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
I believe it’s the cultures for health site that tells how to store extra scobys in a “scoby hotel” where they will keep for many months. They say that storing them in the fridge makes them susceptible to mold. I have a whole jar full of extra scobys and have kept them in a cupboard for several months now. They look great…I just have to top the jar off occasionally when the liquid that they are in evaporates. O course, every time I do that, it grows a new scoby on top. This stuff has a life of its own! I plan to pull one of these older ones out and brew a batch with it soon so see how it works.
Great tip! Thanks for sharing. I’ve never stored mine long enough for that as I’ve always got about 7 gallons brewing at any one time. A family of five in hot, humid Florida goes through A LOT of kombucha!
How do you keep up with 7 gallons? I’m only doing 2 gallons continuous brew and find that I’m preparing the sweet tea very frequently. Do you fix a very strong sweet tea and dilute it or what? Please share how you efficiently manage this much! Thanks.
Please see my videos on kombucha advanced topics I and II (click on videoclasses in the header of the blog and then select fermented beverages from the pulldown menu). I use 2 gallon glass containers and brew 4 of these at a time. I brew anywhere from 7-10 days depending on the weather (summer it brews much faster as the house is warmer). It’s really just as easy to make an enormous batch as making a small batch if you plan it out right 🙂
Hi Sarah,
This is an off topic question, but I was wondering what your thoughts are on taking both fclo/high vitamin butter and astaxanthin. Also, would both these supplements be ok for a 11 yr. old boy. I would hate to overdue any supplement, and I’m just not finding info. on taking both of these simultaneously, especially for kids. If you could let me know advisable amounts and how often I would really appreciate it!
Thanks!
Mya
I am not a big fan of supplements in isolation such as astaxanthin. It seems just the latest silver bullet in the healthfood community. It may prove to be truly of benefit in the coming years, but for now, I don’t take it.
I feel best with the tried and true .. FCLO and butter oil. I have a post coming out on FCLO fairly soon.
Thanks, Sarah! I usually lean that way myself, but with all the hype I appreciate your insight. We’ve had great luck with FCLO so that’s what we’ll stick with. Thanks for sharing your knowledge…you’re one of the first sites I check when I have a question.
Mya 🙂
I need to get a scoby and resume making kombucha. I found it very beneficial.
I made it for a long time and really enjoyed it.
if you have no kidney or liver issues, you can drink as much as you feel necessary… drinking too much is not good to your kidneys and drinking too much of a cleansing drink is not good to your liver if you have liver issues… (in that case, a nourrishing herbal tea would be better)
Hello Sarah,
Excellent topic, as always. A little off the topic, I was going to ask you if you could blog about drug-resistant bacteria (antibiotic resistant) since I keep seeing such kind of news on TV, on Yahoo, newspapers, etc. My kids recently went through MRSA and it was a very tough time, we have only been Weston Price for 18 months now and I think such way of eating is what has helped them recover and hopefully they will keep free from ooutbreaks. Today I just read about antibiotic resistant tuberculosis that could kill a lot of people very soon. Scary. Thank you.
Marta, this is indeed a very sobering topic. I am gathering info on it. I don’t feel yet comfortable enough in my knowledge of all the angles to yet write anything but perhaps in the coming weeks. We’ll see 🙂
The limit on daily consumption is another thing I’ve found mixed ideas about. There was a discussion on the safety of drinking kombucha during pregnancy/nursing and I posted a link to a website that discusses the downside to giving kombucha to childbearing women and children. This brought up a discussion of how much is safe, and I had a couple people scoffing “Who on earth would drink more than 8oz a day!?!?” like it was the most absurd thing in the world to drink more than a cup in an entire day. I can drink a quart in a day, easy. And the example you gave also demonstrates that. It’s hard to figure out which is the most accurate viewpoint without some hard science.
is there a limit on daily consumption? on Kefir (water)? Kombucha?
i drink sometimes a quart of each.
I see your reading “My Life in France ” by Julia Child. I’m enjoying it right now as well. THE BOOK is on my list of must haves!
Just wondering if the acidity of the kombucha would contribute to an over acid enviroment in the body?
Kombucha, like lemon & vinegar (it is also an acetic acid ferment) have the opposite effect in the body in that while they test as an acid pH – once they hit the digestive tract, they convert into alkaline ash and help rebalance the body’s pH.
There is also the fb group Share or Find kefir grains, kombucha, sourdough starter etc…where people with extras (they multiply) give them away …you only pay postage if shipping is necessary. Great group of people for hints and advice also.