What are the dangers versus advantages of ingesting kombucha?
Is Kombucha Tea Good for You? is one in all my first movies. It was featured in a weblog entry entitled “NutritionFacts.org: the primary month,” the place I marveled the video had reached practically 100,000 individuals. You’ll be able to see it under and at 0:20 in my video Kombucha’s Side Effects: Is It Bad for You?. I’m honored to say that we now attain greater than 100,000 individuals a day.
In that first kombucha video, I profiled a report published within the Journal of Intensive Care Medication of “a case of kombucha tea toxicity” wherein a younger man ended up in an acidotic coma. The authors concluded, “Whereas Kombucha tea is taken into account a wholesome elixir, the restricted proof at present obtainable raises appreciable concern that it could pose critical well being dangers. Consumption of this tea ought to be discouraged, as it could be related to life-threatening lactic acidosis.” And this was simply one in all a number of case reviews of “critical, and typically deadly, hepatic [liver] dysfunction and lactic acidosis inside shut proximity of ingestion.”
For instance, there were two circumstances in Iowa of extreme metabolic acidosis, together with one loss of life. There was additionally a triggering of a life-threatening autoimmune muscle illness that required emergency surgical procedure and was “in all probability associated to the consumption of a fermented Kombucha beverage.” One other affected person presented with shortness of breath, shaking, and a motion dysfunction “after consumption of tea and no different drugs,” and a middle-aged girl complained of xerostomia, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headache, and neck ache,” and her signs recurred on reingestion of the tea. There was one other case of extreme metabolic lactic acidosis, in addition to a case of hepatotoxicity (liver toxicity) that resolved after stopping kombucha.
Why these sporadic circumstances? Perhaps some uncommon toxins developed in a selected batch. I imply, it is a fermented product, so it’s potential there was just a few contamination by a foul bug, just like the time individuals smeared kombucha on their pores and skin as a result of they have been advised it had “magical therapeutic energy.” What it had as an alternative was anthrax. So, despite the fact that such reviews have been uncommon, I concluded ten years in the past that we must always in all probability stick with meals that haven’t put individuals in a coma. However what about its dangers versus advantages? Perhaps kombucha is price it. In any case, it’s “reputed to remedy most cancers,” “get rid of wrinkles,” “and even restore grey hair to its unique shade”—as “marketed by different and naturopathic healers all through the USA.”
“At present, kombucha is alternately praised as ‘the final word well being drink’ or damned as ‘unsafe medicinal tea.’” It’s been “claimed to be a common fantastic drug…a potion which improves consciousness and focus, slimming, additionally purifying, regenerating and life extending.” Which is it? Is it “potion or poison?
Again within the Twenties, Nineteen Thirties, and Forties, there have been a number of medical research conducted by acknowledged physicians confirming all types of useful results, as you’ll be able to see under and at 2:55 in my video.
I couldn’t wait to learn them. Dufrense and Farnworth have been cited, and after I went to that paper, I noticed the identical declare, citing Allen 1998. After I went to that supply, I noticed the quotation is for a random kombucha web site, as proven under, and at 3:10 in my video. And guess what? That web site’s been defunct since 2001, and “a lot of the Kombucha data” posted got here from feedback on some mailing listing.
Lastly, in 2003, a scientific overview of the scientific proof that had been published was performed. “The primary results of this systematic overview, it appears, is the entire lack of efficacy information…No scientific research have been discovered referring to the efficacy of this treatment.” We simply have these cautionary tales, these case reviews. So, primarily based on these information, it was concluded that the largely undetermined advantages don’t outweigh the documented dangers of kombucha. It might subsequently not be beneficial for therapeutic use.” That was again in 2003, although. How a few 2019 systematic overview of the empirical proof of human well being benefit?
“The nonhuman topics literature claims quite a few well being benefits of kombucha,” with “nonhuman” which means mice and rats. We want human scientific trials, but there’s nonetheless not a single managed human examine. (I did find one uncontrolled examine purporting to point out a significant discount in fasting and after-meal blood sugars amongst people with kind 2 diabetes, although, as seen under and at 4:19 in my video.)
“Nonetheless,” regardless of no managed trials, “significant business shelf area is now dedicated to kombucha merchandise, and there’s widespread perception that the merchandise promote well being.” So, we are left with this excessive disparity between science and perception: “There isn’t a convincingly constructive scientific proof in any respect; the [health] claims for it are as far-reaching as they’re implausible; the potential for hurt appears appreciable. In such excessive circumstances, healthcare professionals ought to discourage shoppers from utilizing (and paying for) treatments that solely appear to profit those that promote them.”
Physician’s Word:
Friday Favorites: What Are the Best Beverages? Watch the video to search out out.
