is kombucha tea allowed on the south beach diet, especially during phase 1?
Kombucha tea, according to http://www.kombuchatea.co.uk/what-is-kombucha.asp, is a fermented tea. That said, while it reduces the levels of sugar through fermentation, creating ethanol and carbon dioxide, it is very very unlikely that too much of the sugar is fermented even in the 5 days allowed for hte fermentation of Kombucha tea. Also, ethanol is already forbidden by Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet, making Kombucha tea doubly not allowed. As an aside, I find the claims of Kombucha tea itself to be fairly suspect–for one, it lists lactic acid as one of the main pros to drinking Kombucha tea. Lactic acid is the byproduct of anaerobic respiration in the body’s muscles, and is a waste product. Additionally, the FDA has placed a caution to consumers brewing Kombucha tea, as it is very possible, and easy, for microorganisms to find their home alongside the Kombucha fungi. Perhaps just try unsweetened Oolong te
