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4065534 tn?1400548736

Can kombucha hurt your thyroid?

Sometimes when I drink Kombucha (I only ever have store bought) inside my neck hurts and aches and feels swollen. I am guessing it is my thyroid since It is in the area.

Anyone else have this reaction?

BTW- I do have hypothyroid and am being treated for it by an endocrinologist.
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649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
The adrenals don't regulate the thyroid...  When the thyroid begins to fail, the adrenals kick in to help take up the slack.  Typically, when one starts on a thyroid replacement medication, the body will re-balance and the replacement thyroid hormones will begin doing the job of the thyroid, so the adrenals can go back to doing their own job.  

Surprisingly, the adrenals can take a lot more than we give them credit more and while many of us show "signs" of adrenal fatigue, there's really nothing wrong with our adrenals.  If you notice most of those same signs are those of hypothyroidism.  Adrenal insufficiency "is" recognized by doctors.

There are some herbs, called adaptogens, that you can take for adrenal support.  They "adapt" to whatever the adrenals might (or might not) need.  They've been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries.
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4274823 tn?1388529098
You wrote, "Many people's adrenals are shot due to stress and diet (too much sugar and caffeine and alcohol) and improper sleep etc. This is often an underlying cause of thyroid disorders since the adrenal glands secrete hormones that regulate thyroid (or something like that)."

I do not know the underlying cause of my thyroid disorder. At my insistence the doctor tested cortisol, but he only did am (morning) which I have been told is not useful on its own. Some recommend a 4 point test, but conventional MDs don't do that. Do you know how one can try to support the adrenal glands naturally (food & supplements)?
Helpful - 0
4274823 tn?1388529098
I'm curious about this as I have hypothyroidism and I occasionally drink Yogi Green tea kombucha. At a talk I attended by a naturopathic doctor she mentioned kombucha as a healthy source of fermentation like yogurt or Kefir. I mainly drink herbal teas, but this green tea has caffeine.

What are your current/recent thyroid levels (TSH, Free T4, Free T3)?
Helpful - 0
168348 tn?1379357075
Be careful -- could be allergic reaction.

C~
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi, I just noticed having the same thing happen after drinking a lot of Kombucha regularly and I just have very slightly under active thyroid (and sometimes get mild goiter). I believe this is an effect of the caffeine byproduct in the drink (if you brew your own you can minimize the amount of caffeine by boiling the tea bags first for close to a minute and then using those tea bags after squeezing them out for your brew for the kombucha). This, at least for me, is because caffeine (in excess over time) can cause adrenal fatigue which in turn can cause hypothyroid. Many people's adrenals are shot due to stress and diet (too much sugar and caffeine and alcohol) and improper sleep etc. This is often an underlying cause of thyroid disorders since the adrenal glands secrete hormones that regulate thyroid (or something like that). But kombucha has other properties that can really help with thyroid disorders as well but again if the batch has too much caffeine it may aggregate. That's my assumption. It could also have something to do with the kombucha helping your body to the point that your iodine uptake is more efficient and so if you are getting iodine from other sources in your diet it could now be too much (coconut oil has a lot of iodine for example and many people don't realize this). It's all a balance. Additionally if you are on thyroid meds the kombucha may be reducing your need for the meds and so causing the symptoms. Hope this helps.
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