The Differences Between Kefir and Kombucha

What Is Kefir?

Kefir is a food produced by fermenting milk with yeast and bacterial cultures.

What Is Kombucha?

Kombucha is a food produced by fermenting tea with yeast and bacterial cultures.

What Are the Differences Between Kefir and Kombucha?

The products in the fermented food category differ in production, nutrition, taste and texture.

How Are Kefir and Kombucha Made?

Both kefir and kombucha need a starter material to go through fermentation, a process in which bacteria, yeasts or other microorganisms break down glucose molecules or sugar.

In fact, the biggest difference is that kefir is traditionally milk-based, while kombucha is based on green or black tea.

What Do They Taste and Feel Like?

Traditional kefir is milk-based and has a creamy consistency. Most people think of kefir as a drinkable yoghurt. It has a sour taste, and how sweet it is depends on whether sugar has been added.

Many people recognise kombucha by the characteristic, sticky live culture that typically settles at the bottom of the bottle. On first smell, it gives off a vinegar-like aroma. It has a bitter taste and is usually carbonated and fizzy, characteristics that come from the acetic acid released during fermentation and from carbon dioxide molecules formed by other gases.

The fermentation processes used to make kefir and kombucha mean that both drinks are full of probiotics, the good bacteria found in foods and in your digestive system.

Kefir and kombucha contain different types and amounts of bacteria. Both contain lactic acid bacteria, and kombucha also contains acetic acid.

What Are the Nutritional Values of Kefir and Kombucha?

The nutritional values of 240 ml of kefir and kombucha are as follows.

A cup of kefir made with low-fat milk also provides 30% of the daily value for calcium, 5% of the daily value for sodium, and 10% and 25% of the daily value for vitamin A.

The nutritional composition of kefir and kombucha can vary considerably depending on which ingredients are used to make them. Both contain probiotics such as lactic and acetic acid bacteria.

The main benefit of drinking kombucha and kefir is that they are a source of probiotics, the good bacteria that help support the bacterial balance in the digestive tract.

Some animal studies have suggested that drinking kefir may reduce infection, support healing, lower high cholesterol and strengthen the immune system; this has not been confirmed in people.

Kombucha does not only contain probiotics but also offers the benefits of the tea used to make it. For example, green and black teas are high in powerful antioxidants, compounds that fight the free radical damage that can lead to chronic disease. It may have a protective effect on the liver. Some animal studies have found that kombucha reduced liver poisoning caused by toxic chemicals by up to 70% in some cases; this has not been confirmed in people.

While kefir and kombucha offer a number of gut-related benefits, there may be downsides to consider.

Kefir is not suitable for people with lactose intolerance or a milk allergy. Some people may experience changes in bowel habits, such as constipation or abdominal pain, when they first drink kefir.

It is not very suitable for people on immunosuppressive treatment. In such a case, speak to your doctor before using it.

Because of the carbon dioxide formed during fermentation, kombucha can cause bloating. Because it contains caffeine, it can cause sleeplessness.

In addition, kombucha is not suitable for people following the low-FODMAP diet for irritable bowel syndrome.

Because kombucha is an unpasteurised product and contains caffeine, it is not suitable for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

This article is for general information only; please consult your doctor and dietitian about your own situation.