The Best Time to Drink Kombucha (It May Surprise You!)

Have you wondered what is the best time to drink kombucha in your day? It all comes down to your goals and sensitivities. Breaking down all the details on when to drink kombucha here!

Drinks have a way of defining our day. There’s the coffee or tea in the morning. The smoothie or protein shake in the afternoon. The occasional glass of wine (or two or three) in the evening. But where does kombucha fit into the mix? And is there a best time of day to drink kombucha?

For the uninitiated, kombucha is a fizzy fermented tea with many health benefits, to include being:

• full of gut-loving probiotics
• a lower sugar alternative to soda
• a good source of antioxidants
• hydrating

So when should you be drinking this healthy elixir? It all comes down to your sensitivities. Specifically, if you are sensitive to caffeine, alcohol, or probiotics.

Kombucha in the morning

The probiotics in kombucha are one of the reasons people love it! But if you drink kombucha on an empty stomach in the morning and aren’t yet accustomed to these probiotics, you may experience an upset stomach.

But if you are used to drinking kombucha, drinking it on an empty stomach is the best way to maximize the potency of the probiotics. Without food getting in the way, they’ll pass through your stomach more quickly, meaning more probiotics will make it to your large intestines (i.e. where they work their magic).

You should also be aware that kombucha can contain alcohol. Though store bought kombucha usually contain less than 0.5% ABV, homemade kombucha can contain more. If you are sensitive to alcohol, avoid drinking kombucha in the morning (although, I mean, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere, right?) (learn to make hard kombucha here!).

Kombucha at meal time

Drinking kombucha with or after a meal is thought to aid digestion. The carbonation of kombucha may also make you feel more full, which can be useful if your goal is weight loss.

Traditional ayurvedic medicine says that consuming sour/acidic foods and drinks before a meal can also aid in weight loss, though we couldn’t find scientifically supported research to substantiate this.

Kombucha at night

Kombucha is typically made from black or green tea, which can contain caffeine. Though the caffeine content is less after fermentation, there is still caffeine present in the finished brew – about 10 to 25 mg of caffeine per cup (for reference, a cup of coffee contains about 40 mg). If you are sensitive to caffeine, it’s best not to consume kombucha in the hours before bed.