Kombucha nutrition information
What kombucha actually contains per 8 fl oz (240 mL) and per 100 mL, and which numbers on the label deserve your attention.
Written by Victura Nutrition TeamReviewed by Victura Editorial ReviewLast updated Oct 26, 2026
Quick answer
Most commercial kombucha has about 25 to 60 calories per 8 fl oz (240 mL) serving, and a 16 fl oz bottle lands around 50 to 120 calories. Calories track sugar almost one to one, so a dry kombucha sits at the low end. Check how many servings the bottle holds before you trust a single number.
What kombucha actually contains per 8 fl oz (240 mL) and per 100 mL, and which numbers on the label deserve your attention.
Key takeaways
- Most kombucha has 25-60 calories and 1-14 g of sugar per 8 fl oz (240 mL).
- A 16 fl oz bottle usually counts as two servings, doubling every number on the label.
- US non-alcoholic kombucha stays at or below 0.5% alcohol by volume.
- Dry kombucha at 2-4 g carbs per serving can fit keto; sweet flavors may not.
- Probiotic benefits are plausible but not proven in large human trials.
The evidence on kombucha nutrition
Research-backedKombucha is a fermented tea made from sweetened tea, a SCOBY (a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), and time. Because it is a fermented food rather than a standardized product, its nutrition numbers move a lot from brand to brand, and there is no single verified reference panel for kombucha as a category. The ranges below are label-derived ranges drawn from commercial products and published analyses, not USDA-verified values for a specific bottle. The label in your hand always wins.
Quick reference: what kombucha typically contains
| Nutrient | Per 100 mL (about 3.4 fl oz) | Per 8 fl oz serving (240 mL) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 10-25 kcal | 25-60 kcal |
| Protein | 0-0.4 g | 0-1 g |
| Fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Carbohydrate | 1.5-7 g | 4-16 g |
| Total sugars | 0.5-6 g | 1-14 g |
| Fiber | 0 g | 0 g |
| Sodium | 2-10 mg | 5-25 mg |
| Potassium | 5-25 mg | 10-60 mg |
| Caffeine (tea-based) | 5-10 mg | 10-25 mg |
| Alcohol | up to 0.5% ABV | up to 0.5% ABV |
Three things drive that spread: how much sugar the brewer starts with, how long the culture ferments, and whether juice or sugar is added after fermentation. A dry, long-fermented kombucha can land near 1 to 2 g of sugar per serving, while a fruit-blended one can pass 14 g. Protein, fat, and fiber are essentially zero in every case, so kombucha contributes almost nothing to those parts of your day. It also supplies no vitamins or minerals at meaningful levels; the sodium and potassium figures above are trace amounts, not a nutrient claim.
Sugar is the number that decides the rest
Four grams of sugar is one level teaspoon, so a kombucha with 12 g per serving carries about three teaspoons in a single glass. The FDA Daily Value for added sugars is 50 g per day on a 2,000-calorie diet, which puts a sweet kombucha at roughly a quarter of that budget. Many bottles sold in the US are 16 fl oz while the label serving is 8 fl oz, so finishing one bottle doubles every figure in the table above. If you check only one thing, check total sugars and then check how many servings the container actually holds.
Alcohol, caffeine, and live cultures
In the US, kombucha sold as a non-alcoholic beverage must stay at or below 0.5% alcohol by volume under federal alcohol rules, roughly one-tenth the alcohol of a regular beer. Deliberately brewed hard kombucha is a different product, sold as an alcoholic beverage at roughly 4-7% ABV, and home-brewed batches are unregulated, so they can drift above 0.5% if fermentation runs long. The label, not the folklore, tells you which category you have. Caffeine comes entirely from the tea base: published analyses of commercial products report roughly 10 to 25 mg per 8 fl oz (240 mL), compared with about 95 mg in a cup of coffee, and a decaffeinated or herbal base can be far lower. Live culture counts are not standardized and CFU figures are brand-reported. Human trials of kombucha are small and short, so treat probiotic content as a plausible extra rather than a guaranteed dose (NIH NCCIH).
Kombucha compared with regular soda
Both columns are per 8 fl oz (240 mL) so the comparison is like for like.
| Attribute | Kombucha (8 fl oz / 240 mL) | Regular cola (8 fl oz / 240 mL) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 25-60 kcal | about 100 kcal (about 140 kcal per 12 fl oz can) |
| Protein | 0-1 g | 0 g |
| Fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Carbohydrate | 4-16 g | about 26 g (about 39 g per 12 fl oz can) |
| Fiber | 0 g | 0 g |
| Total sugars | 1-14 g | about 26 g (about 39 g per 12 fl oz can) |
| Key vitamins | none at meaningful levels | none of note |
| Key minerals | trace potassium and sodium only | trace sodium only |
| Glycemic index | not established for kombucha | reported around 63 in published glycemic index tables |
| Pros | lower sugar in dry versions, live cultures, tea polyphenols | inexpensive, widely available |
| Cons | cost, trace alcohol, sugar varies by brand | high sugar, no fiber or protein |
| Best for | a lower-sugar soda swap when the label is checked | an occasional treat, not a daily habit |
Fitting kombucha into keto, diabetes, and weight goals
A dry kombucha at 2 to 4 g of carbohydrate per 8 fl oz (240 mL) fits a strict keto day with little planning. Sweetened or juice-blended versions can add 14 g or more and stop being a free food. For blood sugar, the deciding factor is the same one: total sugars per serving, not the fermentation story or the front-of-pack claims. For weight goals, remember that liquids disappear quickly, so measure a serving into a glass instead of sipping from the bottle. This is general nutrition education, not personal medical or diabetes management advice; your clinician or dietitian can apply it to your situation.
Where to go next
Browse the Victura nutrition hub to compare what you drink, see how fermented foods fit a weekly pattern in our fermented foods guide, and put sugar numbers in context with the added sugars explainer. To log a bottle in seconds, scan the panel in the Victura app.
Bottom line: Kombucha is low-calorie and low-carb only when the label says so, and total sugars per actual serving tell you more than any marketing claim.
How people actually drink kombucha
Community insightIn anonymized Victura meal logs, kombucha most often appears as an afternoon drink or a straight swap for soda, not as a supplement. Members usually start with one brand, then branch out once they find a dry version they like. The single most common logging error is serving size: a full 16 fl oz bottle gets logged as one serving when the label counts two.
What members get wrong most often
- Logging a 16 fl oz bottle as a single serving, which doubles calories and sugar.
- Assuming raw or organic means low sugar. It does not.
- Treating a 0 g sugar hard kombucha as alcohol-free. It usually is not.
- Buying the largest bottle for value, then drinking it in one sitting.
Habits that keep the numbers honest
- Pour 8 fl oz (240 mL) into a glass and put the bottle back in the fridge.
- Pick bottles under 5 g total sugars per serving for daily drinking.
- Blend a sweet kombucha half and half with sparkling water to cut sugar per glass.
- Drink it with a meal if carbonation or acidity upsets your stomach.
- Start with half a serving for the first week, then build up slowly.
- Save a photo of the nutrition panel on your first purchase of a new brand.
Tip: Photograph the panel when you try a new brand, so future logs take seconds instead of guesswork.
Members who drink kombucha daily tend to settle on one or two dry brands they have already checked, and treat sweet flavors as occasional desserts rather than hydration. People who log it consistently also report fewer surprises from bottle size than those who estimate by eye.
References
Frequently asked questions
People also ask
How many calories are in kombucha?
Most commercial kombucha has about 25 to 60 calories per 8 fl oz (240 mL) serving, and a 16 fl oz bottle lands around 50 to 120 calories. Calories track sugar almost one to one, so a dry kombucha sits at the low end. Check how many servings the bottle holds before you trust a single number.
How much sugar is in kombucha?
Total sugars usually range from about 1 g to 14 g per 8 fl oz (240 mL), which is roughly a quarter teaspoon to three and a half teaspoons. Dry, long-fermented brands sit near the low end while juice-blended flavors sit high. A 16 fl oz bottle doubles those figures because it typically contains two servings.
Does kombucha contain alcohol?
Yes, in trace amounts. Kombucha sold as a non-alcoholic beverage in the US is limited to 0.5% alcohol by volume or less, about one-tenth the alcohol of a regular beer. Hard kombucha is deliberately brewed to roughly 4-7% ABV and sold as an alcoholic drink, and home-brewed batches can drift above 0.5% if fermentation runs long.
Does kombucha contain caffeine?
Usually a small amount, because it is brewed from tea. Most kombucha carries roughly 10 to 25 mg of caffeine per 8 fl oz (240 mL), compared with about 95 mg in a cup of coffee. Brands built on decaffeinated or herbal bases can be lower, so check the label if caffeine matters to you.
Is kombucha keto friendly?
Dry kombucha can be, at about 2 to 4 g of carbohydrate per 8 fl oz (240 mL). Sweet or juice-blended versions can reach 14 g per serving and may not fit a strict daily carb limit. Choose by total carbohydrate per serving, not by the word fermented on the label.
Is kombucha good for you?
It is a reasonable low-sugar alternative to soda and supplies tea polyphenols plus live cultures. Human trials on kombucha's health effects are small and short, so probiotic benefits are promising rather than proven. It is not a treatment for any medical condition.
Can you drink kombucha every day?
For most adults, one 8 fl oz (240 mL) serving a day is fine. Start with less if you are new to fermented drinks, since carbonation and acidity can cause bloating in the first week. If it becomes a daily habit, keep total sugars around 5 g or less per serving.
Is kombucha safe during pregnancy?
There is no official blanket ban, but many clinicians advise pregnant people to avoid unpasteurized fermented drinks because of the small contamination risk, and to avoid alcohol entirely. If you want to include it, ask your own clinician about your situation and look for pasteurized options. This page cannot provide personal medical advice.
Kombucha vs soda: which is better?
Per 8 fl oz (240 mL), kombucha usually has 25 to 60 calories and 1 to 14 g of sugar, while regular cola has roughly 100 calories and 25 g of sugar at the same volume. Kombucha wins on sugar when you choose a dry brand, but neither drink adds meaningful protein or fiber. Water remains the cheaper everyday option.
How much kombucha is one serving?
One serving is 8 fl oz (240 mL), which is about half a standard 16 fl oz bottle. Many bottles hold two servings, so finishing the whole bottle doubles the calories, sugar, and carbs shown on the label. Pour a serving into a glass to keep the numbers accurate.
Does kombucha have probiotics?
It contains live cultures from the SCOBY fermentation, but counts are not standardized and CFU figures are brand-reported. Human trials are small and short, so treat probiotics in kombucha as a plausible extra rather than a guaranteed dose.
Is kombucha low FODMAP?
There is no established low FODMAP rating for kombucha as a category. Fermentation and added fruit juices can introduce fermentable sugars, so portions and brands vary. If you follow a low FODMAP diet, test small amounts and check with a dietitian.
How we review this guide
- Written by
- Victura Nutrition Team
- Reviewed by
- Victura Editorial Review
- Reference sources
- 7
- Last updated
- Oct 26, 2026
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