I reviewed the studies on kombucha a few years ago for one of my podcasts in 2014.
Here is an excerpt from my script for the podcast:
The story behind this fermented beverage being unsafe comes from a few cases of severe illness reported to the Iowa Dept of Public Health back in 1995. These were 2 women who became unconscious, and were in respiratory distress. They were found to have altered acidity in their blood. One woman died, and the other woman underwent cardiac arrest, but survived. They were from the same geographic region, and both had been drinking what sounds like a reasonable amount of Kombucha tea. They both were brewing it themselves, and they both used the same Mushroom.
At the time, the FDA investigated and could not identify specific pathogens in the tea that may have caused their illnesses.
Fast forward to 2013. I could hardly find any information or warnings re Kombucha until this article in 2013, in the Journal of Environ Health.
This article reviews the reports of these ill women in 1995. IT appears that they had recently increased the amount of Kombucha that they were drinking. They also had underlying illnesses that made them more susceptible to health problems from drinking very acidic beverages. They also may have over-fermented the tea, causing the tea to have a pH of under 2.5, which is not safe for some people.
According to this article,
The main health concerns with making Kombucha are:
1. Growth of pathogens in the tea, esp if not pasteurized. The Kombucha needs to be fermented to a pH of >2.5 but <4.2. If fermentation is over 4.5, they are more at risk for botulism
2. Excessive fermentation with a pH of under 2.5- this would be too acidic to drink for many people, esp if they are at risk for lactic acidosis. Just as a comparison, the pH of straight vinegar is about 2.2, Lemon juice is 2.0, and battery acid is 1.0.
3. If it is not pasteurized at the end of fermentation, it can develop mold, so the recommendation is to keep it refrigerated if it has not been pasteurized when purchased or made at home.
4. They suggest drinking no more than 4 oz a day because of the risk of acidosis. People who are immunocompromised should not drink it
So therefore it should be fine to drink if nursing, just limit the volumes. It would be safest to get a bottled version that has been pasteurized
Anne
Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM
Clinical Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Medical Director, UW Lactation Services
Medical Director, Mothers Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes
Founder and President of The Milk Mob, dedicated to building Breastfeeding Friendly Medical Systems and Communities
Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2017 11:06:58 -0600
From: Sheena Carnes <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: kombucha
It has a very minute, maybe trace amount of alcohol. It is a fermented
beverage with both beneficial bacteria and yeast. I do not understand how
this is an issue with BF when the mother's body will process it first and it is not given directly to the baby.
*Sheena Carnes*
On Thu, Jan 19, 2017 at 8:55 AM, Pat Young <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I read Wikipedia re: kombacha and it wasn't very reassuring. Health
> benefits are not proven, but widely touted. Can be contaminated if
> homemade. Tell her real tea (black or green ) is a better choice.
> :-) Pat in SNJ
>
>
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