Kombucha is a fermented, healthy tea that you prepare by mixing green or black tea with sugar, and a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCBY). It is known to improve your child’s immunity. However, it contains alcohol. The fermentation of the beverage takes about one week, and fermentation also can produce 0.5% alcohol content within the probiotic beverage. In this article, we will discuss whether Kombucha is safe for kids or not, and how it can benefit kids.
In this article:
15 Health Benefits Of Kombucha For Kids
Can Kids Drink Kombucha?
7 Side-effects Of Kombucha On Kids
7 Safety Tips To Follow While Giving Kombucha To Kids
15 Health Benefits Of Kombucha For Kids
Improves Digestion
Naturally fermented probiotics within the Kombucha promote the growth of beneficial micro-organisms and aid in maintaining healthy gut flora of kids. Kombucha breaks nutrients into easily digestible elements, and improves the absorption of minerals, like iron, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, calcium, and zinc. These minerals help in boosting digestion.
Prevents Depression
By including Kombucha in your kid’s diet, you’ll help improve your child’s mental clarity, stabilize his moods, and fight depression and anxiety problems. This power drink contains vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. These vitamins help your kid combat depression and improve their concentration abilities significantly.
Detoxifies The Body
Being a natural detoxifier, Kombucha promotes detoxification. It is rich in several enzymes and bacterial acids and minimizes the load on the pancreas and liver. Also, the glucuronic acid content in Kombucha binds to the toxins present in the body and promotes their smooth excretion through intestines or kidneys.
Prevents Risk Of Cancer
The glucaric acid content in Kombucha prevents the risk of cancer in children. Kombucha can possibly cure cancer in the absence of any radiation or chemotherapy.
Promotes Cellular Health And Immunity
Kombucha is a rich source of powerful antioxidants and organic acids, like glucuronic acid, that promotes cellular health. Antioxidants protect the body from oxidative damage by neutralizing free radicals and preventing inflammations and ailments. Also, high antioxidant content boosts your kid’s immunity substantially.
Treats Gastric Ulcers
If your child suffers from gastric ulcers, drinking Kombucha can give him great relief. Antioxidants and phenols within the fermented tea aid in safeguarding the mucin content (which could lead to cancer) present within the gastric tissues, reduce the formation of the surplus of gastric acids and cure gastric ulcers quickly.
Healthy Nervous System
Kombucha promotes the smooth functioning of your child’s nervous system. The fermented tea is rich in vitamin C, vitamin B9 and B vitamins, amino acids, methylxanthine, and alkaloids, hence working well against epilepsy, nervous disorders, stroke, and headache in kids effectively.
Increases Energy And Decreases Sugar Cravings
Kombucha is a natural energy booster. It also helps in regulating your child’s sugar cravings, which help in controlling weight. It helps in curbing soft drink cravings too.
Improves Eyesight
Kombucha helps enhance your kid’s eyesight. The tea helps within the removal of floaters (which are spots in vision).
Cures Anemia
Organic acids within the Kombucha convert the plant’s iron compound into divalent iron ions, thus making iron from the plant sources available to humans. Also, Kombucha is rich in vitamin C, which aids in iron absorption substantially. Drinking the fermented tea on a daily basis will help boost hemoglobin count and treat the symptoms of anemia, like fatigue and dizziness.
Prevents Joint Problems
Kombucha treats joints related problems and joint damage in kids. Glucosamine in Kombucha increases the production of synovial hyaluronic acid, which supports the preservation of cartilage and joint collagen, and prevents pain.
Treats Microbial Infections
The anti-microbial properties of Kombucha work against pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella and E Coli, and cure infections. The tea is rich in organic and acetic acids, enzymes, proteins, and bacteriocins that provide your child with anti-microbial benefits to enjoy healthiness.
May Promote Liver Health
Kombucha is known to improve liver health due to its ability to detoxify the body. So drinking Kombucha may reduce the work your kid’s liver has to do.
May Play A Role In Lowering Blood Sugar
Drinking Kombucha benefits kids who are insulin resistant or have diabetes. The tea can inhibit α-amylase, which is basically a protein in the pancreas that’s responsible for higher postprandial (after meal) glucose levels.
May Help Boost Metabolism
If your kid has gained weight and it isn’t healthy for them, then you’ll likely consider anything that’ll jump-start their metabolism. Kombucha isn’t a miracle weight loss drink. But the epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) found in the green tea of some types of Kombucha may be a secret to a slightly faster metabolism.
Can Kids Drink Kombucha?
Though Kombucha is safe for kids, you ought to give it to them only after consulting your physician to avoid its side effects. Some of the potential side effects of having an excess of Kombucha are listed below.
7 Side-effects Of Kombucha On Kids
Diarrhea And Bloating
Drinking excessive Kombucha can cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Children respond to different drinks in different ways. Heartburns, ulcers, and other gastrointestinal disorders are also some of the consequences. Consult your physician for the specified dosage of the tea is often beneficial.
Lightheadedness
Children can experience lightheadedness after drinking Kombucha. Kombucha consumed in excess can cause dizziness, a significant drop in the blood pressure, urination, shortness of breath, throat tightness, liver inflammation, nausea, and vomiting.
Changed Appetitive Behaviors
You prepare Kombucha by brewing black tea and sugar, so it contains about 0.5% alcohol. Even though this is often a negligible amount, it’s wise to exercise caution as having excess Kombucha increases alcohol intake which may put your child at risk. Caffeine levels in the fermented tea, if high, can cause fluctuation in sugar levels, anxiety disorders, and discomfort in kids.
Calcium Depletion
Excess consumption can cause calcium depletion in children because it binds itself to body essential minerals. Increasing your child’s calcium intake can counterbalance the effect.
Affects The Immune System
Small amounts of untamed yeasts or pathogenic bacteria in Kombucha can affect your child’s immunity adversely if he has a weak immune system. So, make sure you don’t rely entirely on Kombucha to enhance your kid’s health. Ensure your child eats healthy foods daily.
Cold And Flu
Kombucha can make your child hyperactive. This drink also increases the frequency of cold and flu in kids. An average child may suffer from cold four to ten times each year. In addition to this, your kid may become susceptible to high fevers, skin disorders, and asthma.
Kombucha Can Have Caffeine
Caffeine can make it hard for both kids and adults alike to fall asleep. Kombucha is made from tea, which implies that there will definitely be caffeine present inside the beverage. However, it can be dangerous for kids if the caffeine intake becomes excess, therefore this may not be the best beverage choice for them to select.
7 Safety Tips To Follow While Giving Kombucha To Kids
Not all hope is lost because you can avoid the adverse effects by following certain safety tips as follows:
- Choose to give store-bought Kombucha tea instead of home-brewed concoction as home-made Kombucha may be contaminated, prove risky, and lack quality than industry-made tea.
- Initially, begin to give one tablespoon of the fermented tea and then increase the intake if your kid suffers from no adverse reaction.
- Store the Kombucha by following the instructions on the purchased bottle from the stores.
- You can dilute Kombucha to reduce its strength if you think it would be too strong for your child.
- Kombucha in sparing quantities counterbalances dehydration.
- Provide your child with a balanced, nutritious diet every day.
- If your child does not respond well to Kombucha, stop giving it to them immediately.
A Word Of Caution:
Do not give Kombucha tea to babies as they have an underdeveloped gastrointestinal system. And in general, be very careful while giving your kids Kombucha. Always consult a doctor before giving anything to your kids.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6356548/
https://www.lebonheur.org/blogs/practical-parenting/is-kombucha-safe-for-kids/
