Is Kombucha Healthy?
While the fizzy, fermented drink is marketed with a health halo, is it good for you and how much of it should you actually be drinking?
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You might think of kombucha as a product of modern wellness culture, but actually, the fermented tea drink is pretty ancient. Although there’s no consensus on its exact origins, most historians agree that it dates back at least 2,000 years, and that it started in East Asia as a health remedy.
These days, you’ll find bottles of kombucha in the refrigerator cases at supermarkets, sandwich shops and yoga studios. It’s sold in bottles and cans in every imaginable flavor, and it’s marketed with a health halo that deems it good for digestion, energy, focus and more. But is kombucha actually healthy? And if so, how? We asked registered dietitians to share their takes.
What is kombucha, exactly?
“Kombucha is a fizzy fermented tea that gets its tangy flavor from natural acids and live cultures,” says Alexander LeRitz, MSc, RDN, a registered dietitian at JM Nutrition. That fermentation happens because the tea is brewed with both probiotic bacteria and the yeast that feeds it (called a S.C.O.B.Y. a.k.a. Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). Some kombucha brands boast billions of these probiotic bacterial units per bottle.
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Is kombucha good for gut health?
The basis of all the hype surrounding kombucha and gut health is the fact that it contains these aforementioned probiotic bacteria, which live in your gut microbiome (and other microbiomes in your body). Having plenty of these probiotics in your gut microbiome comes with a slew of potential health benefits. They help break down the food you eat, which supports good digestion and nutrient absorption. They support your immune system and help it fight off harmful organisms that might cause disease or infection. They also aid in the production of neurotransmitters (which are important for brain function) and hormones (which keep other bodily functions humming along).
But here’s the thing about kombucha: Even if there are billions of probiotics in a single bottle, there’s no guarantee that these bacteria will actually stick around in your digestive system long enough to make an impact on your gut health. “Your gut microbiome is fairly stable and unique to you, which means it’s not easy for new microbes to permanently move in and take up residence,” LeRitz says. “What this means for a drink like kombucha is that its live organisms may pass through your system and have temporary effects, but there’s no strong proof right now that they consistently settle down in your gut for the long term.”
That said, there’s some evidence that kombucha and other probiotic-rich foods can be beneficial in the short term. “Probiotics from kombucha can provide short-term benefits, like helping keep gut bacteria in balance, but their effects fade once you stop drinking it,” says Adern Yu, MPH, RD, director of clinical nutrition services at City of Hope Cancer Center. “That’s why consistency and variety in your diet matter more than any single drink.”
Does kombucha have any other potential health benefits?
“Kombucha is made from tea, so it naturally carries over antioxidant compounds called polyphenols,” LeRitz says. “These are the same compounds linked to the potential heart and cell-protective effects of green and black tea.” Some early research, mostly done on animals or in test tubes, suggests that these polyphenols might also help with blood sugar regulation and maintaining healthy cholesterol levels, LeRitz says, but it’s hard to say whether these potential health benefits would be significant for humans.
Health-wise, are there any drawbacks to kombucha?
Although both Yu and LeRitz say that drinking the occasional kombucha can absolutely be part of a healthy overall diet, they point out a few things to be aware of.
Bottled kombucha typically contains anywhere from two to nine grams of added sugar per cup, Yu says. While that’s not a ton (a cup of orange juice contains 21 grams, for context), it’s something to keep in mind if you’re managing your blood sugar.
“Because kombucha is acidic, sipping on it all day or drinking it in large amounts could gradually wear down tooth enamel or irritate acid reflux in sensitive individuals,” LeRitz says. “Having it with meals or rinsing with water afterward can help minimize that effect.”
Since kombucha is made with tea, it naturally contains a little bit of caffeine, Yu explains. And because it’s fermented, it generally contains trace amounts of alcohol (less than 0.5-percent alcohol by volume, unless we’re talking about the hard kombucha that’s specifically brewed to contain more alcohol and sold in the beer aisle).
Kombucha is typically sold unpasteurized, which along with the caffeine and alcohol content means that anyone who’s pregnant or immunocompromised should probably avoid it, LeRitz says.
So, how much kombucha is OK to drink?
Although it’s not a must for good health, dietitians say go ahead and drink kombucha in moderation if you like it. “Most experts suggest keeping kombucha to about four to eight ounces a day, or a small bottle a few times a week,” LeRitz says. He also recommends paying attention to how it makes you feel afterwards, noting that some people might get an upset stomach after drinking a lot at once due to the acidity.
If you’re expecting kombucha to magically cure your digestive issues or protect you from disease, you’re expecting way too much. But if you love the slightly sweet, slightly fizzy taste of the stuff, you can go ahead and drink it without guilt.
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