"...and also that with all that sugar it should be avoided by someone with candida issues, probably with parasite issues as well."

Here is some information regarding the above statement.

Kombucha yeasts fight Candida,
they do not encourage it
by Günther W. Frank

Worry about Candida or other yeast infections? Not so! Kombucha is a different kind of Yeast-Fungi. There are pathogen (harmful) and apathogen (harmless) yeasts. Kombucha is of the harmless kind.

Since kombucha is called a "mushroom" by many people, and a "fungus" by others, and since it is a yeast as well as a bacterial ferment, there are those who will automatically warn all candida albicans victims - those with chronic candiasis or any other kind of yeast infections - to stay away from Kombucha.

However, this is not right. The Schizosacharomycodes, that is in the Kombucha culture, is a yeast that is not in the family of candida, so it can be actually antagonistic to the troublesome yeast that infects so many people.

Kombucha is likely to be very beneficial for the following reason. Candida albicans is a yeast which competes with your bowel microflora and produces nothing in the way of benefit to the host organism. It occupies the body's defenses which have to be mobilized to oppose it. While this is going on your immune system can not effectively deal with other infections. Kombucha, on the other hand, is a community of microorganisms that do have a beneficial effect on the host, namely by producing glucuronic acid. The yeasts in Kombucha compete with the candida yeasts and gradually replace them. They reproduce vegitatively or by fission rather than by producing spores. This means that instead of having an enemy inside you, you have a friend.

In addition you will also have some of the organisms which will colonize your gut somewhat and continue their good work. Provided that your batch is not contaminated with mold, there is nothing in Kombucha that can harm you. It is true that certain people may have a sensitivity to it, but that can be alleviated by reducing the dose. So that is about it. Nothing mystical! Nothing magical! and nothing harmful.

Prof. Rieth, Hamburg, Germans leading expert in Mycology confirmed me: There is absolutely no risk in drinking Kombucha as regards of yeast infections since the Kombucha yeast are apathogen. You can rely on his judgment that is based on careful research work. There is a large amount of scientific papers which proof, that there is no danger and no concern against the preparing of your own Kombucha beverage. Prof. Rieth told me, there is very little knowledge of mycology (fungal diseases) even at doctors and many wrong allegations are made.

The German "Bundesgesundheitsamt" (the top Public Health Office in Germany like the FDA in the USA) says: "Kombucha is not injurious to health". I hope that this is of value to some people who are worried by the fear and anxiety spread about KT by the tabloid media in particular.