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

Reever · ‎03-14-2010

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 ?

dex · ‎03-09-2010

I think kefir might be a better comparison than yoghurt

x Hedge · ‎08-18-2016

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

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

@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".

sidsmom · ‎11-25-2011

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.

CelticCrafter · ‎03-09-2010

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.

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

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

blackhole99 · ‎08-22-2013

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.