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Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,553
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

Kombucha - do we need it or is it a fad ?

I have read so many things about Kombucha those fermented tea fizzy beverages that supposedly are good for the digestive system. But then I read that Dr. Weil has said he has not found any evidence that Kombucha has any benefits. Am I just throwing good money down the drain ? Does anyone use these products ? Would just having a serving of yogurt be just a small good at a fraction of the price ?

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,917
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Kombucha - do we need it or is it a fad ?

I think kefir might be a better comparison than yoghurt

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,788
Registered: ‎08-18-2016

Re: Kombucha - do we need it or is it a fad ?

The following is a small bit lifted from Wikipedia.

The adverse effects listed there are frightening to me, but some people here might be interested.

 

A 2003 systematic review characterized kombucha as an "extreme example" of an unconventional remedy because of the great disparity between implausible, wide-ranging health claims lacking evidentiary support, and the potential for harm that kombucha has.[4] Ernst concluded that the number of proposed, unsubstantiated, therapeutic benefits did not outweigh the known risks, and that kombucha should not be recommended for therapeutic use.[4]Kombucha only appears to benefit those who profit from it, according to a 2003 review

Honored Contributor
Posts: 23,835
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Kombucha - do we need it or is it a fad ?


@Reever wrote:

I have read so many things about Kombucha those fermented tea fizzy beverages that supposedly are good for the digestive system. But then I read that Dr. Weil has said he has not found any evidence that Kombucha has any benefits. Am I just throwing good money down the drain ? Does anyone use these products ? Would just having a serving of yogurt be just a small good at a fraction of the price ?


 

 

I always thought that all  the sugar added added to the tea base was what gave people energy....not the fermentation of the mushroom.  I really question the validity of ingestion of this tea.   We use to sell a lot of it where I worked.  It was a fad. A phase....the thing to "do".  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,415
Registered: ‎11-25-2011

Re: Kombucha - do we need it or is it a fad ?

We don’t ‘need’ it.

It’s fun to drink something sweet & fizzy from time to time.

Just a drink.

No more, no less....no matter what marketing tells you. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,282
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Kombucha - do we need it or is it a fad ?

A couple of weeks ago, our local grocery add had a coupon in for it and we had no idea what it was.

 

When we couldn't figure out "fermented what?"  we left the coupon on the shelf for someone else.

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Honored Contributor
Posts: 35,603
Registered: ‎05-22-2016

Re: Kombucha - do we need it or is it a fad ?

Health benefits...??? I read some stuff online and it sounded like snake oil to me.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,702
Registered: ‎08-22-2013

Re: Kombucha - do we need it or is it a fad ?

I made my own Kombucha tea and kept the culture going for over a year in the early 80's. It was a fun project, but I did not see where it made a difference in my health.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,553
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

Re: Kombucha - do we need it or is it a fad ?

Dr. Weil is someone I have the upmost respect for. He says he can find no benefit.

Super Contributor
Posts: 277
Registered: ‎01-31-2011

Re: Kombucha - do we need it or is it a fad ?

It makes me feel slightly tipsy. I rarely drink alcohol so possibly I am sensitive. I avoid it now.