I am writing in regards to Elizabeth Bommarito’s “Snake oil: Is Kombucha a health miracle or a malady?” [March 1].
When comparing Kombucha to a soda beverage, which this piece attempts to do at the beginning, it is important to note that soda beverages contain more than twice the sugar and a whole lot of acid.
Kombucha contains alkaline-forming acids. This means that when digested these acids have an alkaline (base) effect on the body. Soda acid is not alkaline-forming.
Bommarito refers to probiotics as a benefit as though they were just some extra vitamin. The probiotic of value in most Kombuchas is Saccharomyces boulardii. It is a yeast that has been proven to attack pathogenic bacteria as well as candida.
Folks with yeast infections (and cancer) crave sugar because sugar is what candida and cancer feed on. Sugar helps cancer grow. When the probiotic S. boulardii eats candida sugar cravings are reduced. Does this impact cancer growth and to what degree? I don’t know, I’m a student and have to get back to my homework.
Terminally ill folks may have a bad reaction to S. boulardii and therefore shouldn’t drink Kombucha. However, the average consumer of pop would be much better off with a Kombucha. Less sugar, less acid, less pathogenic bacteria.
Thanks for letting me clear up a few points that this article missed.
Cordially,
Robert Thompson
PSU Student