Alcohol In Kombucha?

August 20, 2021 | Learning, Nutrition | 0 comments | Author: Ashley Dance

Many of you have discovered the delicious and nutritious Kombucha tea and kefir water for a tasty way to up your probiotic intake. We’ve talked about its myriad of benefits before, but one question keeps arising. Since they are fermented and unpasteurized and contain a trace amount of alcohol, do they make you drunk? I found a fantastic explanation from Kombuchakamp.com

“The process of fermentation of Kombucha is two-fold. During the aerobic fermentation, the yeast consumes the nutrient solution converting the sugar into alcohol. Then, the bacteria feed on the alcohol, which gets converted into gluconic acid and all the other healthy acids. However, not all of the ethanol produced by the yeast can be consumed by the bacteria thus leaving a slight amount. The amount is slight, but those sensitive to alcohol or if you drink Kombucha on an empty stomach, may experience temporary euphoria.

Some commercial Kombuchas have been shown to have greater than .5% alcohol by volume (ABV). Unflavored, mature KT has naturally low alcohol levels (.2-.6% ABV). The alcohol level increases up to 3% during secondary fermentation, when fruit juice is added and reactivates the yeast.

Kombucha is also used to curb desires for alcohol, as well as alleviate caffeine addiction. By cleansing the liver, the drinker loses the taste for alcohol and caffeine. The energy boost from improved digestion does the same trick as coffee without the crash, making Kombucha a great afternoon pick-me-up.” 1

The “energy boost” as they call it, is simply freeing up energy from digestion in the body. Digestion requires the most energy of any process in the body. If digestion is made easier, more energy is left to feel good. The gut is known as the second brain and can produce as much serotonin as the brain when the proper gut bacteria are present. Serotonin is the brain chemical that makes you feel happy. Happy guts=happy people!