Tibicos

Tibicos can be found in many places, and it is said that the properties of each tibicos culture varies according to its origin. The tibicos health benefits, however, are universal.

What are they, then? Tibicos are a culture of bacteria and yeast mixed in polysaccharide. They are a whitish / yellow mass, with the appearance of crystals. Colorful aliases include: tibi, Japanese water crystals and California Bees. Others call it water kefir grains or sugar kephir. There are also many stories concerning the tibicos benefits and the tradition of giving them to others: one of those stories tells how Mother Theresa of Calcutta once traveled to Tibet to gather tibicos to help heal the poor and needy.

As with kombucha, tibicos can have benefits for anyone who can't consume dairy products, as the water kefir provides the same probiotics as dairy / tea cultured products.

It is apparently beneficial against migraines and arthritis, plus problems of the digestive system, circulation, muscular, and of other organs (liver, lungs and kidneys).

It's on my list of things to try.

EDIT: On a very important note, a reader reminded me that to ensure quality of the tibicos, one should prepare a tibicos culture with attention to having water as pure as possible. That means avoiding soap residues, chlorine, tap water, and the likes. Thanks for the heads-up, Jane!