Kombucha or kefir? Which is right for you?
Naturopath and Dannic Drinks founder Gail Matthew explains the difference between kombucha and kefir.
We get asked this one all the time at markets and events. Kombucha or kefir? Which one should I be drinking?
The honest answer is that they’re quite different drinks, and they suit different moments in your day. Both are fermented and both are full of live cultures. But how you use them is not the same.
Here’s how I explain it.
Meet the fizz
Kombucha starts its life as a sweetened green tea. Then we add the scoby and starter liquid, and this ferments most of that sugar out. What you’re left with is a delicious low sugar beverage that tastes great and is good for your health.
It turns lightly fizzy and very refreshing. Ours is traditionally brewed and flavoured with real fruit.
Think of it as a replacement for a sugary soda, juice or your evening wine or beer. Each bottle holds 700 million live probiotic cultures, independently tested.
Meet the shot
Kefir water is a different story. The Kefir Co is made with organic young green coconut water, fermented with a blend of kefir cultures and a natural prebiotic.
It’s a very powerful probiotic. The recommended daily adult serve is just 50ml. That little shot holds 25 billion live probiotic cultures across 8 strains, plus a natural prebiotic from chicory root. I think of it as a daily wellness habit rather than a drink, a simple way to get your probiotics every day.
Our kefir is an easy alternative to a probiotic tablet. Many tablets contain fewer strains and fewer cultures, and those cultures are not alive, whereas a single shot of our kefir gives you more variety and a higher count of live cultures in one go. Because it’s a liquid, you can also moderate the dose, starting small and building up at a pace that suits you.
A healthy gut sits at the centre of a lot of what happens in the body, from digestion to how we feel day to day, which is why a small daily habit can be worth building.
Let's talk sugar
This is the question I hear most, so let’s be straight about it. Kombucha is brewed with sugar because the culture needs something to feed on. Ours finishes at around 2.3 to 2.5g per 100ml, which is less than standard milk at 4.7g per 100ml or trim milk at 4.8g per 100ml.
Kefir has no added sugar, as we ferment the natural sugar in the coconut water. The Kefir Co sits at about 1.6g per 100ml, and because a serve is only 50ml, that’s under 1g in your daily shot.
So, both are low in sugar. Whatever you may have heard about kombucha, it is not a sugar bomb.
Which one is for you?
Reach for kombucha when you want something to enjoy at home or at a BBQ with friends. It’s cold, fizzy and flavoursome, and a good swap for alcohol or soft drink.
Reach for kefir when you want a daily gut habit. One small shot, taken at the same time each day, is all it takes.
If you’re new to probiotics, ease in gently. Start with 25 to 30ml of kefir and add 5ml every three days until you reach your 50ml. From what I know as a naturopath, slow and steady wins here.
Why not both?
You don’t have to choose. Kombucha and kefir bring different cultures to the table, and a healthy gut likes both. A kefir shot in the morning and a kombucha in the afternoon is an easy combination to live with.
There’s plenty of fun to be had in the kitchen:
Our kombucha cocktails and mocktails are perfect for a BBQ with friends.
Our kefir recipes make a daily gut habit something to look forward to.
