How much sugar is in kombucha?

Key facts

• Carbohydrate. About 2.4–4.1 g per 100 mL on the labels studied. [1]
• Added sugar. 0–3.4 g per 100 mL. [1]
• Energy. Labels ranged from 3 to 17 kcal per 100 mL. [1]

Why is there sugar in kombucha?

TTB describes kombucha as steeped tea and sugar fermented with a culture of yeast and bacteria; the sugar is what drives fermentation. [2] Some remains in the finished drink, and many brands add juice or sugar for flavour. [1]

How much do brands differ?

In the 2022 Nutrients study, label data for nine products ranged from 2.41 to 4.10 g carbohydrate and 0 to 3.38 g added sugar per 100 mL. [1] Always check the label of the bottle you buy.

Does fermentation remove the sugar?

Only partly. Yeast in the SCOBY ferments sugar into alcohol, and TTB notes fermentation can continue in the bottle, so sugar and alcohol can keep changing after bottling. [1] [2] The 2022 study also found the products differed widely in microbes and chemistry, so one brand's figures don't apply to another. [1]

Calories: calories in kombucha.

Related answers: calories in kombucha · what is kombucha

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Cider, perry, calvados and pommeau are alcoholic drinks. Enjoy responsibly and follow the legal drinking age where you live.