Important tips for consuming kombucha to avoid candida flare-ups and why some people who drink it experience worsened symptoms temporarily.
I’ve been asked more than once recently if kombucha is beneficial for those who are battling candida overgrowth. There is evidently a school of thought making the rounds that candida sufferers best avoid this healthful, traditionally fermented beverage.
Is avoidance truly a good course of action? Or, can this probiotic rich beverage actually help gut healing?
What Exactly Is Kombucha?
For those of you new to this delicious beverage, kombucha is a traditional Russian drink that is made from fermenting plain black tea (or a combination of black and green tea) and sugar. It has been consumed for hundreds of years and, through extensive testing in Russia, proven to be an effective overall detoxifier through the binding of the organic acids to toxins present in the body.
Once tightly bound to the organic acids, the toxins are then rushed to the kidneys for excretion.
Russian communities that drink a lot of kombucha do not suffer from cancer at the high rates that plague folks who live near that country’s toxin spewing factories — even when the local flora and fauna are dying!
During the years of the Iron Curtain, the Soviet Union used kombucha as one of its secret weapons in the training of its Olympic athletes — the athletes would drink up to 1 quart of kombucha per day to help them train harder.
The popularity of kombucha in North America has been steadily growing for the past 20 years or so. I’ve been brewing kombucha in our home since 2001, and it has proved to be an integral part of our family’s overall wellness strategy.
Do Kombucha and Candida Mix?
We’ve established that kombucha is a healthy, traditional beverage. But, what if a person has candida overgrowth? Will the fact that kombucha contains beneficial yeasts as well as bacteria in the final brew aggravate the situation?
The key is that kombucha contains beneficial yeasts, not pathogenic ones like candida.
Therefore, when someone with candida starts drinking kombucha for the first time, there may indeed be a flare up of symptoms that may confuse the person into thinking that the kombucha is actually making the problem worse.
In fact, this flare up of candida symptoms is more than likely only temporary as the beneficial yeasts and probiotics in this traditional fermented drink begin to rebalance the gut environment.
Rebalancing of the gut environment involves die off of possibly large amounts of pathogens which causes symptoms to flare up temporarily.
How Fermented Tea Discourages Yeast Overgrowth
This short term aggravation of symptoms is sometimes referred to as “a healing crisis” and is necessary if improvement in the gut environment is to occur over the long term.
A healing crisis can occur not only with kombucha, but with other fermented beverages such as kefir or even yogurt.
A friend of mine noticed when she started drinking kefir awhile back that her eczema flared up. I told her to keep on with it and it would eventually go away on its own as the die of symptoms from the aggressive probiotics in the kefir lessened. Sure enough, her eczema went away and her overall health improved considerably from the introduction of raw kefir into her diet.
Even though kombucha can be enjoyed by candida sufferers, it is certainly possible for some folks to not react well to kombucha regardless of whether they suffer from gut imbalance or not. There is no food or drink even if traditional and nourishing that works well for absolutely everyone.
On a personal note, my husband and I both used to suffer from candida overgrowth years ago prior to our introduction to Traditional Foods and kombucha in particular. We have found over the years that drinking kombucha on a daily basis does in fact help considerably in keeping the problem at bay by working to maintain a balanced gut environment.
So drink up and enjoy your kombucha even if candida is something you are working to resolve at the moment. Just be aware that you may get worse before you ultimately get better.
Watch Out for Commercial Brands!
Please note that the kombucha that is safe to drink if you have candida is only plain kombucha ideally brewed yourself. Watch out for commercial kombucha, however!
Store kombucha consumption presents a very real candida flare-up risk. Many if not most commercial brands are loaded with sugar. Definitely avoid them if you have candida issues!
More Information
Want to know more about kombucha and candida? These articles provide more detail for your research.
Fluoride in Kombucha
Does Kombucha Prevent Grey Hair?
Jun Tea: Kombucha Champagne
Batch vs Continuous Brew Kombucha
Have You Tried Kombucha?
Safe Traveling with Kombucha
Kombucha: Drink It and Wear It?
Pau d’Arco: Best Herb for Treating Candida
Biofilms: Overlooked Step in Treating Candida
Jennifer Ramanathan via Facebook
Thank you! Lisa Lisa!
Linda Forrester via Facebook
Going to be making some Konbucha in a month or so. I will need a scoby. Anyone? And do you all use the fermentation bottles or what?
Linda
In a month or so I’m going to make my first ever kombucha. Can’t wait! I will need a scoby and do you all use the fermentation bottles as well?
Thanks Sarah. Appreciate you!
Lisa Lisa via Facebook
Jennifer…if you’ve never tried it, you should know there are tremendous differences. The core concept is it’s vinegary… I mix mine in the morning smoothies with raw eggs and other goodies. If you don’t like the first sip…keep trying.
Jennifer Ramanathan via Facebook
Can anyone recommend a store bought kombucha brand so i can try out kombucha?
Elena Vasileva via Facebook
I’m concerned about the sugar too. At home, I brew it very sour, and we drink it half and half with water, because it goes very quickly anyway 🙂
Nathan Audrey Dennis Westich via Facebook
Does kombucha tea have to have caffeine in it? I can’t find it without it and I cannot handle caffeine well. : (
Cynthia Phillips
Actually once it ferments it doesn’t have caffeine in it anymore. I’m extremely sensitive to it so I would not be able to drink it if it did. Yes, you have to use caffeine for the scoby to consume but there is none left by the time you drink it.
draisy
Actually that’s a myth. Test have been done that show the caffeine is still in the tea.
“Busting the Myths
Although kombucha is made with caffeinated tea, by the end of the fermentation cycle, none remains. MYTH. Roussin found that the caffeine content doesn’t reduce at all. This myth might have started because only 6-8 teabags are used to brew a gallon of kombucha tea, which is half the strength of a normal cup of tea. ”
– See more at: http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2013/03/25/kombucha-myths-vs-truths/#sthash.BQEeYigp.dpuf
Cindy Landskron via Facebook
I have heard both sides and I’m very confused. I’ve been told that with candida you can’t consume anything that has a mother, like raw ACV or even a probiotic we made … It’s so frustrating to know the right thing. We have no way to get tested using natural methods.
Mela
This controversy is based on a misconception about vinegar. Raw acv & fermented foods are GOOD! Homemade vinaigrettes, mustards & other condiments made at home using apple cider vinegar are beneficial, as are raw, unfiltered brands like Mother. Real lacto-fermented pickles, just like sauerkraut, need no vinegar at all because lactic acid bacteria creates mouth-watering sour taste all on their own.
SO go ahead and indulge~ it should only help. Use it in homemade salad dressing with olive oil & acv, mayonnaise, and homemade mustard. Use it in marinades for exceptionally tender meats. Don’t go overboard with it, and DON’T drink it straight – too much acidity is not good either and ACV has been known to burn if undiluted. People who do well taking it internally can take up to two tablespoons of (diluted) raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar each day for health benefits in foods and beverages. <3
Diana
I have been reading with great interest about kombucha. I also was reading on fluoride and came across information that indicates tea can have up to 5 times the amount of fluoride niaturally as the tap water..5 for tea 0.05. -1.5 in tap water. Its not just black tea either.
I never heard anyone mention this when they talk fluoride in tap water being so poisonous.
Do you have any information on the fluoride in kombucha? Thanks
Cynthia Phillips
I’m wondering about that too. I know that Sarah has said that organic tea has less fluoride in it but my research shows conflicting stories on that.
Weston a price Supporter
Sally Fallon I Believe,said that the bacteria take’s care of the “lot less” fluoride that’s in organic teas.So it’s not a problem.
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/fluoride-in-kombucha-should-you-be-concerned/