Kombucha is a health-promoting beverage that is enjoyed in different parts of the world because of its pleasant tart flavor and its many health benefits. While some health-promoting beverages require a specific time of intake, Kombucha doesn’t have an ideal time of consumption. In fact, you can freely drink Kombucha at any time of the day depending on what benefit you want to reap from this drink or your body’s reaction to it.
If you are still clueless about when is the best time to drink Kombucha, we’ve got you covered. Read on as we take a detailed look at the best time to drink Kombucha as well as some deciding factors for this.
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When Is The Best Time To Drink Kombucha?
The truth is there is no best time to drink Kombucha because the best time to drink Kombucha varies from one person to another. The best time for taking this drink is always a personal choice that depends on several factors.
The factors to consider when deciding the best time to drink Kombucha include:
1. Body’s sensitivity to Kombucha
Our bodies can have different reactions to this drink. These reactions are one of the key factors to consider when deciding when is the best time to drink Kombucha.
For instance, many health practitioners may suggest drinking Kombucha on an empty stomach to maximize its detoxifying effect, however, your stomach may be too sensitive to the acidity of Kombucha in the morning causing a negative reaction. In this scenario, the best time recommended by experts is not the best time for you. Instead of drinking it in the morning, you may opt to drink it in the afternoon or night.
2. Desired health benefits
Another key factor to consider in deciding the best time to drink this beverage is according to the benefits you want to reap. The time you drink Kombucha may play a role in the benefits you can acquire from this drink.
Here are the benefits of drinking Kombucha at different times of the day.
- Morning
Drinking Kombucha in the morning can enhance its detoxifying effects and balance your gut bacteria more effectively. Additionally, it can provide you with caffeine that can boost your energy for the whole day.
However, drinking Kombucha at this time may cause negative effects on the digestive system, especially if you are a newbie drinker or have an extra sensitive stomach. Kombucha’s high acidity may overwhelm your digestive tract and cause you to experience side effects like diarrhea, bloating, and more.
Additionally, the alcohol content of Kombucha may lessen the effectiveness of caffeine and cause you to experience alcohol-related symptoms such as difficulty focusing and rapid heartbeat. Because of this, we suggest that you always opt for Kombucha with low alcohol content if you plan to drink it in the morning.
- Afternoon
The caffeine content in Kombucha can help give you energy for the rest of the day however, as we have mentioned above the alcohol content may still pose some negative effects on your body. If you can opt for Kombucha which is labeled non-alcoholic because it only contains less than 0.5% ABV. This amount will not likely cause any alcohol-related symptoms.
Drinking Kombucha before or after your afternoon workout can also help rehydrate your body and keep you energized to withstand your workout routines. Despite this, it is still best to drink more water than Kombucha to prevent overconsumption and side effects like digestive distress.
- Night
Drinking this healthy beverage at night can make you feel generally relaxed due to its alcohol content resulting in better and calmer sleep. However, drinking Kombucha at night may not be the best time for people with caffeine sensitivity. Although the caffeine levels of Kombucha are low, it can still affect one’s sleep. If you want to drink Kombucha at night, we recommend drinking only a small amount to avoid the side effects brought by the caffeine content.
3. Health Condition
Your health is no doubt one of the most important deciding factors that you have to think about when picking the best time for drinking Kombucha.
For instance, if you have a compromised immune system or digestive system, you may need to limit your consumption of Kombucha to minimal amounts and not drink this on an empty stomach in the morning. Additionally, if you are extra sensitive to caffeine, you might need to avoid drinking Kombucha at night.
In case you are having some health issues, we strongly suggest consulting your doctor to help you decide when is the best time to drink Kombucha for you.
4. Age
Kombucha is widely considered as being safe for people of different ages. Nevertheless, age could still be a deciding factor.
It is important to note that Kombucha contains different alcohol levels that are not appropriate for all age groups, particularly children. Hence, you might need to limit Kombucha consumption for children and avoid giving this drink to them in the morning. The caffeine content may also affect them at some point so do not give this drink to them before bed.
Is It OK To Drink Kombucha Every Day?
The short answer is yes, however, you have to keep in mind to never exceed the recommended daily consumption of Kombucha. As the saying goes, too much of anything is bad. The same thing applies to drinking Kombucha.
The recommended amount of consumption for Kombucha is 12 oz. However, some may still drink up to 16 oz. depending on their body’s accustomation or reaction to it.
While 12 oz. is considered the maximum daily consumption, some may still find this amount overwhelming. If your body is still adjusting to Kombucha, you may need to lower your maximum daily consumption. Our advice is, to begin with, a maximum of 4 oz. a day. From this amount gradually increase your amount of consumption to achieve more health benefits.
Taking Kombucha in small servings at different times of the day can also help your body to adjust to drinking 12 oz. of Kombucha daily. You can divide 12 oz into 3 servings with 4 oz. each and drink one serving in the morning, afternoon, and at night.
Fermented foods including Kombucha are not easily accepted by the body and some people may take several months to a year to have their bodies fully accustomed to Kombucha’s taste and benefits. Hence, for beginners, it is best to only drink small servings of Kombucha daily. If this is still too much for you, you may decide to skip a day of drinking this beverage.
You may also add more flavors and sweeteners to your Kombucha to make daily consumption easier for you. You may add honey, maple syrup, and even some fruit juices to make Kombucha more appealing to you.
When Should You Not Drink Kombucha?
First of all, if you are sensitive to caffeine, you shouldn’t drink Kombucha at night before bed. Kombucha contains green and black tea. Like coffee, tea is known for its caffeine content. Although the caffeine from the steeped tea is twice lower than brewed coffee per 8 oz. of serving, people with caffeine sensitivity may still be affected by Kombucha’s caffeine content.
Morning may also not be the best time for some people to drink Kombucha especially if their stomachs are still empty. Kombucha is a potent acidic beverage that can cause digestive distress to people who are not used to this kind of drink. If you are new to drinking Kombucha, we suggest drinking it after the meal or begin drinking only a small amount of Kombucha on an empty stomach.
Should I Drink Kombucha Before or After a Meal?
Drinking Kombucha before and after a meal is both beneficial, however, they have varying benefits that you should be aware of.
Kombucha consumption before a meal on an empty stomach before your first meal can maximize the health benefits of Kombucha. Additionally, this can make the detoxifying effects of this drink work more effectively. It can also help balance the beneficial gut bacteria for the whole day. On the downside, this may cause digestive distress, especially for people who are not used to Kombucha’s acidity.
Before a meal is also a good time to drink Kombucha for maintaining and losing weight. The effectiveness of Kombucha for losing weight can be higher if you drink it before a meal. This is because sour and acidic foods like Kombucha can suppress your appetite and prevent you from overeating. Drinking Kombucha at this time can also aid in digestion.
Drinking Kombucha after a meal can help improve digestion as well. The high probiotics content of Kombucha is proven to enhance digestion effectively. After a meal may also be a safer time of consumption to prevent digestive distress for people who have sensitive stomachs.
No matter if you drink Kombucha before or after a meal, you can definitely acquire the different health benefits of this health elixir. However, you need to be careful to not consume too much Kombucha in a day. Overconsumption of this drink can prevent you from garnering its health benefits and cause you to experience side effects such as unexpected weight gain, bloating, digestive distress, and more.
