Does Kombucha Break A Fast? Kombucha And Fasting

As people take their health and wellness more seriously, they constantly search for new and effective methods that will take them closer to their body goals. Kombucha and intermittent fasting are two options that have risen in popularity as their benefits have become apparent. 

Kombucha is a fizzy, fermented beverage that has shown a lot of healing potential for problems like constipation, low metabolism, depression, poor immunity, and inflammation. Similarly, intermittent fasting is also known for its multi-faceted health benefits. 

Intermittent fasting requires you to limit your eating to particular times of the day or week, it is commonly followed by those who want to lose weight, but that is not its only advantage. It improves cardiovascular health and insulin resistance in individuals, normalizing their blood sugar levels and reducing inflammation. 

As both are beneficial, it is not unsurprising that there are concerns and questions over whether one can safely combine these two methods. 

What Is Allowed During Intermittent Fasting?

There are no hard and fast rules as to what is allowed because the answer to that largely depends upon the type of intermittent fasting undertaken, how strict you are with that fast, and what your long-term fitness plans are.

Since intermittent fasting depends on the time you abstain from food, instead of the types of food you stay away from, there are numerous different types of intermittent fasts. Examples of these include:

  • 16/8 Fast (Leangains Protocol) requires a person to limit all their eating within an eight-hour window and not eat for the other sixteen. This is the most common method and is usually achieved by skipping breakfast to start eating around noon and stopping all food consumption after dinner. 
  • 20/4 Fast allows an eating window that lasts for four hours. 
  • 23/1 Fast (One Meal a Day) allows one hour a day to have your meal.
  • 5:2 Method (Fast Diet) allows individuals to eat normally for five days of the week but restricts their calories to 500 or 600 per day for the other two days. 
  • Eat Stop Eat Method is twenty-four-hour abstinence from food once or twice a week. 

While it is entirely acceptable to eat or drink anything, including Kombucha, during the eating period of the fast, it is also possible to drink it when you do not eat anything. However, it is dependent upon what you think will break your fast. 

Some people do not consume any calories during their fasting period. That could mean they do not eat anything or rely on zero-calorie beverages such as water, tea, or coffee. On the other hand, it is common to cap your calorie intake to fifty calories.

If weight loss is the end goal for your intermittent fasting, then these additional calories are negligible and do not have any significant impact in the long term. 

These intake patterns have no obvious merits over each other, which is why it all comes down to personal preferences and fitness goals. For example, if you want to fast to normalize your blood sugar levels, refraining from consuming calories in the fasting period is ideal. 

Therefore, if your fasting is not rigid, and you prefer a low-calorie fast, you may very well consume Kombucha in your fasting period without considering your fast broken. However, the intake of Kombucha should be limited to fifty calories. 

How Many Calories Does Kombucha Have?

The number of calories in Kombucha depends upon the brand and manufacturer. The store-brought ones have more calories than the homebrewed ones. The longer the fermentation lasts during Kombucha manufacturing, the lower the sugar and caloric content is. This is because as time passes, more of the sugar is fermented into alcohol.

If you are fasting, you should verify the product’s label, details, and ingredients before purchasing it. Not only will the store-bought Kombucha list its sugar and caloric content behind the pack, but the medium used may also affect the amount of sugar. For example, those that contain cane sugar or fruit juices like kiwi are considerably sweeter. In the case of home-brewed Kombucha, carefully consider the amount of sugar you add. 

As a general rule, however, 16oz bottles contain 10-12g of sugar, which roughly holds sixty calories. If you want to add Kombucha into your fasting diet, you must measure the possible calorie intake before you consume them.

If you are drinking it during the fasting period, be sure not to consume over 3/4th of a bottle. If you follow the 5:2 method of fasting, include the calories in your Kombucha with any others you ingest. 

Why We Recommend Drinking Kombucha During A Fast?

This sweet and sour-tasting drink is a healthy and low-calorie alternative to any meal or almost any other beverage that you might have. It is rich in minerals and vitamins while low in sugar, thereby having little to no negative impact on your blood sugar levels.

In addition, it is available in many different flavors. Therefore it will satisfy your cravings, quench your thirst, and rejuvenate you. 

If it is a hot summer, it cools you down and makes you feel refreshed. For all these reasons and more, people confidently consume Kombucha even during their fasting hours. However, for best results, it is ideal to drink it after a workout. 

The health benefits that accompany Kombucha are undisputed. If you wish to lose weight and have picked up intermittent fasting, kombucha is a perfect addition to your lifestyle. It is rich in probiotics and antioxidants, which play an essential role in helping you lose weight. 

Probiotics, present abundantly in fermented foods like Kombucha, stimulate the growth of yeast and beneficial bacteria within your digestive system, so it lowers the absorption of dietary fat.

It is also scientifically proven that the bacteria present within a healthy individual is different than that of an obese person. Therefore, if Kombucha assists this, then it aids in making the body healthier. 

Besides reducing the calories you absorb, probiotics also affect hormones and proteins related to appetite, obesity, and fat storage. Moreover, antioxidants help your body burn the calories already ingested and promote reducing blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and fat within your body. 

An empty stomach can adversely impact your bowel movements when intermittently fasting, especially during the initial days. In that case, Kombucha is also known to regulate your bowel movements and ease digestion. This helps rid the body of toxins, which is another reason why some people adopt intermittent fasting. 

All in all, it is a perfect partner for your intermittent fasting lifestyle, as both work together to help you achieve your goals. Furthermore, these benefits are independent of whether you drink Kombucha when you eat or when fasting. 

Possible Downsides To Drinking Kombucha During A Fast?

While it certainly satiates hunger, it could potentially do the opposite and make some people hungry. It is also recommended to refrain from consuming carbohydrates when fasting because a quick rise in sugar level provides more energy and drains it just as fast, making a person feel tired, exhausted, and lethargic

. 

That being said, Kombucha’s results differ from person to person, as everyone’s reaction varies, and there is no set way to find out how you respond to it without trying it. However, people with regular sugar imbalances are advised to refrain from consuming Kombucha during fasting. 

If you have Kombucha during your eating period, try to cut down on other carbohydrates in favor of proteins and fiber-rich meals. This will ensure you receive a balanced diet. 

Can I Drink Kombucha On OMAD?

The rules that apply to other forms of intermittent fasting are also pertinent to the One Meal a Day (OMAD) method. You can consume Kombucha during the meal designated to you, but this diet is a bit stricter; you will have to be careful about it. 

On the bright side, fermented foods are highly recommended during OMAD, alongside proteins and healthy fats. Since Kombucha is produced by fermentation, its health benefits can be safely reaped, as they work alongside the OMAD diet to promote your wellbeing. 

While you can eat whatever you wish to in that one meal, it is advised that you keep it balanced. Moreover, you should not start the meal with Kombucha, as drinking it after a daylong fast can spike your blood sugar level, which is harmful if done repeatedly. Instead, you should begin with proteins, fats, and foods rich in fibers before ingesting Kombucha.

The Bottom Line

Whether or not drinking Kombucha breaks a fast is determined by what you consider ‘breaking a fast. The definition varies for every individual, so it is based on what your beliefs are. For example, if you adhere to a strict, no-calorie diet, you might not want to drink it during your fasting period, but if not, it is perfectly safe to drink Kombucha. 

With no significant downsides and numerous positives, Kombucha is a wonderful addition to anyone’s diet. Still, regardless of when you drink it, you must measure the calories you consume to do the best for your health.

How Can You Tell The Kombucha Have Expired?

Do you have a few bottles of kombucha sitting in your fridge, and you are wondering whether you should drink them tonight or toss them in the trash? How can you tell if kombucha has gone bad since it already contains bacteria and yeast? 

Kombucha is made by fermenting black or green tea using a culture of bacteria and yeast called SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). The fermentation process produces acid, a small amount of alcohol, and gases that add to the drink’s fizziness. But these microbes don’t run free – they are systematically controlled to produce probiotics that aid digestion and gut health. 

Since kombucha uses a SCOBY, it can lose its quality and flavor if not stored and handled correctly. Leaving your kombucha outside the refrigerator or not sealing the bottle properly can impact the fermentation process.

It all comes down to controlling the microbial population if you want to increase your kombucha’s shelf life. Keep reading to find out the tell-tale signs of kombucha gone bad, whether you should consume it, how long to keep it in the refrigerator, and whether old kombucha can make you sick. 

How can you tell if Kombucha is bad?

Kombucha may already be considered “bad” by all conventional standards due to its thriving yeast and bacterial population. But it depends on the type of microbes growing that determines whether or not it is safe for consumption. 

If your kombucha has been lying around for a couple of days and you have second thoughts before drinking, here are a few helpful tips.

The Kombucha has mold

As mentioned earlier, kombucha is made via fermentation with a SCOBY. So, it is not uncommon to see a juvenile SCOBY in the form of a few strands of gel-like substances in the drink. But sometimes mold may start growing on the young SCOBY.

Mold indicates that your kombucha has gone bad. So, if you see any mold around the bottle, you should discard it immediately. While mold is rare due to the acidic environment, there is still a tiny chance it can occur. 

But how can you tell whether those floating objects are mold or SCOBY? Well, SCOBY looks more like pudding and is white-ish in color. In contrast, mold is blue-white or black and has a fluffy consistency. Mold also does not form inside the liquid but at the top or around the sides of the bottle. So, on the other hand, SCOBY would mostly be floating inside the bottle. 

It Tastes Like Vinegar

Kombucha is naturally an acidic drink due to the acetic acid produced by fermentation. However, suppose it is left at room temperature for far too long. In that case, the fermentation process will speed up, and it will soon turn highly acidic and unfit for consumption. Kombucha is a balance between tea, sugar, and acid. If this balance is disrupted, the kombucha starts to go bad. Since the SCOBY is alive and well, it inevitably uses up all the sugar, which is then replaced by a strong acidic taste. 

Most people encounter this type of kombucha when it becomes too sour to drink, but it is still not vinegar quite yet. So you can either throw it out or let it sit at room temperature for another week so that it can transform into vinegar. 

To conclusively determine if your kombucha is drinkable, you can do a taste test. Drinking a small amount will not do any harm, and you can quickly tell if it is too acidic or not. But if you’re not comfortable with this method, get a pack of pH strips to test its pH level. If the pH is greater than 2.4, then your kombucha is no longer fit for consumption. 

There is a foul smell from the bottle

Given that kombucha does not have the most pleasant smell, it still should not reek an acrid odor. If that is the case, then it’s a strong indication your kombucha is contaminated with mold or some other microbe. It also smells when it starts turning into vinegar. 

There are also other inherent properties of kombucha, which people often mistake for bad kombuchas, such as sediment; sediment at the bottom of the drink is pretty standard. It may look unaesthetic and a bit gross. You can gently tilt the bottle to mix it up.  However, be careful – do not shake the bottle vigorously as it may explode the way champagne does, due to the carbonation.

Kombucha is an effervescent drink due to the presence of living microbes. But the level of effervescence or fizz depends on various factors such as the storage conditions and storage time.

So, fizz or lack of thereof does not mean your kombucha has gone bad. However, if the fizz is less than you anticipated, it means the fermentation is slowing down, and your kombucha may not retain its quality for much longer.

Lastly, there are bound to be many strands forming in the liquid. These strands are newly created SCOBY. SCOBY is used to make kombucha, so new SCOBY is developed over time even if the original SCOBY is filtered out during bottling. The newly formed SCOBY is safe to consume since these are good bacteria and yeast. But if you find it disgusting, then you can use a coffee filter to filter it out. 

Is it ok to drink Kombucha past the expiration date?

In simple words, yes, you may drink kombucha beyond the expiry date. Many people assume kombucha does not expire because it is a fermented product. However, that’s not true. Kombucha does expire, but the fermentation makes the product last longer than other drinks. 

If you’re keen on consuming kombucha beyond the expiration date, you should keep a few factors in mind. Unopened, expired kombucha can be safe to drink months after the expiry date if it is well sealed and stored correctly. Proper handling entails refrigeration and preventing air from getting into contact with the beverage. If it starts to smell and has an overly tart taste, you should reconsider consuming it. 

However, once you’ve opened your kombucha, things can get a little tricky from here. It is exposed to various factors such as moisture and contaminants in the air, speeding up the fermentation process. Gradually, it will start losing flavor and fizz. In this case, try to store your kombucha in a sealed container to prevent decomposition and consume it within a few days of opening. 

How long can you keep kombucha in the refrigerator?

Kombucha can safely be stored in the refrigerator for 6 – 8 months because the highly acidic environment and presence of good microbes prevent any bad ones from making their home in the bottle. Refrigeration also slows down the fermentation process as the SCOBY becomes inactive; this helps preserve its taste and flavor. 

However, if you have a can of kombucha, you should consume it immediately after opening since it is challenging to reseal a can after opening. In contrast, a resealable bottle can last for approximately 3 – 5 days in the refrigerator after opening. 

Can old Kombucha make you sick?

Generally, consuming old kombucha well past its expiry date does not cause any problems. But if you have some underlying health issues such as a compromised immune system, your body may struggle to fight off the bacteria you ingested. 

In some instances, expired or old kombucha may contain an excessive number of harmful bacteria that may cause an upset stomach, mild infections, or allergic reactions. 

So, to be on the safe side, it is better not to experiment with kombucha that you feel is old and has not been stored properly. 

The final word

The bottom line is that kombucha may last longer than other drinks due to its low pH, but it may still go bad after a particular time. However, the time frame dramatically varies on the packaging, storage conditions, exposure to contaminants, etc.

Drinking old or contaminated kombucha might not do you harm if you’re healthy but may affect those with weak immune systems. Thus, if you want your kombucha to last long, make sure to keep it refrigerated and sealed to keep enjoying the benefits of this ancient drink.