Why not test the brewed kombucha tea product for lead?

[Guest guest]

I am a retired chemist who was involved with regulating industrial toxic

contamination and emissions, including reviewing and approving sampling and

analysis plans. Yet it has never before occurred to me to have my Kombucha

ferment tested for lead. I didn't even suspect it. But a recent suggestion from

an kombucha tea member, that maybe glass fish bowls I

advocated using for brewing KT, could contain leachable lead. This may move me

to have the KT I have stored in my refrigerator tested for lead.

It has been years since I was fermenting the KT because I started using

commercially available dried residue capsules (ProNatura brand) instead. I had

good evidence the capsules worked for arthritis in acquaintances who tried them

- especially those who had been seriously losing hand dexterity. It was amazing;

people were sending me their colleagues at the office for advice after their

dexterity returned, and I was being called " the Kombucha lady. " (It had all

started a year before, when my uncle in his late 60's took my advice and started

taking Kombucha capsules. This was based on my researching and reading up on

Kombucha when a distant cousin reported he undeniably shrank his lymphoma tumors

by drinking the home ferment, such that even his doctors were amazed. AND if he

stopped drinking the KT, his tumors came back. Of course the doctors couldn't

endorse the KT, but they told him " to continue doing whatever he was doing. "

Before that, even Sloan-Kettering doctors in Rye, NY, were not able to shrink

his tumors and had confirmed the prognosis that he had only 6 months to live.)

One would think the doctors hearing of this would have started researching it,

but not at all! Very frustrating! I realized it is really up to individuals to

spread the word on cheaper alternative remedies!

Back to the " testing " ; I guess I must test my stored KT. I have some in

original commercially available ProNatura bottles, which I reused, and some in

reused vinegar bottles. These would be an extreme test for leached lead. I will

have to price the testing for trace levels of lead, starting at environmental

laboratories, that I am most familiar with. I will report the results when I

have them. Anyone else interested in testing can find testing laboratories

listed in the telephone yellow pages or on the Internet. Quality Control/Quality

Assurance procedures and data for the testing would also have to be scrutinized.

These are what drive up the costs but are necessary for valid data.

- Ann

[Guest guest]

Greetings, Ann. I would be quite interested in knowing what you

determine...

> I will report the results when I have them. Anyone else interested in

> testing can find testing laboratories listed in the telephone yellow

> pages or on the Internet. Quality Control/Quality Assurance procedures

> and data for the testing would also have to be scrutinized. These are

> what drive up the costs but are necessary for valid data.

So are you saying that test kits such as this one are worthless?

Professional Lead in Water Test Kit

http://tinyurl.com/n7jee4

It did not occur to me to test the liquid instead of the container (duh).

But I would have expected this kit would work appropriately... Tho' I

must admit I had major doubts about how effectively the test swatches

I used were working (when testing glass containers), especially

considering that I was in what could probably be considered " extreme "

conditions (high heat, and especially high humidity).

Would you not also have to consider criteria such as length of time

a batch was in a container, or how long a container had been used

to brew kombucha?

Especially considering how many variables there are in repeatability

(in terms of taste alone, if nothing else) when brewing KT, I think

I can see why this would be an extremely frustrating subject to research!

Thanks for post; definitely look forward to your follow-up,

Vicki in Orlando

>

> I am a retired chemist who was involved with regulating industrial

> toxic contamination and emissions, including reviewing and approving

> sampling and analysis plans. Yet it has never before occurred to me

> to have my Kombucha ferment tested for lead...

<snip>

> ...I will have to price the testing for trace levels of lead,

> starting at environmental laboratories, that I am most familiar with.

> I will report the results when I have them. Anyone else interested in

> testing can find testing laboratories listed in the telephone yellow

> pages or on the Internet. Quality Control/Quality Assurance procedures

> and data for the testing would also have to be scrutinized. These are

> what drive up the costs but are necessary for valid data.