Can You Drink Kombucha While Pregnant?

During pregnancy, women often take extra care in what they eat and drink, and rightly so. As a health-conscious choice, many turn to fermented foods and drinks like kombucha for its potential benefits. But is kombucha safe during pregnancy?

The answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no. Kombucha is widely regarded for its probiotic and antioxidant properties, but it also carries certain risks during pregnancy due to its alcohol content, caffeine, and potential for contamination.

What Is Kombucha?

Kombucha is a naturally fermented tea beverage created by combining sweetened tea with a SCOBY, which stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. A SCOBY is just a living culture that eats the sugar in the tea, which kicks off the fermentation process. As it ferments, it creates all kinds of good stuff like natural acids, bubbles, and beneficial compounds that give kombucha its signature tangy flavor and health perks.

During fermentation, the SCOBY produces:

• Organic acids like acetic, gluconic, and glucuronic acids.
• Carbon dioxide, which gives kombucha its light natural carbonation.
• Trace amounts of ethanol, usually under 0.5% ABV in commercial kombucha.
• Live probiotics that may support digestive health.
• Vitamins, particularly B vitamins (B1, B6, B12) and Vitamin C [*].

While many people consume kombucha for its potential antioxidant, antimicrobial, digestive, and immune-supporting properties, its naturally occurring ethanol, caffeine, and acids can be a point of concern, especially during pregnancy [*].

Can You Drink Kombucha While Pregnant?

Kombucha is growing in popularity, but there is still very little research on its safety during pregnancy. Most studies focus on lab tests or animals, not on pregnant humans.

Kombucha can contain alcohol, caffeine, live bacteria, and organic acids, which may pose risks during pregnancy, especially since the drink is not consistently regulated.

Without clear guidelines or clinical data, it is best to be cautious. Pregnant individuals should talk to their doctor before drinking kombucha [*].

Risks of Drinking Kombucha While Pregnant

Kombucha might seem like a healthy choice, but its alcohol, caffeine, and acidity raise some concerns for pregnant women. Here’s a quick look at some potential risks that come with drinking it during pregnancy.

Alcohol

Kombucha contains small amounts of alcohol, even when labeled “nonalcoholic.” Commercial kombucha can have up to 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV), which meets FDA guidelines for nonalcoholic drinks. However, homemade kombucha can have varying alcohol levels because fermentation is unpredictable [*].

During pregnancy, even these tiny amounts of alcohol might pose risks, since no safe alcohol level is established for pregnant people [*].

Caffeine

Kombucha contains caffeine because it’s made from tea, but the fermentation process reduces the caffeine content significantly. An 8-ounce serving of kombucha usually has between 6 and 15 milligrams of caffeine, which is much less than a cup of coffee or even a cup of green tea. However, many kombucha bottles contain two servings, so caffeine intake can add up if you drink the whole bottle [*].

During pregnancy, caffeine is cleared more slowly from the body, and high caffeine intake has been linked to risks like low birth weight, preterm birth, and pregnancy loss. Because of this, pregnant women are advised to limit caffeine intake as much as possible [*][*].

Digestive Discomfort

Kombucha is naturally acidic, with a pH typically between 2.5 and 3.5. This high acidity gives kombucha its tart flavor, but it can also cause digestive discomfort, especially during pregnancy when digestion can already be more sensitive.

Drinking acidic beverages like kombucha may trigger or worsen acid reflux, which is common in pregnancy. The carbonation in kombucha can further irritate the digestive system by expanding the stomach and pushing stomach acid upward, leading to heartburn [*].

Potential Benefits of Kombucha During Pregnancy

Although many people enjoy the flavor of kombucha, the big draw for most people is some of the health benefits that come with drinking it. Here are a few ways that kombucha can help your body out.

Antioxidant Support

Pregnancy puts extra demands on your body, and one result can be increased oxidative stress. This has been linked to complications like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and even preterm birth.

Kombucha offers a natural source of antioxidants, especially tea-based polyphenols such as catechins and theaflavins, which help neutralize free radicals and reduce cell damage.

It is also a good source of vitamin C, which not only boosts your immune system but also supports collagen production.

Animal studies suggest that kombucha’s antioxidant effects might help lower oxidative stress during pregnancy; however, more research in humans is needed to confirm these benefits [*].

Probiotic Benefits

Hormonal shifts during pregnancy can disrupt your gut bacteria, leading to issues like constipation, bloating, or a higher risk of infections. Since kombucha is a fermented drink, it contains helpful microbes such as Acetobacter and certain types of yeast that may support a healthy gut.

A balanced microbiome not only helps with digestion but also strengthens immune function, which is especially important when your immune system is adapting to pregnancy.

While the exact probiotic content in kombucha can vary, its fermentation byproducts, such as gluconic and acetic acid,s may help keep harmful bacteria in check [*].

Liver Support

Your liver works harder during pregnancy to manage increased hormone levels and metabolic waste. Kombucha contains glucuronic acid, which may support liver detoxification by binding to toxins and helping eliminate them from the body.

Research has also connected glucuronic and malic acid in kombucha with improved liver function and reduced oxidative damage. Although the body naturally produces glucuronic acid, getting a bit more from kombucha might help strengthen detox pathways.

Supporting liver function can also potentially ease pregnancy-related symptoms such as fatigue, hormonal imbalances, and skin issues [*].

So, Is Kombucha Safe During Pregnancy?

Kombucha is generally not recommended during pregnancy, mainly because of its trace alcohol content, which can lead to subtle long-term cognitive, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental effects in children even at low levels, since no safe amount of alcohol exists during pregnancy.

It also contains caffeine from the tea base, has an acidity that could cause stomach discomfort, and carries a risk of bacterial contamination in unpasteurized or homemade versions.

While no large studies show clear harm specifically from kombucha, experts suggest avoiding it to be safe, as pasteurization reduces the probiotic perks and doesn't remove all fermentation-related ethanol risks. Pasteurized store-bought varieties might be a bit less risky than raw ones, but it's important to talk with your doctor for advice tailored to you [*][*].

What About Kombucha Tea?

Kombucha tea isn't any better during pregnancy because it still contains a small amount of alcohol it produces during brewing, usually under 0.5%. Even that raises concerns, though, since there's no proven safe level for a developing baby.

On top of that, the caffeine from the tea can add up quickly, and research suggests that keeping it under 200 mg a day might still carry some risks. It easily passes through the placenta, and since your body takes longer to break it down when pregnant, the fetus gets exposed for more time, which could increase the chances of miscarriage, slower growth in the womb, low birth weight, or later challenges like learning difficulties or extra weight gain in kids.

Studies in animals echo this, showing how everyday amounts can throw off embryo movement in the fallopian tubes, make implantation trickier, and affect how the placenta works, with no clear cutoff for safety and responses varying based on your genes and other factors [*][*][*].

Pregnancy-Safe Kombucha Alternatives

If you want some drinks with some similar benefits to kombucha without the caffeine or alcohol, these are a few that are safe to have during pregnancy.

• Ginger Ale: Opt for the real deal with actual ginger (skip the sugary sodas). It's a great fizzy swap that helps soothe morning sickness with its natural anti-nausea benefits.
• Decaf Herbal Teas: Try peppermint, lemon balm, or rooibos for a calming, caffeine-free brew; they're hydrating, easy on the stomach, and free from fermentation worries.
• Infused Sparkling Water: Add fresh lemon or berries for bubbles and flavor. It's refreshing, zero calories, and completely safe.
• Coconut Water: A lightly sweet, electrolyte-packed choice for staying hydrated without caffeine.

What if I Accidentally Drank Kombucha While Pregnant?

If you accidentally drank a small amount of kombucha, there's likely no cause for concern due to its low alcohol content (typically around 0.5% ABV), as a few sips are unlikely to pose a significant risk during pregnancy.

However, there is no known safe amount of alcohol to consume while pregnant, and regularly drinking even small amounts of kombucha could increase the risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, stillbirth, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), which may lead to lifelong behavioral, intellectual, and physical disabilities in the baby.

If you've been consuming kombucha regularly, consult your doctor for advice [*][*].

When Is It Safe to Drink Kombucha After Pregnancy?

It is generally safe to drink small amounts of commercial kombucha (about 0.5% ABV) while breastfeeding if consumed in moderation, as the CDC states that up to one standard drink per day is not harmful to the infant, provided you wait at least 2 hours before nursing to allow trace alcohol to clear from breast milk.

However, excessive or frequent consumption could still potentially affect the infant’s development, sleep, or your milk production [*].

The Bottom Line

Kombucha’s not the best choice during pregnancy because of its small alcohol content (about 0.5% ABV), caffeine (10-25 mg per 8 oz), and slight risk of bacteria in unpasteurized or homemade versions, which could lead to serious issues like miscarriage or developmental problems for the baby.

A sip by accident is probably fine, but don’t make it a habit, and definitely check with your doctor if you’ve been drinking it regularly.

Go for pasteurized kombucha if you must, but safer bets are ginger ale, decaf herbal teas, or sparkling water with fruit.

After pregnancy, a glass or two while breastfeeding is usually okay if you wait 2 hours before nursing, but don’t overdo it, as it might affect your baby or milk supply.

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