Hi, my name is Lindsay and I am a recovering kombucha addict ("Hi Lindsay")
I recently overcame my addiction to kombucha and discovered that there's a lot more behind the fermented tea everyone loves than meets the eye (and not in a good way).
The Addiction Begins
My addiction started over the summer. I didn't know much about kombucha except that it is full of healthy bacteria that are awesome for your stomach and that the bottles were cute. That was enough for me to decide to try it.
At first, I felt like a new person. I've always had stomach issues (thanks anxiety!), but after only a few sips, my stomach immediately seemed to chill. From then on, I would sip away whenever I felt nauseous. I had become a believer.
Too Much Of A Good Thing?
Kombucha was so delicious, refreshing and healing for my stomach that, just like a drug, I became addicted. It got to the point where everyday I would drink at least a bottle, if not more, and usually in a short amount of time.
Slowly but surely, my stomach began to turn on me.
The magical fermented tea no longer eased my stomach, but instead seemed to induce the nausea. I remember feeling funny every time I took a sip, but didn't think much of it. The kombucha used to help, so I kept on drinking.
Soon after, I started experiencing serious acid reflux, to the point where medicine didn't really help. It never crossed my mind that kombucha could've been the trigger.
The Intervention
When did I finally come to the conclusion that kombucha might've been the culprit? When I started throwing up stomach acid. Yes, that's right, stomach acid. I woke up one morning nauseous as ever and started puking clear liquid and for three days straight, I felt like I was dying.
I became scared that something was seriously wrong. The rest of the summer became filled with endless doctor visits, a handful of blood tests, and never ending sleep to make the nausea go away. But after all of that, nobody knew what was wrong, which in turn, freaked me out more. My own doctor had no clue what was happening with me.
My mom was just as concerned and scared as I was. Once my blood tests came back clear, she began looking up the effects of kombucha. We found pretty quickly that there is very little information about it, but it's super important to know.
Kombucha's Silent Side Effects
First off, we found out that kombucha has a lot of caffeine (it is fermented black tea, after all), which in turn can make it super acidic. I should've known this, but no one really talks about it. There is no warning on kombucha labels about caffeine, and honestly, when I think of tea, I don't think of caffeine. But it's there! If you have IBS or any digestive issues, kombucha can make them worse when consumed in large amounts.
Second, it contains good bacteria, but there can be too much of a good thing. Drinking too much kombucha can lead to yeast infections, gas and bloating, nausea and can potentially lead to bacteremia (when bacteria enters your bloodstream).
Finally, if you have a weakened immune system (like I did at the time), drinking kombucha can actually support the growth of bacteria in a not-so-good way, which can lead to further infections.
I immediately stopped drinking kombucha, and the symptoms vanished. I couldn't believe that my favorite drink that had once helped to alleviate my nausea was now the cause of my pain.
Now, I try to stay away from kombucha as much as I can. I'll admit, sometimes I sneak in a sip or two, but I know it's too easy to fall back into it - old habits die hard. What I took away from this whole experience was that there can be too much of a good thing and that moderation is key.
So for the sake of my health, I've said sayonara to my favorite drink.