what age would you give kombucha?

[tolovemercy]

DS2 is turning one this week and has just been introduced to the joys of sippy cups. He enjoys water, but I was contemplating adding a tablespoon or two of water kefir or kombucha--how early is too early?

[dogmom327]

I think it's a really personal decision. I think you'll find most people don't want to give it in any great quantity until their children are old enough to articulate how it makes them feel (better able to watch for detox reaction that way). But small amounts aren't likely to be problematic as long as you watch them carefully. I've let DS (21 mo) have very small sips of mine. It's partially practical since he wants whatever I'm drinking and I already have to turn him down when I'm having a glass of wine.

[tanyalynn]

I've read not to give relatively large quantities, say a cup a day, to younger kids, less than 4-ish, because the bacterial mix it promotes is more adult than child-like. I'd give my kids a tablespoon a day, that seems fairly small (assuming you don't have chronic and/or unexplained health issues that don't know what the cause is--for the toxin mobilization issue). That said--kids who are having trouble with mobilized toxins get cranky IME (we're working on said chronic health issues) so watch for sleep issues, irritability, stuff like that, if you're concerned.

[TzippityDoulah]

as long as I knew the kombucha was healthy and good (meaning I knew where it came from) I would be fine with a few Tbsps in a glas of water or juice. I'm not personally comfortable with giving a cup or two a day to a 1 yr old.

[guestmama9904]

Originally Posted by TanyaLopez

I've read not to give relatively large quantities, say a cup a day, to younger kids, less than 4-ish, because the bacterial mix it promotes is more adult than child-like. I'd give my kids a tablespoon a day, that seems fairly small (assuming you don't have chronic and/or unexplained health issues that don't know what the cause is--for the toxin mobilization issue). That said--kids who are having trouble with mobilized toxins get cranky IME (we're working on said chronic health issues) so watch for sleep issues, irritability, stuff like that, if you're concerned.

what is toxin mobilization? like toxins getting "stuck"? i give kombucha to my kids but they are 6 and 7. they both will drink a whole glass maybe once a week, sometimes more.

[tanyalynn]

what is toxin mobilization? like toxins getting "stuck"? i give kombucha to my kids but they are 6 and 7. they both will drink a whole glass maybe once a week, sometimes more.

People can run into problems if they have an imbalance between the amount of toxins mobilized (for me and the kids it's a lot of heavy metals, mostly mercury and arsenic, but we've probably got a wide range of substances I've come into contact with in the past 20 years and haven't been able to excrete) and the bandwidth we have to excrete them.

Most adults, it seems, can buy a bottle of kombucha and drink it and feel fine--my guess based on reading here. For people with health issues due to a high toxic load, like me, drinking that much kombucha could draw out a lot of whatever our personal toxins are into circulation in our bloodstreams. But that's not enough to actually get them out, there are chemical processes that are needed after that point (the liver's job is to detoxify things, make them into chemicals that we can pee or poop out-- I clearly talk with children a lot) and if a lot more toxins are suddenly circulating than we can excrete, headaches/body aches and things like that are the result.

So if you've never noticed any behavior issues in your kids, they sleep okay after their kombucha, and they aren't irritable or anything like that, then they're fine. I'm thinking someday kombucha is going to play a part in keeping us healthy, but we've got work to do before I'm going to start it with us.