Ethos23

Does anyone drink Kombucha? I tried it yesterday, then was told after that it contains trace amounts of alcohol - less than 0.5%. Needless to say, I won't be drinking it again. Further, I don't see this as a relapse or a slip, but wanted to know other members thoughts on the drink. It's really been promoted as a healthy drink, namely because if its probiotic benefits, which stem from the fermentation of the tea.

LeeJane

Personally I stay clear of this type of thing. My alkie mind would grab hold of it and twist my thoughts into exhausting knots.

Whether it would trigger physical cravings I don't know.

Melissa1217

I do drink it.

I feel the benefits outweigh any risk for me.

My mother, a non-drinker/non-smoker died of breast cancer at the age of thirty nine. Too many holistic nutritionists recommended it for me to just ignore.

If an individual finds that the minescule amount of naturally occurring alcohol triggers them, obviously that person should then stay away.

Venecia

Kombucha is a common topic here on SR.

There is no scientific evidence that it offers any medical benefit.

Kombucha tea: Does it have health benefits? - Mayo Clinic

LadyBlue0527

When I started the sober fun group in this area one of the members suggested we attend an event that shows how to make this. Being careful, I checked into the process ahead of time and all I had to see was the word "fermentation" to make the decision it was not for me.

I don't have a problem with eating foods cooked with alcohol but it can't be anything where I could taste it or enough to have an effect. The act of bringing food to my mouth and ingesting it isn't a trigger.

Placing a glass up to my lips though that has anything fermented is not wise for me. No chances being taken this time.

ScottFromWI

Like NA beer/wine you'll find a lot of opinions on this one. The alcohol content is supposedly between 0.3 and 0.5 percent so it's negligible but there. So on one hand, drinking just one 12 ounce glass of it would be the equivalent of drinking maybe 1 or 2 ounces of light beer?

The alcohol content is probably far less important though than the psychlogical aspect. I'd find myself obsessing about it too much just like when I experimented with NA beer. I choose to avoid it for those reasons.

BlissWithin

I think, like NA beer, it can be triggering for some people

Ekohe

I personally drink Kombucha daily, one bottle(480 ml) and have not had it trigger me in anyway, I have personally felt its effect at changing my digestive health for the better.

Everyone is different though.

FreeOwl

I drink Kombucha from time to time. Never had any problem with it or found it to give me any sort of craving or issue.

The alcohol found in commercial kombucha is such a trace amount as to be pretty much irrelevant as far as I'm concerned.

I don't offer this as an encouragement, but as an honest point of feedback to your question.

It's a personal thing. Some people in sobriety have the experience that ANY amount of alcohol regardless how small, cannot enter their body. Others do not find themselves to experience difficulty with very small trace amounts that naturally occur in foods - particularly fermented foods.

I don't make a habit of kombucha, but I find it a tasty beverage and it feels heallthy to me, and seems to have positive effect for my digestion and gut health.

FreeOwl

another comment; I only drink commercial kombucha though. I attempted to make my own one time, and it was clearly VERY high in alcohol. I could smell it, and one taste verified. I gave it to a friend, who said it was basically kombucha wine.... so homemade kombuchas have a high risk of having strong alcohol content. Storebought stuff is regulated and has a much more predictable process that can be counted on more to NOT have a significant amount of alcohol.

fini

it's soooo easy to get probiotics from organic yoghurt.....or even buy them in a capsule.
no need, then, to try to outweigh supposed benefits vs potential costs and dangers of a fermented drink.

uncorked

You're more likely to get alcohol from vinegar, pickles, bread (yeast) or orange juice. I wouldn't even give it a second thought. The FDA has pretty stringent regulations on alcohol content.

Dee74

I've seen several threads here about Kombucha before so in that respect it's not like vinegar, pickles, bread or orange juice...

D

uncorked

No, I'm just saying that it has about as much alcohol as the above ^^^. I don't think they card you to buy kombucha, do they? My 19 yr old daughter has bought it so I didn't think it would be considered alcoholic. (Never tried it myself.)

FBL

I steer clear of anything with even a trace of alcohol (even mouthwash). Better safe than sorry.

MLD51

All I know is that my ex SIL drank a kombucha and then borrowed my car, which had an interlock device. He blew over the acceptable limit of .02 to start the car. Now - that doesn't mean his BAC was actually over .02, I'm sure it was just residual alcohol in his mouth, because he had just finished it, but still. That was enough for me to know I'm not going to drink it. I tried it once a long time ago and I didn't like it anyway. No loss to me.