Can you tolerate Kombucha?

[Huie83]

My girlfriend drinks either Kevita or GTS brand Kombucha every day and likes the way it makes her feel. I've had IBS like symptoms on and off for a few years now (generally under control) and she convinced me to try it to see if it would help at all. Some people report it helping a lot with IBS.

I started with 8 oz ( half a bottle) for a few days and seemed fine, it actually made me feel good, energized. After about a week I noticed my stomach was always bubbly and I started to get what I can only describe as a gross stomach, like I had to use the bathroom 3-4 times a day. I stopped drinking it about a week ago and everything returned to normal after about 3 days being off it.

Today I decided to try a different flavor, drinking maybe 3-4 oz. Now mid day I'm starting to feel gross again.

Anyone else have issues like this with Kombucha? Did you have to ween yourself onto it, if so, how did you do it?

 

[racin4ds]

What in the world is it? (yes I'm too lazy to google it right now)

 

[Lolvoguy]

Personally I'd avoid GTS or any other major branded Kombucha.
The main reason, is the increased sugar over their previous recipe (the main reason for your "energized" feeling).
We used to drink it too, but gave up about 2 years ago over the high sugar content.
Seriously, you may as well drink a Coke/Pepsi.

If you want something that'll actually work on your IBS, and is not just a fizzy sugar drink try some bone broth.
I'd strongly recommend making your own over the store bought stuff, which is mostly watered-down to the point that it's practically beef/chicken scented water.

 

[Huie83]

Originally Posted by racin4ds
What in the world is it? (yes I'm too lazy to google it right now)

It's a fermented tea drink that contains probiotics.

 

[Alfred_B]

I don't have issues like that except when I ingest scobi material. I brew my own and scobies after I bottle it.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

One step removed from homeopathy.

 

[Huie83]

Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Personally I'd avoid GTS or any other major branded Kombucha.
The main reason, is the increased sugar over their previous recipe (the main reason for your "energized" feeling).
We used to drink it too, but gave up about 2 years ago over the high sugar content.
Seriously, you may as well drink a Coke/Pepsi.

If you want something that'll actually work on your IBS, and is not just a fizzy sugar drink try some bone broth.
I'd strongly recommend making your own over the store bought stuff, which is mostly watered-down to the point that it's practically beef/chicken scented water.


Good to know, thank you. I have read about bone broth and have been real tempted to supplement my food intake with it. Supposedly its very healing to the gut.

 

[Huie83]

Originally Posted by Alfred_B
I don't have issues like that except when I ingest scobi material. I brew my own and scobies after I bottle it.


Are you referring to the floaties in the bottle? I'm not sure how you wouldn't consume some of that, some of it floats up as you take swigs.

 

[Huie83]

Originally Posted by Yah-Tah-Hey
One step removed from homeopathy.


I'm not sure if this comment is meant to be good or bad. All I can say is when you suffer from a issue that has no real cure and modern GI doc's have pretty much no idea how to treat, you'll try a lot just to see what helps. I can tell you that probiotics helped get me back on track and a pretty strict diet keeps be flare up free for the most part.

My issues started after a round of antibiotics that my body didn't agree with.

 

[diyjake]

Originally Posted by Huie83
Originally Posted by racin4ds
What in the world is it? (yes I'm too lazy to google it right now)

It's a fermented tea drink that contains probiotics.


and crazy expensive for what it is.

 

[Lolvoguy]

Originally Posted by Huie83
Good to know, thank you. I have read about bone broth and have been real tempted to supplement my food intake with it. Supposedly its very healing to the gut.

It is. I think it's mostly due to the lack of collagen/gelatin that's missing from most North American diets.
I'm a firm believer that if more ppl. consumed this stuff, it would heal many common digestive issues.

Like I've mentioned in previous posts, you don't have to drink it straight. You can make a soup with it or use it in place of water when making rice/quinoa etc.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Turn you purple like George Costansa

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

I like the taste but do not ever see any perceived "benefits" of consumption. I do have an iron constitution, though, so nothing I eat fazes my digestive system. I usually feel much better after a bottle of Summer Shandy than I do after a bottle of Kombucha.

 

[SZR48207]

Originally Posted by Huie83
Originally Posted by Yah-Tah-Hey
One step removed from homeopathy.


I'm not sure if this comment is meant to be good or bad. All I can say is when you suffer from a issue that has no real cure and modern GI doc's have pretty much no idea how to treat, you'll try a lot just to see what helps. I can tell you that probiotics helped get me back on track and a pretty strict diet keeps be flare up free for the most part.

My issues started after a round of antibiotics that my body didn't agree with.


I've lived with painful ulcerative colitis for 8 years now and I actually agree with Yah about this. Of all the health food related things that could potentially help the gut, kombucha has the most inconsistent delivery and commercialization. As others have said the major brands now have a lot of sugar, home made stuff is potentially dangerous (https://examine.com/nutrition/an-update-on-kombucha-understanding-risk-and-evaluating-toxicity/), and kombucha is starting to get the 'kale treatment' where it just gets randomly added into things because it sells to the health conscious suckers.

About a month ago I was in San Diego and drank "hard kombucha" at a bar.. which is when I realized how trendy it has become.

I would say.. drink kombucha if you like it, but don't assume it's going to fix anything. You already seem to be taking probiotics so definitely stick with that, and if burbly gas or loose stools are a problem for you then avoid "healthy" foods that have excess fiber. Even though it seems counterintuitive, people with gut problems need to stick with rather 'plain' foods like rice, chicken, iceberg lettuce, and potatoes. These have minimal gut impact which helps you keep bowel control throughout the day.

 

[dbias]

I've battled crohn's disease for almost 20 years. Sugar to me is practically a poison. The bacterial flora of the gut is made up of both good and bad actors and as luck would have it sugar and a lot of over processed food feed the bad bacteria and when they over take the good bacteria then gastrointestinal upset results. The OP mentioned antibiotic use as something that caused a problem and this is pretty common as antibiotics kill bacteria and this includes the bacteria in the gut. It seems the bad bacteria recover more quickly than the good bacteria probably due to our sugar laced foods.
Probiotics and especially prebiotics are vital in maintaining the good bacteria in the body as is plenty of water and keeping stress at bay.
I'm 6'4" 275 and back in 2013 I had a severe flare of crohn's which caused rapid weight loss and my GI doctor said it was finally time for surgery (I had been begging for it for years). Over the next 9 months I had 4 surgeries, the last was the blessed reversal of the ileostomy and upon the day of my discharge from that surgery is the day I considered the first day of my recovery I weighed a whopping 140 and could have had a staring role in a holocaust movie. It almost ended my professional firefighting career.
My advice is to not look to fad foods and drinks but keep it basic and limit stress as much as possible.

 

[Shannow]

I make it, using Rooibus tea and a litlte sugar.
I very much like it, and am happy to munch on a little scoby when it grows too big....agree that the store bought stuff is WAY overpriced for what it is...I bought one and used it as a starter.

Best thing for my gut has been to start a ferment (will photo it tonight), with lebanese cucumbers, in water with a little salt and sugar. Innoculated with a single probiotic capsule, and some mother from some ACV....and grow my own probiotic snack.

Texture is a bit "howyagoing" but it's proven to be pretty good....the batch that I had going when I went to hong kong went a bit too far, but I used it to start a new batch 3 days ago, and they are just about right.

 

[heynow]

Originally Posted by Lolvoguy

We used to drink it too, but gave up about 2 years ago over the high sugar content.
Seriously, you may as well drink a Coke/Pepsi.


Have you compared the sugar content of GT's Kombucha and Coke/Pepsi?
If so, I don't think you would have stated the above.
Less than 10g sugar in Gt's vs 40g for soda.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by dbias
I'm 6'4" 275 and back in 2013 I had a severe flare of crohn's which caused rapid weight loss and my GI doctor said it was finally time for surgery (I had been begging for it for years). Over the next 9 months I had 4 surgeries, the last was the blessed reversal of the ileostomy and upon the day of my discharge from that surgery is the day I considered the first day of my recovery I weighed a whopping 140 and could have had a staring role in a holocaust movie. It almost ended my professional firefighting career.
My advice is to not look to fad foods and drinks but keep it basic and limit stress as much as possible.
Half your weight?! How did you survive?

I'm sure they could have found use for you as a human ladder!

 

[Lolvoguy]

Originally Posted by heynow
Have you compared the sugar content of GT's Kombucha and Coke/Pepsi?
If so, I don't think you would have stated the above.
Less than 10g sugar in Gt's vs 40g for soda.

Sorry, I'm not a regular soda drinker.
Anything as sweet as GT's drink might as well be soda.
I don't see the benefit (other than taking away sales from conventional pop) of additional sugar over their original formulation.

If you know of other health benefits I'm missing, I'm all ears.

 

[bubbatime]

Whats wrong with drinking tall glasses of water all day long? Its almost free, and its the ideal drink. Shrug?

Soda, pop, energy drinks, sugary teas, sugary coffees, are not good for you.