Can Kombucha Cure a Hangover?

Chances are you have heard one thing or another about the health benefits of kombucha, but have you heard of a kombucha hangover cure?  Today we are going to explore the world of kombucha and determine whether it should be your new go-to hangover remedy!

For those of you who don’t know, kombucha is a fermented tea drink.  It has been increasingly popular in the US over the past several years and claims various health benefits such as improved digestion, detoxification, increased energy, boosted immune system, defense against cancer-causing agents, and more.

Many people purchase kombucha by the bottle at the store, and many people also home-brew their own kombucha.  Home-brewed kombucha is most likely to contain all of the natural strains of bacteria and yeast in kombucha, generally making it most beneficial to your health. However, naturally-brewed unpasteurized store-bought brands can offer these benefits as well. This all sounds pretty great, but is there any truth to a kombucha hangover remedy?  We’ll break it down below:

Detoxification

Various scientific studies have shown that kombucha contains a high amount of antioxidants, which aid the body in detoxification of harmful compounds.  In fact, a recent study found that KT (kombucha tea) can efficiently act in both preventative healthcare and recovery. This is due to four main properties of kombucha: detoxification, antioxidation, energizing potencies, and promotion of depressed immunity.   We have our verdict on detoxification: drinking kombucha regularly may support your liver in detoxification and therefore recovery after drinking!

Stomach Aches & Nausea

Many people suffer from stomach aches and nausea after a drinking binge as well.  Can kombucha help with this? 

As it turns out, kombucha is loaded with probiotics, and probiotics are essential to strong gut health.  Probiotics can also reduce inflammation; this means that your stomach and digestive tract might have a lesser inflammatory reaction to alcohol than they would have if you didn’t drink kombucha tea!  

Reduced inflammation means relief from stomach aches and nausea. As an added bonus, detoxification offered by antioxidants found in kombucha would likely help in this area as well! Kombucha can offer quite a bit of relief from stomach aches and nausea on both a regular basis and when alcohol is involved.

Headaches & Dehydration

Many symptoms of a hangover might actually result from dehydration. Many of us get hangover headaches whether they are related to hydration or not.  So, what does kombucha have to offer us in this space?

Studies have shown that many headaches and migraines might be closely tied to gut health.  Kombucha contains a wide array of probiotics. This means it can quite possibly help to prevent or at least lessen headaches resulting from a hangover.  The study cited above found that individuals regularly taking probiotics (such as those found in kombucha) saw a reduction in both the frequency and severity of headaches and migraines.

Kombucha is also fairly high in electrolytes, which are essential to rehydrating.  Kombucha is also low in sugar unlike many popular high-electrolyte sports drinks.  This means kombucha not only offers you the hydrating benefits of a “sports drink”: it also comes without the damage caused by added sugars! 

It is important to note here that home-brewing kombucha allows you to control the amount of sugar in your end-product. If you opt for store-bought kombucha, make sure you do not purchase a brand with added sugars.

The Verdict

Overall, the evidence indicates kombucha offers amazing support for hangover recovery!  Results will likely be best for those who regularly drink kombucha and therefore build up their health and ability to fight off a hangover. Still, it appears there is some degree of benefit/relief to be gained for occasional kombucha drinkers as well.  

Next time you are hurting from a night of drinking, try grabbing a bottle of kombucha and see what it can do for you.  If you want to build up your health and natural defense systems in a big way and save some money, you can even grab a kombucha home-brewing kit, which allows you to make kombucha by the gallon at home!  

Still not sure about kombucha? Check out this article for a Kombucha 101.

Kombucha brewers and drinkers: have you noticed a difference in your hangover recovery since drinking kombucha? Share your experience in the comments below!