Are there probiotics in kombucha?

May 15, 2025

You’ve probably heard it before: kombucha is good for your gut. Or your mood. Or both. So let’s zoom into this fermented tea and find out what’s really going on inside.

Let’s be upfront: although kombucha is often thrown into the “probiotic drink” category, you won’t find any bottle or can of kombucha on the Belgian market labeled as probiotic. That’s because we can’t officially call it probiotic. Belgian and European regulations are very specific, and science hasn’t signed all the paperwork yet. Still, this doesn’t stop researchers (and curious drinkers) from exploring what this living tea might do for our bellies.

Probiotics: a trendy word, simply explained

It’s one of those words everyone uses, like blockchain or algorithms. Sounds clever, but most of us can’t really define it.

The World Health Organization (WHO?) and FAO define probiotics as: “Live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”

In other words: probiotics are good bacteria that help with:

Balancing your gut microbiota (your internal ecosystem of microorganisms)
Strengthening your immune system
Digestion
Fighting harmful bacteria by producing natural antimicrobial substances
Supporting the growth of beneficial microorganisms, which is great for gut health

The hidden probiotic potential of kombucha

While kombucha has been loved for millennia (check our kombucha history blog post here), scientists have only recently started peering into its microbial composition. And what they’re finding aligns nicely with this ancient elixir:

Kombucha contains over 50 strains of potentially probiotic organisms.
Some of these organisms can survive stomach acid and reach your gut alive (survivors!).
They produce things like bacteriocins, natural antibiotics that fight off unwanted invaders.
Kombucha also has prebiotic components like microcellulose, which serve as food for the good bacteria.

The regulatory reality of probiotics

Not quite (yet). To wear the official “probiotic” badge in Belgium, a drink has to tick a few scientific boxes, for instance:

It needs to have at least 10 million live probiotic cells per milliliter.
It needs to prove its benefits in clinical studies conducted on humans.

While kombucha is showing promising results in lab tests (like helping gut health, improving immune responses, and even supporting liver function), we’re still waiting on more human-based studies to back up all the claims.

Choosing your kombucha wisely

If you’re looking for gut-loving benefits:

Pick kombucha that’s raw, unpasteurised, and labeled “living”.
Avoid over-processed versions that’ve been heat-treated or sterile filtered (that’s code for “goodbye microbes”).

And of course, if you’ve got specific health concerns, talk to your doctor. Kombucha’s friendly, but it’s not a miracle worker (yet).

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Sources :

Afsharmanesh, M. & Sadaghi, B. (2014). Effects of dietary alternatives (probiotic, green tea powder, and Kombucha tea) as antimicrobial growth promoters on growth, ileal nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, and immune response of broiler chickens. Comparative Clinical Pathology, 23, 717–724.
Antolak, H., Piechota, D. & Kucharska, A. (2021). Kombucha Tea-A double power of bioactive compounds from tea and Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeasts (SCOBY). Antioxidants, 10(10).
Kozyrovska, N., Reva, O., Goginyan, V.G. & de Vera, J-P. P. (2012). Kombucha microbiome as a probiotic: a view from the perspective of post-genomics and synthetic ecology. Biopolymers and Cell, 28(2), 103-113.
Marsh, A., Hill, C., Ross, R.P. & Cotter, P. (2014). Fermented beverages with health-promoting potential: Past and future perspectives. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 38 (1), 113-124.
Matei, B., Salzat, J., Diguta, C.F., Cornea, C.P., Luta, G., Utoiu, E.R. & Matei, F. (2018). Lactic acid bacteria strains isolated from Kombucha with potential probiotic effect. Romanian Biotechnological Letters, 23(3).
Selvaraj, S. & Gurumurthy, K. (2023). An overview of probiotic health booster-kombucha tea. Chinese Herbal Medicines, 15(1), 27-32.
Segun, I.Y. & Kirmizigul, A. (2020). Probiotic potential of kombucha. Journal of Functional Foods.

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