Important tips for consuming kombucha to avoid candida flare-ups and why some people who drink it experience worsened symptoms.
I’ve been asked more than once recently if kombucha is beneficial for those who are battling candida overgrowth.
There is a school of thought 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 for those with yeast overgrowth?
What Exactly Is Kombucha?
For those new to this delicious beverage, kombucha is a traditional Russian drink that is made from fermenting plain black tea and cane sugar.
Sometimes raw honey and green tea are used (especially in China), with the resulting beverage called Jun tea.
This delightful fermented tea beverage has been consumed for hundreds of years.
Extensive testing in Russia has proven it to be an effective detoxifier.
Once toxins are tightly bound to the organic acids in kombucha, they are rushed to the kidneys for excretion.
The popularity of kombucha in North America has been steadily growing for the past 30 years or so.
I’ve brewed kombucha in our home since 2001, long before any commercial brands were available.
More on the difference between the two below.
Does Kombucha Flare Candida?
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 and bacteria in the final brew aggravate the situation?
The key is that kombucha contains beneficial yeasts, not pathogenic strains like candida.
Therefore, when someone with candida starts drinking kombucha for the first time, there may indeed be a flare-up of symptoms.
This can be confusing at first. Is the kombucha making the problem worse?
The good news is that these symptoms (commonly skin-related) are likely only temporary!
The beneficial yeasts and probiotics trigger this reaction as they begin to rebalance the gut environment.
How Fermented Tea Discourages Yeast
This short-term aggravation of symptoms is sometimes referred to as “a healing crisis”.
It is also referred to as “herxing”, which is short for a Herxheimer reaction.
This is the natural response of the body to the destruction of harmful bacteria in the gut that release toxins into the bloodstream.
This type of process is actually 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 raw kefir or even 24-hour yogurt.
In fact, simply taking a probiotic supplement or eating a serving of homemade sauerkraut can cause a herx reaction.
Can You Drink Kombucha if You Are Healing Your Gut?
In summary, even though kombucha can be enjoyed by candida sufferers, it is certainly possible for some folks to not react well initially.
Symptoms after drinking kombucha are nearly always the result of herxing, aka “a healing crisis”.
This uncomfortable situation is temporary and stems from the die-off of pathogens in the gut from the probiotics in kombucha.
Another option is to drink Jun tea instead of kombucha. Jun is the same thing as kombucha, just using raw honey and green tea instead of cane sugar and black tea.
So drink up and enjoy your kombucha even if candida is something you are working to resolve.
Going slow with small amounts at first is a good rule of thumb to minimize or even completely avoid issues with herxing.
Beware of Commercial Brands!
Please note that while kombucha is safe to drink if you have candida, it is only plain kombucha that is acceptable that is ideally brewed yourself.
This is the kombucha recipe I suggest.
Be sure to watch out for commercial kombucha brands, especially flavored ones!
Store kombucha presents a very real candida flare-up risk as well as an addictive response.
Many commercial brands contain added sugar or fruit juice (added post-fermentation). Worse, they may not even be cultured properly.
If you must buy your kombucha instead of making it yourself, I suggest relying on local brewers that don’t mass produce and distribute their products.
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?
Batch vs Continuous Brew Kombucha
Safe Traveling with Kombucha
Biofilms: Overlooked Step in Treating Candida
How can I make kombucha at home?
Wondering this myself lately, thanks.
Great article! Thanks.
Sarah,
Do you have any idea how long a kombucha culture will last being stored in frig?
I haven’t used it in months but would like to start making it again. Mine always tasted sweet so I was afraid to drink it everyday. But I would like to try it again!
It will last about one month IF covered with a cloth (not a secure lid) and the culture is in tea water. The one you describe should be thrown out as it will be dead at this point.
This answered my question. =)
I had the same question…my scoby has been in a jar with the same 1/4 cup of tea for probably close to a year or so, maybe even more if my time is just that off. =) How long is a scoby good for?
I would just start over, you can just use a bottle of raw kombucha from the store, it will usually grow a new SCOBY, I’ve done it a couple times now.
That depends on the formulation and the brand. I know for instance that GT Dave’s has reformulated and the full complement of culture is not present in the new raw KT (due to concerns of alcohol content). It will grow a scoby but it will be subject to issues and probably won’t last many cycles. Best to get a healthy scoby from a friend or seller.
I guess its a good thing I had used some of my old kombucha that had been sitting in the fridge, I thought it was probably dead so I used part of it along with some KT and it did grow a healthy looking SCOBY, hopefully it is a viable culture, we shall see. I am still waiting for it to sour after about 8 days.
I had a scoby in a covered jar with some tea for 3 months, it was fine.
WOW! I think you must hold the world record on that one 🙂
I had mine in the fridge for 2 years and I just started making kombucha again. I used the GT’s original as my starter tea and it’s going great. My scoby was in a glass jar with a plastic lid on it. I’m on my third batch and this one is the best so far.
Great article. I think that will help with my others methods I’m using (How To Cure Candida). I have seen it first on vizijaplius.lt/blog/
I’m currently looking for wisdom on drinking kombucha while pregnant or nursing. Any thoughts? Thanks.
I drank kombucha all through pregnancy and lactation for my youngest 2 children. It really was so helpful to me. It relieved any aches and pains from carrying so much extra weight particularly hip pain which I never had at all as long as I drank kombucha.
I’ve heard that it’s important to start kombucha before getting pregnant because the initial detoxification from the kombucha can cause miscarriage. Have you heard anything about this?
I’ve not read this anywhere. I actually started drinking kombucha regularly when I was pregnant and it did me a world of good.
It is important to trust your body. Many women drink Kombucha during pregnancy while others find that they cannot tolerate the taste or smell. Also, lactating women have reported that they have increased breast milk production when they included Kombucha as part of their regimen – check out this article for more info – http://www.kombuchakamp.com/2011/06/kombucha-tea-pregnancy-safety-probiotics-fermented-foods.html
I seriously question how fermented the store bought kombuchas are, and some kombuchas are pasteurized. It’s like drinking soda they are so sweet.
I’ve been meaning to blog about how to make kombucha using a second fermentation which enhances the carbonation and makes it taste better.
I was blessed to receive cultures for something called ‘jun’ which uses raw honey and tea and tastes and feels 1000 better than kombucha!
Thanks for sharing this, it also relates to wine and candida!
Emma, can you tell me more about “jun”? Where can you acquire it?
Very useful information, once again. We drink Kombucha every day, and it makes a huge difference. It is a great replacement for soft drinks, and we have grown to love the taste.
Sounds good! I am boiling water for my first-ever kombucha batch at this very moment. Interesting about the kefir. I started making it from unhomogenized store-bought local organic milk but because of legalities it is pasteurized. Do you think the benefits of kefir are still worth it when making it from pasteurized milk?
Yes, kefir is still very much beneficial even when made from pasteurized milk. That is good that you have nonhomogenized milk too.
So good to know! I was wondering that too. We will be moving somewhere that is going to be difficult to obtain raw milk. I have been sooooo spoiled the last 4 years with dairy in the next town.
For fermenting Kombucha – can sugar be substituted with some other sweetener like honey or somthing else?
No, honey is antibacterial and so will work to counteract the growth of probiotics in the brew. Just use organic white sugar. Almost all the sugar is fermented and should cause little to no blood sugar problems in most people.
hi sarah my name is tracy I feel horrible due to die off do you know of anything that can help ease this it would be greatly appreciated. thanks very much
Hi Tracy. I have a load of ideas for you. One is zeolite. Another is liver support. I take a really good one. Also a Chinese Blend that I take called Yin Chiao. You are welcome to drop me a line at wholenewmom at gmail dot com for help. I’ve been through horrible die off and I know how awful it can be. Hang in there.
Sorry about your die-off symptoms, my friend, I’ve been there as well.
Now, I just use carbonized bamboo (others use charcoal, it’s easier to find). It absorbs the die-off toxin that creates the symptoms. Carbonized bamboo is difficult to find unless you have a good alternative doctor; but the good news is that charcoal does the same thing.
Just thought that I would share; I hope this information helps you like it helped me.
Actually it is a myth that honey kills good bacteria. Studies show that honey has a synergistic effect with beneficial bacteria and helps it grow. If honey killed good bacteria, no one would be able to make JUN tea.
It is possible to ferment it with raw honey, plenty of people do it. Sarah is correct that there is a chance it will harm the SCOBY, but it is not always the case. Plenty of people also use chlorinated tap water without causing harm to the SCOBY.