kwantum Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 Belgium forbids any medicine based on kombucha as it might cause serious damage to the liver. Dangerous fungi (aspergillus) have been found in kombucha. How is this compliant with whole30? Currently I'm finishing day 8 of my 1st whole30 - feel great - minimal side effects so far - fingers crossed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vian Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 If the scoby (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast - aka, the bacterial cellulose pancake that is the culture) is healthy and free of any invading mold, it's perfectly safe to consume. It's full of good bacteria that helps digestion. It is a naturally fermented product, just like naturally made pickles, sour kraut, raw vinegar, kimchi, and yogurt. All of these rely on the action of live bacteria to convert sugars to acid which in turn preserve the food product. However, one should never consume kombucha from a culture with a scoby that has foreign molds growing on it (they will appear as fuzzy blue, green, or black patches, just like on old cheese) as these molds can be very harmful. It is natural for the scoby to have brown discolorations and slimy brown "strings" hanging from it though, that is just the yeast in the culture, which is necessary for fermentation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwantum Posted January 12, 2014 Author Share Posted January 12, 2014 @Vian - thx for clearing this up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adabeie Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 I see this is an older post but was looking across kombucha topics so just to add some more - Aspergillus is a very wide family of molds, which includes both noxious species as well as those, or example, responsible for making sake (A. oryzae). Molds are just like bacteria in that there are good ones and bad ones and many western cultures are what are called 'mycophobic', ie, fearful of fungi. But any fuzz or discoloration on a scoby should be carefully examined. Those new to brewing kombucha often throw away perfectly healthy scobys. Both KombuchaKamp and Cultured Food Life have excellent fermentation resources for kombucha and other types as well, which I'd like to restart is I can find a good non-dairy starter (I always used to use the whey from our milk kefir fermentation - which while not Whole30 compliant is a brilliant way to ferment vegetables of all kinds and can be mixed in to great effect in dishes like baba ganouj (W30 compliant) and hummus (not W30 compliant). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmary Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 If you want to ferment vegetables, no need to add a starter at all. Salt water in the right ratio is really it. Whey kind of kick-starts the fermentation process, making it seem faster, but a wild fermentation with salt is actually better for you. Dairy ferments and veggie ferments have different cultures, both are beneficial, and leaving whey out of the veggie mix will allow the native vegetable cultures to thrive. Just make sure you ferment your veggies for long enough to go through the whole fermentation process--that means 4-6 weeks for most things, not the 3 days listed in a lot of whey-based recipes. Also FWIW I agree Kombucha is not dangerous . I had a great healthy system going for a couple years without any issues at all, and suddenly it all got off balance with green powdery mold. It was obvious and apparent that I should not drink that batch. lol. My new baby scoby is looking good, hopefully I will be up and running again in a few weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Ramona Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Another question about Komboucha as it relates to meal templates... Is it better to drink it by itself between meals, or alongside a meal? How often should it be consumed each week? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmary Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Another question about Komboucha as it relates to meal templates... Is it better to drink it by itself between meals, or alongside a meal? How often should it be consumed each week? Good question. I don't think we really have guidelines on this. Here are my thoughts: Don't let Kombucha push water out of your cup. Drink mostly water, and only sometimes kombucha. Don't drink large volumes of liquid during or right before meals (this dilutes stomach acid making it harder to digest. And, if it's cold, makes your body work even harder to warm it up) Personally, I have about 4oz per day, diluted with mineral water but occasionally I'll have twice that or more. If you are new to kombucha, start off small, as you might experience die-off or digestive distress at first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Ramona Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Personally, I have about 4oz per day, diluted with mineral water but occasionally I'll have twice that or more. If you are new to kombucha, start off small, as you might experience die-off or digestive distress at first. Die off?? I don't know what that is but it doesn't sound good! Googling now.... OK, so this seems to make sense but, in your opinion, is this a good explanation of die-off?: http://scdlifestyle.com/2012/06/5-die-off-myths-everyone-needs-to-know-about/ P.S. thank you for the thoughtful response to my question! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmary Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Die off?? I don't know what that is but it doesn't sound good! Googling now.... OK, so this seems to make sense but, in your opinion, is this a good explanation of die-off?: http://scdlifestyle.com/2012/06/5-die-off-myths-everyone-needs-to-know-about/ Yes, I think this describes it pretty well. In the case of kombucha, you are adding to your gut flora (essentially adding probiotics to your diet), which might mean a shift in the balance of bacteria, etc. To be honest, the worst I've heard is someone getting diarrhea for a day or two. Starting with a smaller amount should avoid that entirely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam_Trainor101 Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 I have been searching forums and websites about this question. Is Kombucha bad for you? What are the side affects of Kombucha? But everyone I have been reading is pretty much all the health benefits. I don't think it is necessarily bad for you. After ready peoples "success stories" and how they feel after drinking Kombucha its all been positive. I think @vian covered very good points about drinking the tea. The gut already has bacteria and Kombucha can help this bacteria and clear the gut and aid in digestion. Its been going for years and years, I am sure by now if it was dangerous it would have been found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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