Monday, May 27, 2013

Kombucha is an F-bomb!

A fluoride bomb, that is.

Adding tea to your routine (or keeping it in your routine if it's already a part of your routine...) may be contributing to YOUR fluoride load!

Q:  Even my fluoride load?

A:  Yes, that includes you.

In an earlier article, I warned you all not to add lemon to your tea because it binds the aluminum in tea and makes it more absorbable.

Now, let's talk about fluoride.

Fluoride is a cumulative toxin - it builds up over time.  And fluoride is particularly attracted to the pineal gland, where it forms brain sand - corpora arenacea.  Some poor souls have been exposed to a lot of fluoride, over a period of many years.  And certain individuals are more sensitive to the effects of fluoride exposure than others.

And it seems to me that certain individuals interested in decalcifying their pineal gland, becoming Enlightened, or seeking Truth, for example, might want to minimize their fluoride exposure, and, dare I say, even seek out methods of removing what fluoride has accumulated in their bodies.

Kombucha is the most popular "health" drink in town.  You can probably find a special refrigerated shelf dedicated to kombucha at your local health foods store - at mine there is sometimes even a lady handing out free samples of the stuff. 

Kombucha, especially that which is bottled by GT, has many celebrity endorsements:

"Turbocharge your metabolism with kombucha."

- Dr. Oz

"It[GT's "Gingerade" kombucha]'s zingy and gives me a boost.  Who knows what it does, but I like it.  Just call me 'Zen' Roker."

- Al Roker of the Today Show

"Here are a few snacks to tide you over until dinner...A GT's Raw Organic Kombucha."

- Gwyneth Paltrow

Kombucha has been associated with Enlightenment, and with Zen (especially because of that "'Zen' Roker" quote).  But as I see it, nothing could be further from the truth.  Kombucha could be a real hindrance for those who are seeking Enlightenment. 

On this bottle of GT's Passionberry Bliss kombucha one sees a beautiful flower and the words:


You might think, from looking at the bottle, that drinking its contents would elevate you to heights of transcendent bliss, but I can assure you that is not the case.  Remember, we live in "opposite land" (quoting Andrew Norton Webber).  When the bottle says "Enlightened," it might be doublespeak.

On the reverse side of the bottle, "Words of Enlightenment" appear.  (It's different for each bottle)

Words of Enlightenment:

"As long as you act with a peaceful mind and intention then happiness shall follow you like a never-departing shadow."


Translation:  "As long as you drink this stuff all day long and practice 'being nice' you will remain Third-Eye blind and your pineal gland will remain dark - its thick fluoroapatite shell will keep it sealed and in never-departing shadow."

And as for the SYNERGY we see in big, capital letters at the top of the label - that is significant, too.

In my opinion, the fluoride in kombucha can synergize with other toxins that are likely already present in your body.  Mercury is the biggest culprit, but there's more than enough lead and aluminum to go around, as well.


           Hg                                                 +                                                F


[see post "SynerTox"]

At the end of the ingredients list on every bottle of GT's SYNERGY kombucha, it says, "...and 100% pure love."

How cute is that?


This article is not an anti-kombucha rag-fest.  I don't think kombucha is evil!

I have become a firm believer in lactofermented foods such as sauerkraut and raw liquid whey.   I'm open to the idea that tea is made less harmful through fermentation, as are many foods.  And I am very much open to the idea that some humans can tolerate a certain amount of fluoride - just as they can tolerate a certain amount of any toxin.  But to say that all kombucha is safe for all people in all situations is reckless and irresponsible.

Sally Fallon has published an article on the subject to alleviate any concerns that Weston A. Price Foundation fans might have about the fluoride in kombucha.  It didn't make me feel any better.

Her tests show the level of fluoride in the fluoridated tap water BEFORE it is filtered, after it is filtered, after the tea is steeped in that filtered water, and after the kombucha is made.  In the end, it turns out that Sally's cup of tea or kombucha made with filtered tap water has approximately the same amount of fluoride as the tap water before it was filtered.  Also, notice that the filtered water has a fluoride content only slightly less than the unfiltered tap water - 0.62 ppm instead of 0.86 ppm.  This is damning.  THE FILTER IS NOT REMOVING THE FLUORIDESally Fallon does not make note of this in her article.  On a good day, a high-end home reverse osmosis system will remove 85% of the fluoride, and even that is not "good enough."  This data demonstrates either that an inferior filter was used or that it was not "a good day" for that filter.

Fluoride in Tea and Kombucha

Tap water 0.86 ppm
Filtered water 0.62 ppm
Organic Black Tea 0.94 ppm
Kombucha 0.90 ppm
Testing by Soil Control Lab,
Watsonville, CA (831) 724-5422


Furthermore, Fallon's data is geared to give the very MOST CONSERVATIVE VALUE POSSIBLE for the organic black tea and kombucha fluoride levels.

She used organic black tea with the lowest fluoride content she could find.  Fallon is replicating a near-ideal situation.  She used safe tea in her experiment.

Fallon's kombucha article and her attempt at placating concerned readers has not proven that kombucha is safe - not by a long shot.  It has only proven that it is possible to make some not-THAT-toxic kombucha out of organic black tea.

The average level of water fluoridation in this country is 1.0 ppm.  So, perhaps the average WAPF reader reading Fallon's kombucha article might glance over it briefly, and think, "Oh, that's nice, kombucha has less fluoride than the average glass of tap water."

But a more critical reading of her article shows that she used tea with a very low fluoride content - what I would call an unusually low fluoride content.  Most tea has quite a lot more fluoride!

I like this graphic.  It clearly illustrates my point:

see also:

"Tea Intake Is A Risk Factor For Skeletal Fluorosis" - Michael Connett, Fluoride Action Network

A more critical reading of Fallon's article also shows that the filtered tap water has a fluoride level (0.62 ppm) almost equivalent to the intended fluoridation level (!) in some communities.  For example, the water supply in Corvallis, OR is currently being poisoned with fluoride at a level of 0.7 ppm. 

Chances are, (~70%) if you are in the United States, your tap water is fluoridated.  Filters don't remove it, and most tea is very high in fluoride.  Even organic tea still has significant (though much lower) fluoride accumulation in the leaves, and I think this may be a problem for certain individuals who are particularly sensitive to this toxin or have been chronically poisoned by fluoride.

Furthermore, organic certification is next to meaningless to a super-hardcore conspiracy theorist like me.

If Sally had selected another type of tea, it would probably have been grown intentionally with fluoridated water, which concentrates in the tea leaves more than in any other plant (!)

Most tea is not safe to drink. 

Kombucha should not be taken as a high-fluoride replacement for using fermented foods regularly in your diet!

Unfortunately, that is the way it is being used in this country.  The Standard American Diet contains ZERO raw, lactofermented foods.  People who have never had fermented foods before will take to them like a duck to water.  If the only fermented food they know is kombucha, and they sip it all day, they are in F- trouble.

So while I don't object to kombucha on principle, I object to the kombucha fad, and I object to full-grown men turning themselves into apathetic jellyfish by guzzling seven cups of the stuff every day.

Again, let me repeat: most tea is not safe to drink.  In my opinion, kombucha is a significant danger.

Some of you may object.  I have foreseen that.

I don't have a stack of research papers to refer to, but I do have two case studies:

There are individuals who have symptoms from ingesting fluoride.

1)  In the article "Q & A on Tea and Fluoride," Aliss Terpstra (one such individual) says,

"Hypersensitive and poisoned people cannot usually tolerate any beverage with more fluoride than 0.2 mg/L."

source: "Q & A on Tea and Fluoride" - Hartke is Online

(be sure to read commenter Ryan's remarks about his experience with red wine, fluoride pesticide and resultant hypothyroidism)

"In the United States, many vineyards use a fluoride pesticide called cryolite. As a result, the levels of fluoride in U.S. grape juice and wine (particularly white grape juice and white wine) are consistently elevated. Indeed, in 2005, the USDA reported that the average level of fluoride exceeded 2 ppm for both white wine and white grape. The levels of fluoride in red wine are also elevated (1 ppm), and so are raisins (2.3 ppm). If you buy grape juice and wine, or if you are a heavy consumer of raisins, buy organic."

(from Fluoride Action Network -

(also, the comments on "Q & A on Tea and Fluoride" by Sylvia Onusic, PhD were valuable):

Q:  Sylvia, what are the symptoms you are referring to from drinking tea?

A:  Fluoride ingestion [a.k.a. "DRINKING TEA"] has been related to fatigue, gastro esphogeal reflux, other digestive upsets, nausea, loss of appetite, headache, skin problems, depression, hypoactivity in adults (hyperactivity in children) and other issues. Some people experiences allergic-like symptoms, while for others, accumulation over years contributes to the development of skeletal fluorosis, hip fracture, gastritis, hypothyroidism or other conditions. Fluoride affects persons of all ages, including infants and children. 

Avoidance of fluoride is a good policy for improving health but involves educating oneself about sources of fluoride besides the obvious ones. I was surprised to hear that fluoride is the substance used in the air fresheners we so commonly place around the house.


We would do well to pay attention to fluoride-sensitive individuals.  They are our fluoride canaries.  If Aliss Terpstra says that she can tolerate certain types of tea while other types cause symptoms, then it stands to reason that certain other individuals might well be able to reasonably regard some teas as "unsafe."

Fluoride can also be a problem in other beverages.  Bones from feedlot animals often have accumulated large amounts of fluoride over the lifespan of the animal, and this leaches into the broth during cooking.  

Drinking copious amounts of bone broth (distinctly different from meat broth) is a good way to recover from arthritis, fluoride poisoning and many other health issues, but you have to be careful about where the bones come from - you have to buy pasture-raised animal products.

2) Another fluoride-sensitive individual, the author of The Cellulite Investigation, has demonstrated that she has symptoms (fluoroderma flares) when she drinks bone broth made from animals that were given fluoridated water, but not when she drinks bone broth made from pasture-raised animals.  

Read more here:

"A Bone Broth Breakthrough: Fluoride-Free, Finally!" - The Cellulite Investigation

Please recognize, folks, that your loving government (love-gov) treats you like a feedlot animal.  And the fluoride accumulates in human bone just as easily as it accumulates in animal bone. 

Fluoride: "a highly toxic bone poison that should be avoided at all costs."



Jen said...

"It is true that green and black teas contain some amount of fluoride.
However, Kombucha is very unique because it is actually no longer a
green or black tea after the fermentation. Most of the chemical
make-up of the tea has been converted or consumed by the Kombucha
culture. The last time we tested our product for fluoride, the
results were that it contained a 'negligible' amount. In laboratory
language that means 'lower than the smallest measurement for that
testing method'. I apologize that I do not have an exact measurement
to give you."

Jen said...

Forgot to say, the above is an email response to a question about the fluoride content in GT Synergy bottled kombucha.

joy said...
