And now we have the Kombucha tea hotline!

Kombucha tea, made by incubating the Kombucha mushroom in sweet black tea, has apparently become a popular health drink in many parts of the country. Although no scientific studies have yet confirmed its effects, good or bad, its users claim beneficial effects ranging from cancer prevention to hair regrowth. Unexplained cases of severe illness in some users in the past year (including one death) have led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to look into the matter.

Called by some "the blob," the Kombucha "mushroom" is actually a community of various yeasts and bacteria held together by a thin membrane. Placed in hot tea and allowed to incubate, the thin, gelatinous mushroom floats on the tea and reproduces itself by producing a "baby" on top of the original mushroom. Although there are at least two commercial producers of Kombucha mushrooms in the United States, most of the Kombucha tea brewed here is made with mushroom "babies" provided by friends.

The FDA has yet found no pathogenic organisms or health violations in the commercial production of the mushrooms, but individual practices in brewing the tea could lead to contamination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that Kombucha tea not be prepared or stored in containers made from such materials as ceramic or lead crystal, both of which contain toxic elements that can leach into the highly acidic tea. They urge health professionals to consider Kombucha tea consumption in the differential diagnosis of persons with unexplained lactic acidosis--and both physicians and the public should report adverse health effects associated with Kombucha tea consumption to the FDA's MedWatch program at 800-332-1088 or 301-738-7553.