Can Food Cause Anxiety? My Kombucha Disaster

Most people think anxiety comes from stress, trauma, or just "being wired that way." They'll try meditation apps, therapy, or positive thinking to fix their racing minds. But what if I told you that your daily "health drink" could be secretly fueling your anxiety like gasoline on a fire?

In today's post, I'm sharing the wild story of how my kombucha obsession nearly sent me to the psych ward – and the surprising discovery that changed everything I thought I knew about anxiety and mental health.

Here’s what happens when you don’t understand the gut-brain connection: You can meditate for hours, eat "perfectly," and still feel like your nervous system is constantly under attack. Meanwhile, people who understand this hidden trigger seem to have an unfair advantage—they stay calm, sleep well, and don’t feel like they’re crawling out of their skin for no reason.

The "Healthy Living" Trap That Made Everything Worse

This was during my “try everything” phase—you know, that desperate time when you’re willing to eat nothing but kale and meditation if it means feeling normal again. I was vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, alcohol-free, and basically fun-free. I was going to acupuncture, trying different clinics, and reading every gut health book I could find.

That’s when I discovered kombucha brewing. The logic seemed bulletproof: homemade probiotics would be more powerful than store-bought, my gut would heal, and my anxiety would disappear. I mean, everyone on the internet was raving about fermented foods, right?

So I learned to make kombucha (which is actually pretty easy), and soon I was drinking a cup every day. I was living with five friends at the time, making gallons of the stuff, thinking I was some kind of wellness guru. They all made fun of me, thinking I was going to somehow poison myself.

What happened next was the opposite of wellness.

How My "Superfood" Turned Into a Medical Mystery

About a month into my daily kombucha ritual, something weird started happening. I began getting really itchy—and I mean REALLY itchy. It started in the most random place (my inner thighs, of all places), so naturally, I thought I had jock itch or something equally embarrassing.

But then it spread. Everywhere.

Picture this: I’m at work, already dealing with crippling anxiety, and now I’m sneaking into bathroom stalls to literally strip down and scratch myself aggressively all over my body. I looked like I was having some kind of breakdown—which, honestly, I probably was.

The itching got so bad that I finally went to an allergy clinic. When the doctor came back with my test results, he asked if he could take a picture of my back because he’d “never seen anything like this before.”

I was allergic to basically everything.

He prescribed powerful steroids, which helped temporarily. But the moment I finished the course, the itching came back with a vengeance. I was miserable, anxious, and now covered in scratches from constant itching.

That’s when I had my lightbulb moment.

The Histamine Intolerance Connection That Changed Everything

I started thinking like a detective: What was the ONE thing I’d changed in my routine between “not itchy” and “itchy everywhere”?

The kombucha.

I stopped drinking it cold turkey. Three days later, the itching was gone.

Three. Days.

That’s when I fell down the rabbit hole of histamine intolerance—something I’d never heard of before. Turns out, your body can become overwhelmed with histamines, leading to:

• Severe itching and skin reactions

• Anxiety and panic attacks

• Insomnia

• Digestive issues

• Brain fog

Here’s the kicker: I thought I was being healthy by drinking fermented foods daily, but I was actually flooding my already-stressed system with histamines. Since I was already in fight-or-flight mode from anxiety, my cortisol levels were sky-high, and my body couldn’t process the additional histamine load.

It was like adding fuel to an already raging fire.

The Science Behind the Madness

Here’s what I learned that blew my mind: not all probiotics are created equal. Some strains actually produce more histamine in your body, while others (like Bifidobacteria) help break it down.

I was essentially taking a histamine supplement every day while my body was already drowning in stress hormones.

The research on this is fascinating. When you’re chronically stressed or anxious, your mast cells become hyperactive and release more histamine. Add fermented foods to the mix, and you’ve got a perfect storm of inflammation and nervous system chaos.

My Secret Weapon: Beef Kidney (Yes, Really)

After discovering the histamine connection, I started researching natural ways to support histamine breakdown. That’s when I learned about DAO (diamine oxidase)—the enzyme responsible for breaking down histamine in your body.

Guess what’s loaded with DAO and the B-vitamins that support histamine metabolism?

Beef kidney.

I know, I know. It sounds absolutely disgusting. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and I was willing to try anything that didn’t involve a lifetime of antihistamines.

I started taking desiccated beef kidney supplements (because let’s be real, I wasn’t about to start cooking organ meat), and the difference was remarkable. The B-vitamins, particularly B6, help your body process histamine more effectively.

The Mental Martial Arts Approach to Histamine Management

Here’s the system I used to start feeling better. It's not medical advice—just what worked for me.

1. The Elimination Detective Work (Week 1–2)

• Remove high-histamine foods temporarily (fermented foods, aged cheeses, wine, etc.)

• Track symptoms daily

• Notice patterns between food and mood

2. Strategic Supplementation (Week 2–4)

Please do your own research—this is what I personally experimented with.

• Beef kidney supplements – I took 1–2 capsules daily. High in DAO and B-vitamins.

• Vitamin C – 1000mg daily as a natural antihistamine.

• Histamine-reducing probiotics – Especially ones high in Bifidobacteria strains.

3. Gradual Reintroduction (Week 4+)

• Test foods one at a time

• Wait 2–3 days between reintroductions

• Build your personal “safe foods” list

4. Stress Management Integration

• Stress increases histamine release

• Combined the dietary shifts with anxiety techniques

• Remember: food isn’t the whole picture

The Plot Twist That Changes Everything

Here’s the thing that took me years to understand: diet wasn’t the root cause of my anxiety—it was just adding fuel to the fire.

Once I addressed the underlying mental and emotional patterns (through the techniques I share here, like this one for example), I could actually enjoy fermented foods again without major reactions. My body became more resilient because my nervous system wasn’t constantly in fight-or-flight mode.

This is why I always say: fix the mind first, then optimize the body. They work together—but trying to heal anxiety through diet alone is like trying to put out a house fire with a garden hose.

Ready to Solve Your Own Health Mystery?

Imagine walking through the grocery store without fear, knowing exactly which foods fuel your energy and which ones drain it. That’s what happens when you become a detective of your own body and stop assuming that “healthy” foods are healthy for everyone.

The kombucha experiment taught me that sometimes the things we think are helping us are actually holding us back. But more importantly, it showed me that our bodies are constantly giving us information—we just need to learn how to listen.

Which “healthy” habit are you most curious to investigate? Let me know in the comments below—I read every single one and love hearing about your detective work.

Remember: you’re not broken, you might just be drinking too much Kombucha 😉

P.S. If this helped you, please share it with someone dealing with mysterious anxiety or skin stuff. The answer might be hiding in their fridge. As always, if you have questions, shoot me an email. I’d love to hear from you.