Thursday, August 11, 2011

Myths About Kombucha and Candida

This post was moved to my permanent website. It can be read in its entirety at: Why Kombucha and Candida Don't Mix. Please click the link to read the entire article. Thanks!

This post is dedicated to everyone who has battled Candida and who wants to do everything possible to avoid making things worse. Although Candida in small quantities is a beneficial yeast our body requires for balance, the high sugar content of the Standard American Diet (SAD) often feeds Candida so that it grows like crazy and overtakes the digestive system and other body systems. (See The Top Six Ways to Maximize Digestion for more info.) I will write more about Candida in a future post. Today, let's address why Kombucha feeds Candida and should be avoided at all costs by anyone who suffers from or is prone to Candida overgrowth.......

This post was moved to: Why Kombucha and Candida Don't Mix. Please click the link to read the entire article. Thanks!



16 comments:

  1. Interesting post, thanks. I have also wondered about the remaining sugar content in kombucha.

    I am currently pregnant second time round and during both my pregnancies I have had ongoing problems with thrush. I am trying hard to follow a low/no sugar (including no grains or milk) diet & taking probiotics but the thrush is very easily triggered at the moment.

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  2. You're so welcome! Congratulations on your pregnancy! Is it safe ot assume they are keeping a close eye on your blood sugars? Gestational diabetes often causes thrush during pregnancy, although the hormonal changes can also contribute. Regardless, I highly recommend avoiding kombucha. Switching to coconut water kefir may help immensely. Blessings!

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  3. http://happyherbalist.com/analysis_of_kt_cornell.htm

    Kombucha has not been proven to enhance the growth of Candida. There are many kinds of yeasts and the more you read about Kombucha yeast and its effects on Candida the more evidence there is that it actually does have some anti-microbial qualities though not very substantial. It won't cause yeast overgrowth but it also won't cure it. The problem is in the added sweeteners or fruit juices that are added for flavor. Plain Kombucha is fine for Candida. Read this one study from Cornell University.

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  4. Thanks for your comment. I must respectfully disagree based on my clinical experience. My patients with Candida who continue drinking kombucha w/out juice but who are compliant in every other way do far worse than those who stop drinking kombucha. I used to love kombucha, so I wish I were wrong! :)

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  5. Pamela,

    I would be interested to know the specifics and where to find "A study at Cornell University confirmed that Kombucha stimulates the growth of Candida, but decreases the growth of other infective organisms".

    Thanks so much!!

    Becky

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  6. Interesting! Though I wish it weren't so- I've got a jar of kombucha brewing in my kitchen right now, and a 3 month old baby with whom I've been swapping thrush for many weeks now. I'll definitely try your kefir idea- this is getting ridiculous!

    I'd also be interested in the specifics of the Cornell U study.

    Thanks!

    Ren

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  7. Pamela, I just read the research result of the Cornell study ( C.J. Greenwalt, R.A. Ledford, and K.H. Steinkraus
    Department of Food Science, Cornell University) Their findings did not show that "kombucha stimulates the growth of candida." What they stated in their findings was that kombucha does not kill candida. I'd like to find a study that actually tested to see if candida could be grown on kombucha.

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    1. Pamela may be a very nice person - and I am strongly predisposed to favor Naturopaths just because - but it is completely disingenuous, if not outright falsehood, to write "kombucha stimulates the growth of candida" allegedly based on the Cornell Study when the study clearly states something utterly different - that it does not inhibit Candida growth.

      Perhaps you have extensive anecdotal evidence from your own experience that links kombucha with candida growth. OK, that's fine. But it's not the Cornell study.

      A simple expedient would be to apologize for the distortion and withdraw it. All of us on the 'alternative' side of the medical world need to stick with the truth, and stick with each other.

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  8. I am quoting an article i have read: "Prof. Rieth, Hamburg, Germans leading expert in Mycology confirmed me: There is absolutely no risk in drinking Kombucha as regards of yeast infections since the Kombucha yeast are apathogen. You can rely on his judgment that is based on careful research work. There is a large amount of scientific papers which proof, that there is no danger and no concern against the preparing of your own Kombucha beverage. Prof. Rieth told me, there is very little knowledge of mycology (fungal diseases) even at doctors and many wrong allegations are made."

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  9. There are many researches done on Kombucha by Germany, one of the many articles states: "Butyric acid, also found in Kombucha, protects human cellular membranes and combined with glucuronic acid, strengthens the walls of the gut and so protects against parasites, including yeast infections such as candida. (Mann U, "Verbluffend - ein Pilz Kuriert den Darm", Bild und Funk, 35, 1988) "
    Cornell article's research finding states that kombucha doesn't treat candida, but it doesn't say that it makes it worse. Also let me add that this is only one research article, however prestigious Cornell might be, compared to many researches done by the german

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  10. Remember all readers, do your own research, do it throughly. Everybody's bodies are different, we all react differently to different foods and substances. Get to know and understand your own body; same goes to your diet.

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  11. I, for one, completely believe the statement that there may be a correlation. I have been battling weekly-monthly yeast infections for years. Recently, I had a hysterectomy and decided to watch what I ate during recovery due to the amount of time I'd be required to remain sedentary. I eliminated wheat and sugar, and was thrilled that I also stopped getting yeast infections! Well...about a week and a half ago I discovered kombucha thanks to my dear Mommy in law. I loved it immediately and have since had a bottle every couple of days. Yesterday, to my dismay, I discovered the WORST yeast infection I have had in at least a year. It is so bad it nearly brought me to tears! The ONLY thing I have done differently is add kombucha to my diet. I am thankful I found this!

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    1. Isn't a flare up of candida symptoms also a side effect of "die-off"?

      I have never had kombucha so I'm not going to speculate as to whether or not its bad for candida over growth ( though it sounds like it just depends on the individual person.)

      I am just wondering if you kept drinking the kombucha long enough to see if your flare ups went away (or got better) or if you just stopped drinking it immediately once you discovered the reaction you had to it?

      I know that when I started taking garlic for my candida, I had horrible flare-ups that were worse than my initial symptoms and really wanted to stop taking it. But I stuck it out and after the initial "die-off", I felt better than I had before I started taking garlic. And if the "por-kombucha" naturapaths are right, it would eventually help balance out the "good" and the "bad" yeast, therefore causing a short term of "die-off" symptoms as it killed the over grown candida.

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    2. Die off is very different from a flare. Although die off symptoms may be very similar, they are not the same and have a very different cause, primarily because they are caused by the body's elimination of dead yeast cells and not due to a proliferation of live yeast cells. I drank Kombucha for many months before deciding it was a negative for Candida. The research cited confirms that. Thanks much!

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  12. Forgot to add: it's great they've done studies, but I trust my body more...

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