Does Kombucha Have Caffeine? Nutritionists Explain

Most often made from a base of green or black tea, kombucha offers health benefits that include improved gut health thanks to probiotics and a good dose of antioxidants thanks to the teas it's made from. The fermentation process also means that your glass of kombucha will have a touch of alcohol—"typical amounts of alcohol in kombucha are around 0.5%, with 3% as the highest amount if it's home-brewed," explained Isabel Smith, R.D., CDN—but what about caffeine? Here we get to the bottom of it.

"Fermented tea has been consumed in China since 5,000 years ago," Ella Davar, R.D., CDN, told mindbodygreen. And because kombucha starts with a tea base, there will likely be some caffeine in the final product—but there are a few factors that can affect just how much.

People who are particularly sensitive to caffeine or who have cut out caffeine entirely may notice the small amounts, but if you're used to having a daily cup of coffee (or two), the low caffeine level in kombucha likely won't be noticeable.

Another component that may influence your energy levels when drinking kombucha is the other micronutrients present. "Kombucha has antioxidant potential and free radical scavenging ability, which in turn ameliorates the damage induced by oxidative stress," explained Davar, "This detoxing property of kombucha in addition to its contribution to a healthy gut microbiome can potentially affect energy levels in healthy individuals."

Your favorite kombucha probably does have some caffeine in it, but not enough to worry about unless you're particularly sensitive to caffeine content. Other factors, however, may mean that your favorite fermented tea may lead to increased energy over time—which is probably preferable to caffeine anyway.