The Nuance
Can Kombucha Make You Sick?
Kombucha is healthy, but you should know what you’re getting into
Every week, the Nuance will go beyond the basics, offering a deep and researched look at the latest science and expert insights on a buzzed-about health topic.
Kombucha is a fermented tea made with a combination of bacteria and yeasts. Its origins are disputed, but some scholarship claims it was first consumed in Northern China around 5,000 years ago. Prized then for its “detoxifying” properties, kombucha may have gotten its current name from a fifth century physician named Kombu who purportedly used it to cure the digestive problems of a Japanese emperor.
Flash forward 1,600 years, and kombucha has become the darling drink of many health-minded Americans. Its bacteria and yeast populations are thought to bolster the health of the gut’s microbiome — the disparate community of microorganisms that dwell in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and appear to play a role in a person’s risk for conditions ranging from autoimmune disorders to depression.
But while many people think of kombucha (and other fermented foods) as “probiotic” — meaning the microorganisms they contain provide some health perk — that term isn’t technically accurate. “You can’t really call it a probiotic…
