Doctor's Analysis of Kombucha Tea Health Benefits

Tea seems to be the hot new health drink in America with many people embracing it in its various forms both for taste and for health benefits. While not as widely known but still growing in popularity is kombucha. Kombucha is a form of tea that's fermented using colonies of bacteria and yeast which results in production of a various vitamins, amino acids, and mild acids including acetic acid found in vinegar. Kombucha can be produced by adding the appropriate bacteria and yeast cultures to either green or black tea. The reason for this tea's rise in popularity is the reported health benefits of this rather unconventional form of tea. Are the claims of Kombucha tea health benefits really justified?

Some of the health claims surrounding Kombucha are that it can help the liver detoxify, thereby reducing the effects of various toxins on the body. It's also reported to give a sense of well being and serves as an energy booster. In addition, Kombucha tea health benefits have been reported to include immune boosting properties with the ability to fight a variety of health maladies such as cancer, arthritis, and even AIDS.

Despite these reported Kombucha tea health benefits, there have been serious concerns about safety. One such concern relates to the potential for Kombucha tea cultures to be contaminated with disease causing bacteria or fungi, particularly when fermentation is done at home under less than sanitary conditions. Other health concerns relate to the possibility of allergic reactions, adverse effects on the liver, and the potential for it to interact with medications.

Even more concerning when considering Kombucha tea health benefits, is the fact that positive health effects have only been documented in animals up to this point. Although a study published in 2003 in Biomedical Environmental Science suggested that Kombucha has the ability to positively modulate the immune system as well as act as an antioxidant, this study was performed in rats, not humans. There's no direct evidence that these benefits hold true in humans.

Doctor's analysis of Kombucha tea health benefits: