing chemicals
> > to leach out of non-glass containers. *bookburn
>
> Anything that requires me
> to grow a potentially harmful fungus/bacteria in a non-lab setting
> involving a large pickle jar and a tea towel is not for me. Waaaaay
> too many variables and downsides for a potentially small upside. But
> that's just me.

Does that inate wariness also exclude enjoying pu erh tea, Roquefort
cheese, salami, gravad lax, sour dough bread, and home brewed beer?

Nigel at Teacraft

On Jul 15, 3:39*am, Nigel > wrote:
> > *Anything that requires me
> > to grow a potentially harmful fungus/bacteria in a non-lab setting
> > involving a large pickle jar and a tea towel is not for me. Waaaaay
> > too many variables and downsides for a potentially small upside. But
> > that's just me.
>
> Does that inate wariness also exclude enjoying pu erh tea, Roquefort
> cheese, salami, gravad lax, sour dough bread, and home brewed beer?
>
> Nigel at Teacraft

Touche! But I don't really try to home-produce salamis, Roqueforts,
Puerhs, sour dough, gravad lax, or beer. (That list just made me
really hungry and the whole list fit well together so now I'm craving
quite the lunch) I would try beer though as that one seems the least
likely for death or illness and fairly high tolerances since alcohol
kills a lot of bad things. Sour Dough from scratch scares me almost as
much as Kombucha from scratch. My Grandfather used to make yogurt, but
that is also one I'd rather safely buy.

- Dominic

Dominic T. wrote:
> On Jul 13, 11:19 pm, wrote:
>> Yipes! I read that the "mushroom" formed during kombucha preparation
>> is susceptible of being invaded by unfriendly fungae and bacteria
>> unless care is taken; plus the brewing is capable of causing chemicals
>> to leach out of non-glass containers. bookburn
>
> That's why it is the one bottled "tea" I enjoy. I figure the folks who
> brew it have to be pretty careful or else they would have some scary
> litigation coming their way. But, who knows what effect the
> pasteurization has on any of the good bits. Anything that requires me
> to grow a potentially harmful fungus/bacteria in a non-lab setting
> involving a large pickle jar and a tea towel is not for me. Waaaaay
> too many variables and downsides for a potentially small upside. But
> that's just me.
>
> - Dominic
I've been doing that for many years with no ill effects... Kefir, Mead,
Beer, Yoghurt, and now I've been researching Kombucha to start kitchen
production as well. While I know there was a little tongue in cheek in
your response, you have to be pretty, um.... unsophisticated, to not
follow common sense sanitary protocols to end with a harmful result.
Even bad batches of beer won't kill you, just taste nasty.

Frankly I've seen people eat things that I wouldn't go near with a ten
foot pole, but I've never had a problem with any of the fermented
foodstuffs I've made. Just my $0.03 (due to the weak US dollar).

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Warren > writes:

> Dominic T. wrote:
> >
> > [...I'm leery of lots of fermentation processes...]
>
> I've been doing that for many years with no ill effects... Kefir,
> Mead, Beer, Yoghurt, and now I've been researching Kombucha to start
> kitchen production as well. While I know there was a little tongue in
> cheek in your response, you have to be pretty, um.... unsophisticated,
> to not follow common sense sanitary protocols to end with a harmful
> result. Even bad batches of beer won't kill you, just taste nasty.
>
> Frankly I've seen people eat things that I wouldn't go near with a ten
> foot pole, but I've never had a problem with any of the fermented
> foodstuffs I've made. Just my $0.03 (due to the weak US dollar).

Look, I'm a fermentation fan myself, and I don't want to cause undue
anxiety, but the fact that you don't get immediately sick from these
things is only part of the story. There are fermentation byproducts
that raise your chance of eventually getting cancer. Certainly not in
all fermentation, but the potential danger is not to be dismissed
airily. I'd love to call this off-topic, but it does happen in tea
manufacture sometimes.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html