Guide
Probiotics tea: kombucha, brewed tea and live cultures
What kombucha is, how it differs from a probiotic supplement, what a review found, and what we can't say about adding probiotics to hot tea.
Kombucha is sugared tea fermented by a culture of acetic acid bacteria and yeast. It is a fermented drink, which experts class as a different category from a probiotic supplement, and a review found no randomized trials of kombucha for gut effects. We found no study on adding a probiotic to hot tea.
What kombucha is
A review of kombucha tea describes fermenting sugared tea with a symbiotic culture of acetic acid bacteria and yeast, known as the tea fungus. The review noted reports of benefit but said more studies on kombucha tea and its composition are needed before final conclusions can be made. A separate review of fermented foods found no randomized trials of kombucha for gastrointestinal effects, and described clinical evidence for most fermented foods as very limited.
Is probiotics tea a probiotic?
The accepted definition of a probiotic requires an identified microorganism, a known adequate amount and a demonstrated benefit. An expert panel defines fermented foods by how they are made and says they are not the same thing as probiotics. Kombucha's microbes vary by batch, and the review did not give a standard count, so we cannot tell you how many live organisms a cup holds. Whether a kombucha is "probiotic" is the maker's claim, not something this article can verify.
Can you put probiotics in hot tea?
We looked and found no study on probiotic survival in brewed tea at drinking temperatures, so we do not say it works or does not. Our directions for the capsule are to take it with 6–8 oz of water. If you want to take it with a drink, check the maker's instructions for the product you have.
Lemon, ginger and green tea
These are separate ingredients with their own research. For ginger, see ginger and probiotics; for how probiotics are defined, see what are probiotics.
What we sell
We sell no tea. Electric Tiger Probiotic 20 Billion CFU is a vegetable capsule: 20 billion CFU at the time of manufacture from 13 listed organisms (species only, one 317 mg row), one capsule daily, as low as $14.39 a bottle on subscription. For other forms, see probiotics powder and liquid.
Sources
- A Review on Kombucha Tea-Microbiology, Composition, Fermentation, Beneficial Effects, Toxicity, and Tea Fungus A review describes kombucha as sugared tea fermented by bacteria and yeast, and says more studies are needed before firm conclusions.
- Fermented Foods: Definitions and Characteristics, Impact on the Gut Microbiota and Effects on Gastrointestinal Health and Disease A review found no randomized trials of kombucha, miso, kimchi or tempeh for gut effects, and very limited clinical evidence for most fermented foods.
- The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on fermented foods Experts define fermented foods by how they are made, and say they are not the same thing as probiotics.
- Expert consensus document. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic A 2014 international expert consensus statement defined 'probiotic' as a specific, identified live microorganism given in a known, adequate amount that has been shown to produce a health benefit — not a general term for any product containing live bacteria.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
