Kombucha tea: What are the health benefits?

Answer

Long popular in other countries, kombucha tea is now gaining popularity in the United States. Although frequently referred to as a mushroom, kombucha is not a mushroom — it's a symbiosis of bacteria and yeast. When sugar and black or green tea are added to kombucha, a fermentation process results in the "tea" — a liquid containing vinegar, B vitamins and a number of other chemical compounds. Kombucha is most commonly prepared by taking a starter sample from an existing culture and growing a new colony in a fresh jar.

As with any dietary supplement or natural product, it's critical to do your homework before considering using kombucha tea on a regular basis. First, determine the level of evidence that exists to substantiate the health claims for the product. In the case of kombucha, there isn't a single human trial that has been reported in the peer-reviewed literature. This doesn't mean that kombucha tea can't possibly have health benefits, it just means that at this time, except for some lab and animal studies, there's no direct evidence that kombucha tea actually provides any of the health benefits it's reported to have.

The second "homework" question for any dietary supplement centers on safety. Have there been any credible reports of harm or illness caused by the product? In the case of kombucha tea, there are a number of cautionary reports. The home-brewing process can lead to contamination, with several cases of cutaneous anthrax developing in one community where a tainted batch was widely shared. Aspergillus is a fungus that has been found in kombucha tea and can be potentially dangerous, especially to people with weakened immune systems.

Other adverse effects that have been reported include allergic reactions, jaundice, nausea and vomiting, and one suspected death. Lead poisoning also has been reported when a ceramic pot was used to brew the preparation. It's theorized that the acids in the tea leached lead out of the ceramic glaze, resulting in lead poisoning after several months of consumption.

In short, there's no proof that kombucha tea is effective for any of its myriad health claims. At the same time, several cases of harm or injury have been reported. Unless definitive studies are reported that can quantify more accurately the potential risks and benefits of kombucha tea, it's best to avoid it.

source site : http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/kombucha-tea/AN01658