Re: Hygiene hypothesis--Kombucha Asthma Cure??

[Guest guest]

Thanks for posting this. I think the article is probably mostly right based on

what recently happened to me.

2-weeks ago, I tried homemade Kombucha tea made according to the recipe below:

http://www.organic-kombucha.com/kombucha_brewing_recipes.html

My friend's wife makes the stuff and she asked me to try it and I had a glass.

Up to this point, I rely on 4-puffs of 220 mcg Flo-vent (long-lasting steroid)

and 10-puffs of 90 mcg Ventolin (rescue inhaler) per day to control my severe

asthma.

The next day, I noticed that I had not been using my rescue inhaler very much

and guessed that the Kombucha tea may have had something to do with it, so I

went to the local organic market and stocked up. Since then, I have been

drinking 1/2 a bottle per day and my med use has declined to zero Flo-vent and

one puff of Ventolin per day. This is going to save me about $250 per month in

prescription costs.

Kombucha tea apparently contains a complex mix of human friendly bacteria yeast

and amino acids. Perhaps it imitates the good bugs and slime that we don't get

in our hyper-clean modern life. I don't really care, but it is working so far

for me.

I am still doing the flonase nose spray for the polyps, but will test weaning

off that in a few months time.

[Guest guest]

Sounds reasonable...I will try it as well.!

>

> Thanks for posting this. I think the article is probably mostly right based

on what recently happened to me.

>

> 2-weeks ago, I tried homemade Kombucha tea made according to the recipe below:

>

> http://www.organic-kombucha.com/kombucha_brewing_recipes.html

>

> My friend's wife makes the stuff and she asked me to try it and I had a glass.

Up to this point, I rely on 4-puffs of 220 mcg Flo-vent (long-lasting steroid)

and 10-puffs of 90 mcg Ventolin (rescue inhaler) per day to control my severe

asthma.

>

> The next day, I noticed that I had not been using my rescue inhaler very much

and guessed that the Kombucha tea may have had something to do with it, so I

went to the local organic market and stocked up. Since then, I have been

drinking 1/2 a bottle per day and my med use has declined to zero Flo-vent and

one puff of Ventolin per day. This is going to save me about $250 per month in

prescription costs.

>

> Kombucha tea apparently contains a complex mix of human friendly bacteria

yeast and amino acids. Perhaps it imitates the good bugs and slime that we

don't get in our hyper-clean modern life. I don't really care, but it is

working so far for me.

>

> I am still doing the flonase nose spray for the polyps, but will test weaning

off that in a few months time.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,Thanks for posting the Kombucha idea. Kombucha is not formally defined, but analysis of Kombucha tea has showed that is rich in bacteria and yeasts which are left to ferment in the tea for several days, even weeks. The premise of drinking Kombucha tea is that the action of these germs may have an antibiotic effect on whatever pathogenic germs are in the body.As a concept, this theory is not impossible ; in fact, it is well-known that a great many germs produce toxins that are harmful to other germs, which allows them to compete against each other. In fact, several antibiotics are derived in such a way (e.g. penicillin).In the particular case of Kombucha, only very few studies exist to prove antibiotic activity.At the same time, some cases of acute toxicity are reported, but studies on mice suggest this toxicity may be conditional.-----------------J BUON. 2008 Jul-Sep;13(3):395-401.Antiproliferative and antimicrobial activity of traditional Kombucha and Satureja montana L. Kombucha.Cetojevic-Simin DD, Bogdanovic GM, Cvetkovic DD, Velicanski AS.Oncology Institute of Vojvodina, Sremska Kamenica, Serbia. dagger@...AbstractPURPOSE: To carry out a preliminary investigation of the biological activity of Kombucha beverages from Camellia sinensis L. (black tea) and Satureja montana L. (winter savory tea), that have consuming acidity.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cell growth effect was measured by sulforhodamine B colorimetric assay on HeLa (cervix epithelioid carcinoma), HT-29 (colon adenocarcinoma), and MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma). Antimicrobial activity to bacteria, yeasts and moulds was determined by agar-well diffusion method.RESULTS: Consuming Kombuchas had the most expressive antimicrobial activity against all investigated bacteria, except Sarcina lutea, while unfermented tea samples had no activity. Traditional Kombucha showed higher activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli than acetic acid, while both neutralized Kombuchas had bacteriostatic activity on Salmonella enteritidis. Examined Kombuchas did not stimulate cell proliferation of the investigated cell lines. Antiproliferative activity of winter savory tea Kombucha was comparable to that of traditional Kombucha made from black tea. Furthermore, in HeLa cell line Satureja montana L. Kombucha induced cell growth inhibition by 20% (IC20) at lower concentration compared to the activity of water extract of Satureja montana L. obtained in our previous research.CONCLUSION: Presence of more active antiproliferative component(s) in Satureja montana L. Kombucha compared to Satureja montana L. water extract and antimicrobial component(s) other than acetic acid in both Kombuchas is suggested.J Intensive Care Med. 2009 May-Jun;24(3):205-7.A case of Kombucha tea toxicity.SungHee Kole A, HD, Christensen R, Gladstein J.Division of Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pharmacy Services, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA. alison.kole@...AbstractINTRODUCTION: Kombucha "mushroom'' tea is touted to have medicinal properties. Here, we present a case of hyperthermia, lactic acidosis, and acute renal failure within 15 hours of Kombucha tea ingestion.CASE PRESENTATION: A 22 year old male, newly diagnosed with HIV, became short of breath and febrile to 103.0F, within twelve hours of Kombucha tea ingestion. He subsequently became combative and confused, requiring sedation and intubation for airway control. Laboratories revealed a lactate of 12.9 mmol/L, and serum creatinine of 2.1 mg/dL.DISCUSSION: Kombucha tea is black tea fermented in a yeast-bacteria medium. Several case reports exist of serious, and sometimes fatal, hepatic dysfunction and lactic acidosis within close proximity to ingestion.CONCLUSION: While Kombucha tea is considered a healthy elixir, the limited evidence currently available raises considerable concern that it may pose serious health risks. Consumption of this tea should be discouraged, as it may be associated with life-threatening lactic acidosis.Med J Aust. 1998 Dec 7-21;169(11-12):644-6.Lead poisoning from drinking Kombucha tea brewed in a ceramic pot.Phan TG, Estell J, Duggin G, Beer I, D, Ferson MJ.Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW. gduggin@...Comment in:Med J Aust. 1999 May 3;170(9):454.AbstractKombucha tea is an alternative therapy that is gaining popularity as a remedy for a diverse range of ailments. We report two cases of symptomatic lead poisoning requiring chelation therapy in a married couple who had been drinking Kombucha tea for six months, brewing the tea in a ceramic pot. We postulate that acids in the tea eluted lead from the glaze pigment used in the ceramic pot, in a manner analogous to elution of lead from crystal decanters by wine and spirits.Biomed Environ Sci. 2001 Sep;14(3):207-13.Studies on toxicity, anti-stress and hepato-protective properties of Kombucha tea.ine T, Dipti P, Anju B, Kavimani S, Sharma SK, Kain AK, Sarada SK, Sairam M, Ilavazhagan G, Devendra K, Selvamurthy W.Defence Institute of Physiology Allied Sciences, Timarpur, Lucknow Road, Delhi-110054, India.AbstractOBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to evaluate toxicity, anti-stress activity and hepato-protective properties of Kombucha tea.METHOD: Kombucha tea was fed orally for 15 days using three different doses i.e. normal dose, five and ten times the dose. Rats were then sacrificed and various biochemical, and histological parameters were estimated. Anti-stress activity was evaluated either by 1) by exposing animals to cold and hypoxia and estimating the levels of malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione in plasma/blood or 2) by subjecting the animals to restraint stress and recording faecal output. Hepato-toxicity was induced by challenging the animals to an acute dose of paracetamol (1 gm/kg) orally and determining the plasma levels of SGPT, SGOT and MDA.RESULTS: The effect of oral administration of different doses of K-tea to albino rats was examined and the results indicate that K-tea has no significant toxicity as revealed by various biochemical and histopathological parameters. K-tea has been found to prevent lipid peroxidation and fall in reduced glutathione level when rats were exposed to cold and hypoxia in simulated chamber. Further, K-tea has also been found to decrease the Wrap-restraint faecal pellet output in rats. K-tea has also been found to decrease paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity significantly.CONCLUSION: The study shows that K-tea has anti-stress and hepato-protective activities.Nutrition. 2000 Sep;16(9):755-61.Effects of chronic kombucha ingestion on open-field behaviors, longevity, appetitive behaviors, and organs in c57-bl/6 mice: a pilot study.Hartmann AM, Burleson LE, Holmes AK, Geist CR.Department of Psychology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-6480, USA.AbstractKombucha is a lightly fermented tea beverage popularly consumed as a self-prescribed folk-remedy for numerous ailments. Kombucha is claimed to enhance cognition, aid weight loss, and prolong life. This pilot study reports longevity, general health, and open-field exploratory behavioral outcomes from a 3-y longitudinal study of 64 C57-BL/6 mice (males and females), half of which chronically drank kombucha, and all of which experienced natural mortality. Compared by MANOVA to controls, mice that drank kombucha showed greater vertical exploration (P = 0.001) and a sex-interactive effect in novel object manipulation (P = 0.049). MANOVA of kombucha-drinking mice compared to controls detected differences in appetitive behaviors (food consumption, P < 0.001; beverage consumption, P = 0. 008), and gross body weight (P < 0.001). Appetitive behaviors changed with the addition of voluntary exercise on a running wheel, with differing patterns of change noted for males and females. Both male and female mice who drank kombucha lived longer than controls (P < 0.001), with the greatest variability among the male mice (sex interactive effect, P < 0.001). Comparable effects and mechanisms in humans remain uncertain, as do health safety issues, because serious health problems and fatalities have been reported and attributed to drinking kombucha.> >> > Thanks for posting this. I think the article is probably mostly right based on what recently happened to me.> > > > 2-weeks ago, I tried homemade Kombucha tea made according to the recipe below:> > > > http://www.organic-kombucha.com/kombucha_brewing_recipes.html> > > > My friend's wife makes the stuff and she asked me to try it and I had a glass. Up to this point, I rely on 4-puffs of 220 mcg Flo-vent (long-lasting steroid) and 10-puffs of 90 mcg Ventolin (rescue inhaler) per day to control my severe asthma.> > > > The next day, I noticed that I had not been using my rescue inhaler very much and guessed that the Kombucha tea may have had something to do with it, so I went to the local organic market and stocked up. Since then, I have been drinking 1/2 a bottle per day and my med use has declined to zero Flo-vent and one puff of Ventolin per day. This is going to save me about $250 per month in prescription costs.> > > > Kombucha tea apparently contains a complex mix of human friendly bacteria yeast and amino acids. Perhaps it imitates the good bugs and slime that we don't get in our hyper-clean modern life. I don't really care, but it is working so far for me.> > > > I am still doing the flonase nose spray for the polyps, but will test weaning off that in a few months time.> > > > > >>