Perhaps you are a kombucha lover and want to share that love with all you can, but is kombucha safe for kids? In this article we review the safety, benefits, and potential risks of kombucha for kids. Join us as we reach the verdict on kombucha & kids!
Kombucha for Kids: Alcohol Content
Let’s go ahead and start out with the primary risk/concern when it comes to kombucha for kids: the alcohol content in kombucha. Kombucha is a fermented product, which means there is, in fact, some level of alcohol present in the beverage. However, it is rather insignificant.
In stores, kombucha must remain below 0.5% ABV. This is why kombucha can be purchased by anyone in store. This level of alcohol is very insignificant and is not something to be concerned about for adults or children.
If you homebrew your own kombucha or are interested in home-brewing kombucha, this is not quite as clear. It is true that your home-brewed kombucha may be able to reach alcohol content levels as high as 3-5% ABV; however, this is only if you are actively trying to increase the alcohol content of your kombucha. On the flip side, there are plenty of steps you can take in order to prevent your home-brewed kombucha from reaching a higher alcohol content.
How to Keep Kombucha Alcohol Content Low:
Minimize your second fermentation time
The vast majority of your kombucha’s alcohol content comes from second fermentation. This is due to the fact that your kombucha is kept in an airtight bottle during this time. This makes the fermentation anaerobic, meaning oxygen is not involved.
Bacteria present in your SCOBY, which is responsible for consuming ethanol and converting it into organic acids, can only operate aerobically. Without oxygen, the bacteria will not consume the ethanol (alcohol) let off by yeasts, and the alcohol will remain in your brew.
This is why there is essentially no alcohol after primary fermentation; levels after primary fermentation are generally below 0.5% ABV. This is not to say that you cannot take your kombucha through second fermentation. You can still do a second fermentation, you just need to manage it correctly. Keeping it shorter is one way to prevent a higher alcohol content from building up, making your kombucha safer for kids. We would recommend pulling your kombucha after a 2-3 day second fermentation.
Limit the sugar added during second fermentation
The yeast in your kombucha needs sugar to fuel fermentation and create alcohol in the first place. By keeping the sugars you add during second fermentation to standard amounts or even lower, you can also limit the alcohol content that your kombucha is capable of reaching. By limiting the additional sugar and second fermentation time to standard levels, you should already limit your post-second fermentation kombucha alcohol content to about 2% ABV max.
Drink your kombucha soon after placing it in the fridge
The cooler temperatures provided by your fridge slow fermentation significantly, but your kombucha can still slowly ferment in the fridge and very gradually build alcohol content as a result. If you are looking to minimize alcohol content, we recommend consuming your finished kombucha within 2 weeks of placing it in the fridge.
Opt to Skip Second Fermentation Altogether
For the reasons explained above, this is ideal if you want to keep your kombucha alcohol levels as low as possible. (Again, ABV is generally less than 0.5% at this point). However, you will be missing out on carbonation and the potential to flavor your brew.
Having said that, you can still add a small amount of juice or another flavoring prior to serving in order to make the kombucha more enticing to kids or adults with more of a sweet tooth. About a tablespoon of juice per 12 ounces of kombucha should do the trick! Serving the kombucha immediately after adding the juice ensures there is no time for the alcohol content to build up even if you have the kombucha in an airtight bottle.
So, is home-brewed kombucha safe for kids?
Taking the steps mentioned above limits the alcohol content of your kombucha enough to make it perfectly safe for consumption by children, while minimizing the impact on the turnout of your kombucha. As long as your kids aren’t drinking unusually high amounts of kombucha, the low alcohol content is very unlikely to affect them. Kombucha also has incredible benefits to offer children and adults alike.
Benefits of Kombucha for Kids
Encouraging Healthy Habits
Kombucha is a tasty low-sugar alternative to harmful sodas, diet sodas, high-sugar juices, and more. Kombucha can be brewed into all kinds of flavors that kids will love—they will likely never guess how healthy it actually is! Setting your children up for an addiction to a healthy, probiotic and antioxidant-loaded natural beverage instead of an addiction to sugar has much better implications for the future of their health.
Direct Health benefits
Without delving too far into the health benefits of kombucha, let’s take a look at some well-known benefits of the beverage. Kombucha is loaded with polyphenols (antioxidant-packed), B-vitamins, beneficial organic acids, and probiotics. Benefits offered include improved gut health, defense against harmful bacteria, reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes management and outright prevention, defense against cancer, detoxification, and improved energy levels. Believe it or not, this is just the start of what kombucha has to offer! Drinking kombucha is a great step towards better overall health and a more balanced body.
The Verdict
As long as it is properly brewed to manage the alcohol content, kombucha is an excellent option for kids and adults alike. Kombucha is not just a low-sugar alternative to soda and other beverages kids often drink, but it also offers excellent nutritional and health benefits. Whether you are buying kombucha from the store or brewing your kids’ favorite flavors at home, kombucha for kids is the way to go! We hope you can share your love for kombucha with your kids and enjoy the benefits together.
Please note that we are not licensed medical professionals. If you are seeking medical advice or a professional opinion, you should consult your physician.
