Tea made with the kombucha mushroom is claimed to have immune stimulating and antibiotic properties. The mushroom is a relative of fungi such as shiitake, maitake and reishi which are used in Chinese and Japanese medicine, but its use has only been reported in the past few years.

The mushroom is actually a `yeast culture raised in a glass jar in a solution of black tea, sugar and water. This liquid gradually ferments and a new mushroom sprouts out of the old mushroom. The tea is then drunk on a regular basis, and is claimed to relieve many health problems and stimulate the immune system. The tea is said to contain high levels of B vitamins, although no chemical analysis of the tea has been published.

No studies have taken place to investigate the effects of kombucha mushroom in people with HIV, but there have been suggestions that the fungus Aspergillus can be harboured by the mushroom and transmitted to people who grow it.