• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Berkeley Accupunture Header Logo
opens in a new window
opens in a new window
opens in a new window
opens in a new window

Call 510.883.0383

opens phone dialer
NEW PATIENTS
opens in a new windowMAKE AN APPOINTMENT
  • Home
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Acupuncture
  • Fertility
  • Chinese Herbal Medicine
  • Telemedicine Services
  • Chronic Pain
  • Blog
  • Contact

June 2, 2016 by Christina Martin

Andrew Weil blasts KOMBUCHA, is he right?

I love Kombucha! I drink it as much as I can and when my wallet will allow. Let’s face it, it isn’t the cheapest, but if you compare it to a Starbuck’s or Peet’s drink then it could actually save you money and it’s way better for you… or is it?

I recently stumbled upon a blurb from Andrew Weil that said he does NOT drink and won’t for myriad reasons. Here’s what he said…

“I don’t recommend kombucha tea at all. I know of no scientific studies backing up the health claims made for it. Beyond that, there’s evidence that kombucha tea may have some antibiotic activity. If so, by drinking the tea you could be unnecessarily taking antibiotics, which could encourage development of resistant strains of bacteria…

There have also been reports in the medical literature of adverse reactions including nausea, vomiting and headaches among those who drink more than four ounces of kombucha tea daily. Allergic reactions, jaundice and head and neck pain have also been reported. I would particularly caution pregnant women, nursing mothers, the elderly, children and anyone with a compromised immune system against drinking kombucha tea.”

What Dr Weil says could make sense from a Chinese medicine perspective and here’s why… In Chinese Medicine or in the practice of acupuncture, we treat each ‘body’ individually, no two people are the same! For example, if three people have hypertension, the needle placement (acupuncture) and herbal prescription could be and most times is completely different.

So, with that in mind, since kombucha is a remedy for detoxification (liver), if you will… and three people drink it, they could have completely different experiences. A very common phenomenon in Chinese medicine is a stagnated liver; stress, insomnia, headaches, nausea, PMS, allergies, tight shoulders (exactly what Dr Weil mentions above). If someone with an extremely stagnated liver drank kombucha those properties of the kombucha would be trying to heal the liver, so it might kick things up a bit while it’s trying to harmonize and balance. It sounds counterintuitive, but this process is a positive thing and points to what we sometimes call a ‘healing crisis’. It’s true these symptoms are undesirable and uncomfortable and if they are happening, there certainly is a deeper imbalance present, the individual should investigate a more appropriate treatment like acupuncture and herbal medicine to get things balanced faster and without the discomfort. So, we could actually treat this healing crisis as a gathering of information and diagnosis.

What is your experience with kombucha? Like it? Love it? Hate it?

In Health,

Christina Martin

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine

Tao to Wellness

christina@berkeley-acupuncture.comcreate new email

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: acupuncture, Andrew Weil, Berkeley, Kombucha, Tao to wellness

Primary Sidebar

Categories

Tao to Wellness - Berkeley Acupuncture

Tao to Wellness - Berkeley Acupuncture for Fertility, Back Pain and Health
809 Hearst Ave.
Berkeley CA, 94710
Call 510.883.0383opens phone dialer

  • Acupuncture for IVF
  • Acupuncture for Pregnancy
  • Male Fertility and Acupuncture
  • Acupuncture for Fertility: Case Study
  • Postnatal Recovery and Traditional Chinese Medicine

opens in a new window
opens in a new window
opens in a new window

© Copyright 2021 - Tao to Wellness - Site by WebStuff

Privacy Policy | Using Insurance to Pay for Acupuncture | Acupuncture First Time

Acupuncture for Pregnancy

Acupuncture for Back Pain

Acupuncture for Anxiety

Acupuncture for Digestive Issues

Acupuncture for Depression

Telemedicine Services

MENU
  • Home
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Acupuncture
  • Fertility
  • Chinese Herbal Medicine
  • Telemedicine Services
  • Chronic Pain
  • Blog
  • Contact