“Is Kombucha contrary to the Word of Wisdom? It is made from brewed green or black tea that has been fermented through several stages, for up to 6 weeks prior to drinking. It’s non-alcoholic and the bacteria found in the beverage help to restore normal levels of healthy bacteria in your gut. A healthy drink, but still made from tea. If used for medicinal purposes, is it still considered sinful?” (Ranie)
Thanks for the question, ranie. All I know is that tea (including green and black) is against the Word of Wisdom. Nothing has been said regarding whether it being fermented has any bearing on it inclusion in the Word of Wisdom.
I think it is important to point out that D&C 89 does not specifically state we should avoid tea because it is not healthy for us. What it does say is that “hot drinks are not for the body or belly”. Therefore, the argument that it’s okay to drink tea because it is healthy is a fallacy. We avoid tea simply because God has asked us to. Nothing more, nothing less.
Kombucha is notbmade from green or black tea. It is from a mushroom…. Google it.
Actually, the mass used in kombucha to ferment the tea isn’t a fungus at all; it’s simply a mass of yeast and bacteria. Regardless, the liquid in which the “mushroom” is placed is tea, most commonly black tea.
Yeast is a fungus. And yes it is most often cultured in black tea, but cn be cultured in other mediums.
Hi Sharon! Do have a recipe or two for kombucha that is cultured in WoW-friendly medium, that you might be willing to share, please? 🙂
I use hibiscus tea, and sometimes butterfly pea. You may have to run a few batches to really clear out all traces of green or black tea. I use green tea in mine, and feel it is matching the WOW, as it is being used medicinally, and by the time it Is fermented, there is no caffeine or tannins left.
Honestly, it’s the spirit of the law not the letter of the law that I look at first. Because I couldn’t find anything from the leaders of the church regarding Kombucha and the fermenting process completely changes the end product from the original tea, I think it is something that should be between you and Heavenly Father. What better answer can you get than from Him? If you’re taking it for health reasons that’s something to consider (for example only taking it for a week to clear up infections). I think there could be some health promoting things in it. I don’t think there is much caffeine left in it after the bacteria eat it all up. There might be a little alcohol, but probably not enough to make one drunk or cause addictions (probably similar to the amount in a tbsp of vanilla extract). Although I could be wrong. I’d say use your own judgement and ask God if this is right for you to be using. What better peace can you get about the matter than from Him?
“I couldn’t find anything from the leaders of the church regarding Kombucha and the fermenting process completely changes the end product from the original tea”
Church leaders have stated tea is prohibited in the word of wisdom. I think it is safe to assume that since Kombucha is made from the tea that is prohibited, it is also prohibited.
“ I don’t think there is much caffeine left in it after the bacteria eat it all up.”
I’m not sure what caffeine levels have to do with anything.
“What better answer can you get than from Him?”
Arguably, statement from the prophets are answers from him.
Vanilla extract?
Okay, so go flavor your cookies with Kombucha or go drink a pint of vanilla extract. Nobody is going to do that. The point isn’t whether or not alcohol gets in your body… even from flavoring extracts. Nobody who has Valium after surgery has to worry about the WoW, but one must be careful not to justify its continued use to relax on the weekend. It’s all about the intended use and amount used.
Happy to find your blog. I’m studying the word of wisdom too, trying to look at it as if I didn’t have a lifetime of ‘opinions and traditions’ already.
A few comments above is a perfect example of WHY I am trying to shake off the traditions. It read something like “I couldn’t find anything the leaders have said concerning it, so maybe ask god”. Isn’t that backwards? We as followers of the restored gospel are far far too reliant on the leaders. The leaders opinions and interpretations are NOT scripture. You have d&c 89 in front of you as “a principle with a promise.” it’s not a commandment. If it were a commandment then it would be documented and canonized. So until that happens, use and enjoy the things that the lord has put on earth. Use them wisely and in moderation. taking care of your body. Stop relying on ‘the ideas of men’ and start relying on your own brain and your communication with your maker.
If your home brew tea helps you digest better, then there is your answer.
It is canonized. It’s in the Doctrine and Covenants.
The canonized scriptures never said Tea, Iced Tea. That was a later interpretation. Just like blacks are the descendants of Cain was an interpretation. Those are not canon.
For a long time it was thought and taught caffeinated sodas were against the WoW. So much so BYU prohibited the sales on campus. So I like the response that says it should be between you and Heavenly Father.
BTW you can make Kombucha from Maté. It’s a tea popular in Brazil and Argentina. There is no mention of Maté anywhere and many member drink it.
the scriptures are God’s words to us as given thru our leaders (THE PROPHETS). We trust our leaders, not because THEY are perfect, but because we believe they are his mouthpiece. It’s the most reliable source, unless we recieve personal revelation about an issue and it is not an issue clearly stated by our leaders.
Thank you for talking about this specifically. I was just researching what Kombucha was and how it’s made. When I saw that it was made from black or red tea, flags went up in my mind. I think at this point, I’ll stay to living without Kombucha since it won’t cause me to worry about whether it’s against the Word of Wisdom. I don’t know why God said to avoid tea and coffee, other than most coffee drinkers I know are hooked on the stuff and God wants us to be free from addictions. I’ll have to trust that He knows what’s best for my body.
One commenter said it can be made using other mediums. I haven’t found out what they are yet. I might consider making my own Kombucha if I knew what that other ingredient is and if it was not against the word of wisdom.
My husband and I used to make our own kombucha and we never used green or black tea but rather our favorite drink to use as the liquid was cranberry juice. It was pretty tasty and worked quite well.
I make Kombucha from Hibiscus tea or roibus tea, you can also use chamomile tea. The SCOBY feeds off the sugar and the tannins in the tea.
Costco, in my area at least, is currently selling a six-pack box of 1/2 liter bottles of Kombucha that is labeled as Gingerade. It appears that the liquid this yeast is cultured in is ‘ginger-juice’.
It’s kind of expensive — $15/box — but it’s quite delicious.
I didn’t feel any caffeine effect, but then, I drink a lot of cold brewed, ice coffee (never been a hot drink, either in it’s manufacturing or serving), son unless it was full of caffeine, I probably wouldn’t notice.
I am really keen to make my own kumbucha and love to keep the commandments.I am going to try it with Roibos tea, ie red bush tea, from South Africa.
Wish me luck!
and if anyone has any hints or comments I am keen to hear .
Try adding concentrated juice when you filter and put it in bottles. After three days it taste carbinated. I add up to 1/4 C.
LOL. It tastes carbonated because the fruit juice is fermenting. In other words, you are making alcohol.
Not nearly the amount in stuff like cough syrup, vanilla extract, there are other food that have alcohol sugarless gum, honeybuns and ripe fruit.
Not all fermentation produces an ethyl alcohol. Many other products are a result from fermentation. Vinegar, Soy Sauce, Kiefer, yougart, cheese, sour cream… shall I keep going? There are also comments regarding caffeine above. Caffeine has never been a part of the word of wisdom as interpreted by any of the prophets. Coffee and tea are not against the word of wisdom because of caffeine content. BYU not having soda sold on campus because of caffeine content is absolutely absurd. Beard permits to take exams are stupid. I digress. The word of wisdom makes no sense from a biochemist / health care professional’s point of view. You probably are not going to hell for breaking the word of wisdom, however all blessings are based on obedience to the law which they are predicated. Obeying the word of wisdom will bless you to be able to run and not be weary.
Science experiment: I hypothesize that if you drink a glass of kombucha, you can walk and not faint, therefore it is not against the word of wisdom.
fermenting is also making pickles. They are non alcoholic. The amount of Time you are fermenting is not nearly long enough to make it alcoholic enough to get drunk on, If the alcohol content in it was counted it would be about the same as your freshly squeezed orange juice or a banana.
Did you have good luck? I am a strong member and I have been making kombucha for a few years, I have real digestion issues and take it rather than medications. I haven’t ever had a real stress about WoW until lately when the last two batches I made were duds. Then I started to wonder if it was God trying to tell me something. I am going to make a batch of switchel and see how I like that for my leaky gut and I do a lot of fermented foods too but the kombucha thing keeps me wondering. So how did it turn out with the other tea?
My wife has been making Kombucha for the last couple months. She uses Yerba Mate as a culture rather than black or green tea (as far as I have been able to discover in my research it is not a form of either) http://www.hotpepper.ca/lds/wordofwisdom/2006/02/yerba-mate/. If Kombucha were to be classified under anything negative in the Word of Wisdom I would say it is possibly a “strong drink” rather than a “hot drink” as it is fermented and contains a small amount of alcohol. However, it is a relatively small amount of alcohol and we usually do not allow it to ferment to the point where we can even taste the alcohol. Overall I agree with the post here http://theboard.byu.edu/questions/49939/. At this point my wife and I feel comfortable drinking Kombucha and feel that the health benefits are very positive. If we feel at a later point that the Lord is directing us otherwise then we will most certainly stop, but until that point or until a Prophet or Apostle come out against it we will continue to drink our home brewed version of this drink. I believe the word of wisdom is primarily the Lord’s council to help us have better health and this stuff is a whole lot more healthy than Coke, and for some reason that horrid drink isn’t stoping anybody from going to the temple. So why fuss over something that has an enormous amount of health benefit? That’s my take, let yours be between you and the Lord.
I would love to get the recipe that your wife uses. Where did she get her s.c.o.b.y? Or is it possible to make your own? I can only find ones that have Yerba Mate mixed with green or black tea.
Hi, I have been making and saleing buch for over a year now. I just talked to my bishop about this last night. I have made it from green teas and many herbal teas. I just wanna say that if u do that keep your scobys separate and only use them inthe specific flavor of tea. I works well but can be tedious if like me you try many flavors. I got my starter scoby on amazon and now have jars full. I hope this helps.
What did your Bishop say?
Hi, thanks for your thoughts. I have been making kombucha for a few weeks , using some roibos tea and black or green tea.
I have been told you have to have some black or green tea to keep the PH right, but I havent verified this.
It is delicious and very refreshing.
My husband and I feel that the tea has gone through so much change in the process that it is not really tea anymore, so feel happy about drinking it.
We may change our mind but that is where we are now.
I was drinking it this morning and something didn’t feel right . I buy the original kombucha from wholefoods. It is considered a strong or hot drink because it is fermented and it has alcohol. I would considered as a drug (medicine if you are sick) it will really be of benefit to your body and it is ok to drink it….. But if you take it for a long period of time its not right. For those of you who said something about the tiny amount of alcohol…. It is like saying….this coke only has caffeine but not coffee beans….so it is ok to drink !!!… I really don’t think it works that way…
Yogurt has alcohol and vanilla extract too. And a lot of other foods. Just sayin’
Coke is ok to drink.
I think that Romans 14 is the best answer, and many people use something medicinally long term, especially people trying to heal their gut using fermented foods. So saying using it a week is ok but not long term misses the point of how this type of food is used in a healing fashion.
Here is a link that tells you how you can make it with herbal teas.
http://www.organic-kombucha.com/Using_herbal_teas_for_kombu.html
You are amazing Thank you! I have been reading and reading trying to get a good recipe that I would feel comfortable using.
All herbs are good for man and are to be used with judgment and skill.
Usually when something is presented to us for “health Reasons”, and falls in a grey area of the Word of Wisdom, there are many, many substitutes that are much better in every way that are not in that grey area. When there are so many beneficial fermented foods available to us that are much better than Kombucha, why even worry about one that is made from Tea?
Still healthier than your average carbonated soda.
I drink kombucha from time to time when I am having stomach or other residual digestive issues from a parasite picked up in a 3rd world mission field 20+ years ago that almost killed me. I really don’t care if it is made with black tea, green tea, white tea, alcohol or horse piss. If it is high quality, the stuff typically works 1000% better than pharmaceutical drugs for me. If somebody wants to tell me I’m breaking the Word of Wisdom for using it, they can take their self-righteous opinion and go to hell.
Many foods we eat are fermented and they are just fine to consume; some are even quite healthy. Sour kraut, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, siriacha sauce, kimchi, miso, yogurt, pickles, black and green olives, kefir and many other foods are all fermented foods that members enjoy, guilt free everyday. Week old orange, grape and apple juice have more alcohol in them than an O’douls near beer. And take a guess how much alcohol your body absorbs if you gargle with Listerine.
We’ve become like the children of Israel having to be instructed in every little thing we do and we have no end of modern day pharisees more than happy to tell everybody else how to do it. I have a lot of alcohol in my kitchen. Yes, the “evil” kind. But I have never drank a drop of it. It just happens to be an excellent meat tenderizer and, as a gourmet chef, I find many of the various types of alcohol to be excellent sources of delicious and different flavors as well a premium baking aid. Unfortunately, I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve been “turned in” to the bishop or even the stake president because some holier-than-thou-art pharisee as a guest in my home, saw my “stash”, freaked out and felt it their solemn duty to have me brought before the Elders of the church for righteous judgement.
My response has always been the same. I invite the inquiring ecclesiastical leader(s) to my home for a dinner of torched white fish with a white wine and mushroom sauce over a fermented bed of Persian steamed rice. When we’ve all thoroughly broken the Word of Wisdom by the shear amount of meat we just stuffed ourselves with, we then have a very interesting discussion about the word of wisdom. I show them my impressive alcohol collection and my year supply of Redman chewing tobacco and black tea in my medicine closet.
The conversation always turns to avoiding the appearance of evil. I always ask the question is alcohol evil? Is tobacco evil? Is black tea evil? Or is slandering your neighbor, bad mouthing and gossiping about them in the ward based on a judgmental, narrow minded and weaponized interpretation of how you think the Word of Wisdom should and must be applied to them evil?
I love the Word of Wisdom and believe I follow it as it was intended to be followed. I have never lost my recommend. If you study kombucha and believe you can use it with wisdom and thanksgiving, God bless you. If you study it and don’t believe you can, God bless you too.
Now, who wants to discuss the use of barely and mild drinks?
Amen, brother, you said that 1,000 times better than I ever could have!!!
can I come for dinner!! You sound like an amazing person to drink booch with and break bread with!
Thank goodness for YOU! I, too, have a cupboard full of various alcohols – have been a member for 15+ years and don’t drink. I am often annoyed when the same people who thoughtlessly ignore the rest of the WoW (meat, etc), because it doesn’t define specific AMOUNTS, are sometimes the same to refuse to SMELL something like kombucha – because – TEA and fermented TRACES OF ALCOHOL! Good grief!
I’m not arguing against your own personal use and storage of alcohol, tobacco, etc. Go ahead. I agree that it is up to you to decide and it does not all equate to evil. But if one looks at the modern Church, compared to the rest of Earth’s varied history including all of the Lord’s various chosen people at different times and places, it is rather curious what a uniform system he has established for the Church. By system I mean not just the official Church, but culture, the knowledge, the attitudes. Even with the Church officially embracing different cultures, it is still very much the same everywhere in the world.
Is it is really *necessary* to wear a white shirt on Sunday? Must we all really walk and talk exactly alike? I could point out so many cultural issues that are completely non-doctrinal and in fact completely unnecessary to be a good member of the Church and to ultimately receive salvation. But if we have any faith that the Lord is aware of how the Church is progressing, we must accept that much of this is by design to benefit individuals in the Church and its own growth across the globe.
I am perfectly aware of the negative aspects of the self-righteous Mormon culture. I’ve experienced it. I’m not trying to justify it here. The Lord has warned us in the scriptures and from the modern pulpit that we should not become prideful and judge others.
But we must accept that certain attitudes and stigmas, while not completely within the Doctrine of the Gospel–and perhaps not necessary on an individual basis–are part of what the Lord has designed to benefit everyone as a whole. We must contemplate the large number of members of the Church which have been saved from so many potential problems simply because of the stigmas. If you can have your alcohol and not drink it, great for you. But I figure that there would be many thousands to one, children in particular, who could not have all of the same things you listed and never have it become a great source of temptation, abuse and perhaps addiction. It’s more than just having it… it the social meaning of it, the advertisements, the curiosity for many people… that can ensnare many individuals.
No, we should not judge you. But likewise, perhaps you should reserve your judgement against other who do live within the “narrow views” established in the Church. Is it really necessary to rebuke them for the “self-righteous” attitudes and sending them to hell for it, any more than they judging you? Please just consider that it is still probably wisest that most members don’t all have their own personal collections like you.
I make kombucha at home from herbal tea only, negating the worry about the caffeine/black/green tea worries. And, the benefit of making it yourself means you can let the fermentation process go as much or as little as you like, making the degree of alcoholic-ness lessened as preferred (although the level of alcohol it has in it is negligible…about the same as any lacto-fermented foods, like sauerkraut)
I make Kombucha, it has healed my inflammation and kept me off of opiates, and narcotics, I am pretty sure there is a bigger opiate/ narcotic problem that the Church / W.O.W should be addressing than what kind of tea I brew my booch out of. I prefer Hibiscus tea but I have made green and black tea when I was getting started. My health was worth it. The SCOBY eats the sugar and tannins of any tea you use, and as I understand it the tannins are one of the things the church comments on as an issue as a health issue with tea and coffee as it damages the stomach lining. I know it is better for me than and pop, and much much healthier. I have also lost 10 lbs since drinking it often, which is a good thing.
I think that even though kombucha is made from green or black tea, it has been processed sufficiently by the SCOBY that it is no longer tea. Vinegar is made from apples but we do not even remotely consider them to be the same product. I have felt good about using kombucha after praying much over the issue and feeling a confirmation from the Spirit. However, if a leader tells me to stop in order to keep my temple recommend, I will stop.
I know this thread is old, but I’ll give my 2 cents.
Kombucha is said to feed on sugar content and the tannins in teas. I’ve made Kombucha many times using things other than green or black tea that have a high tannin content. I’ve made teas with rosehip and elderberry because they are very high in tannins and it worked very well. Produced a strong skoby. There are a lot of people that say you can’t make it without green or black tea, but they don’t actually know what they are talking about.
For those saying kombucha is non-alcoholic, that isn’t true. Alcohol is present. However, the alcohol content is usually lower than the legal limits required for something to be considered non-alcoholic. Alcohols are present in loads of things that we consume on a daily basis, however. The Word of Wisdom talks about “strong drinks”, and kombucha is low enough in alcohol, in my opinion, to not be considered a strong drink.
Thanks for your post Michael. I just started my first batch of kombucha and received a scoby and tea base from a member friend. I’m looking at trying to get rid of the green and black tea in future batches. Do you just brew the rose hips and elderberry just like you would normal tea and use that as your base for the first fermentation?
Yes. Exactly. I grew a brand new scoby that way by adding a cup of store bought kombucha for the cultures. But it would work just as well if you have an already established scoby, I imagine.