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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: 9,771
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.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 37,965
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.