This Is What Happens to Your Body When You Drink Kombucha Every Day
A GI doc and functional medicine experts explain
Once a fringe drink only found at select health food stores, kombucha is everywhere in 2023. Chances are you can find a whole fridge full of different brands at the grocery store, a few on tap at a local restaurant and free to sample at the farmers’ market.
Kombucha is touted as a gut-healthy alternative to soda, full of probiotics that feed the good bacteria in your gut. “Kombucha is a fermented tea drink made from a combination of tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast. In its initial stages, bacteria and yeast are grown together to form a culture,” explains Dr. Amy Myers, MD, a functional medicine doctor and New York Times bestselling author.
Does the fermented drink really deserve its health halo? According to gut health experts, it can be beneficial—but not for everyone. Here they detail who should and shouldn’t drink kombucha and how you can expect your health to change if you start drinking it every day.
Related: Thinking About Trying Kombucha? Get on Board With These 17 Fizzy, Fermented Recipes
Who Should and Shouldn’t Drink Kombucha
In general, gastroenterologist Dr. Kenneth Brown, MD, who hosts the Gut Check Project podcast, says that kombucha is good for gut health. While it’s often the probiotics in kombucha that are heralded as its primary healthy ingredient, Dr. Brown says the drink also contains polyphenols, another nutritional perk. “These compounds have been shown to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the gut, leading to improved gut health,” he says.
Despite being high in probiotics and polyphenols, both of which have a positive effect on health, both Dr. Brown and Dr. Myers say that not everyone should drink kombucha. Both emphasize that anyone who is regularly experiencing a lot of digestive issues (including constipation, bloating or diarrhea), needs to get to the underlying cause of their symptoms first. This will likely mean working directly with a gastroenterologist, who can run tests to see if there are any underlying health issues or who may be able to pinpoint a dietary or lifestyle reason for the symptoms.
Especially if you have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), both doctors say that drinking kombucha can actually have a negative effect. “While kombucha is often touted for its probiotic content, the beverage's live microorganisms can worsen symptoms in individuals with SIBO. This is because probiotics can contribute to bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, exacerbating gas, bloating and constipation,” Dr. Brown says.
It’s also important to know that most kombuchas do contain a small amount of alcohol, so anyone who wants to live an alcohol-free life should seek out kombuchas that are specifically labeled as alcohol-free. It may also interfere with certain medications, so if you are taking any prescription medications, check with your healthcare provider first.
Related: This Is the Top Habit Destroying Your Gut Health, According to an Integrative Medicine Doctor
How Drinking Kombucha Every Day Can Affect Your Body
If you are generally in good health, you’re in the clear to give kombucha a shot. Kombucha is sold by the bottle, but Dr. Brown says it’s important to know that you aren’t meant to drink it all at once. He recommends keeping the serving size to between four and eight ounces. If you’ve never had kombucha before, start with a small serving before working up to this. Dr. Brown says that drinking too much kombucha can lead to gastrointestinal upset and potential tooth enamel damage.
Since kombucha has probiotics, both Dr. Myers and Dr. Brown say that when someone starts drinking it every day, they will likely experience some positive changes in terms of both their digestive system and overall health. “Kombucha [has] probiotics, so it helps promote a balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut. The most common examples of good bacteria are the Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus species,” Dr. Myers says. With these beneficial bacteria species thriving in your gut, you may find your bowel movements are more regular.
These bacteria species can not only positively impact digestive health, but scientific research has shown that they lower inflammation, play a role in disease prevention and support immune health. Dr. Brown says that the polyphenols in kombucha contribute to all of these positive effects too. Especially if you are trading soda (which negatively impacts the gut), for kombucha, you may notice your digestive system working better and that you’re getting sick less often because your immune health is being better supported.
While kombucha can be a healthy addition to one’s diet, both doctors say that it’s not all someone should focus on nor is it necessary to drink it every day to support your gut. Eating fiber-rich foods is even more important for gut health and there are also many other foods with probiotics, including kimchi, miso and yogurt.
Related: Looking to Give Your Gut a Little Reset? These 50 Probiotic Foods Are a Great Place to Start!
If you don’t eat many probiotic foods, Dr. Myers says it may be helpful to consider a probiotic supplement, which is higher in probiotics than kombucha and lists the exact bacteria strains on the label so you know exactly what you’re getting.
While drinking kombucha every day may affect your health in a small way, it’s your overall diet that matters the most. Think of kombucha as a way to complement other gut-healthy dietary habits already in place. And if you are experiencing digestive problems regularly, talk to your healthcare provider or book an appointment with a gastrointestinal doctor. That way, you can get to the bottom of what’s really going on in your body instead of trying to fix it with a trendy drink.
Next up, get tips on how to best improve your gut health through what you eat.
Sources
Dr. Amy Myers, MD, functional medicine doctor and author of The Autoimmune Solution and The Thyroid Connection
Dr. Kenneth Brown, MD, gastroenterologist and host of the Gut Check Project podcast
