On social networks, on organic shelves and on certain ‘healthy’ blogs, the message is often the same: kombucha is the miracle drink for losing weight. We see phrases like “I’ve lost 5 kilos thanks to kombucha” or “a bottle a day and the kilos are gone”.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering: can you really lose weight with kombucha? Is it just a fad, an exaggerated promise, or is there something useful to be gained from it if you’re watching your figure?
This guide will take the time to answer honestly.
Let’s take a look together:
what kombucha really is, in your glass and in your body ;
what it can do to help you lose weight realistically;
where there’s no need to kid yourself (no, it’s not a magic fat burner);
how to use it if you want to make it an ally in your daily life, without putting all the pressure on it;
how to adapt your homemade kombucha – from a healthy SCOBY like those you can use with Natural Probio – when you want to limit the sugar and keep the pleasure.
The aim is simple: to get away from the fantasy of the miracle drink and put kombucha back in its rightful place as part of an overall approach to well-being and weight management.
1. Why is kombucha often associated with weight loss?
Before talking about what he actually does, we need to understand why his image is linked to thinness.
1.1. Because it’s a healthy alternative to soft drinks
Kombucha ticks all the boxes of the ‘health trend’ drink:
it is fermented;
it is often presented as less sweet than soft drinks;
it comes in fragrant, sparkling and colourful versions;
It is promoted in cafés, yoga studios and organic grocery shops.
In many people’s minds, kombucha = healthy drink = slimming. But while replacing soft drinks with kombucha can clearly reduce your calorie intake, it doesn’t mean that kombucha alone will ‘make you slim’.
1.2. Because it is fermented and is associated with a “flat stomach”.
Fermented foods (yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha…) are often used in combination:
digestion;
to the microbiota;
to a healthy tummy.
And in magazines and on Instagram, a ‘tummy that feels good’ is often presented as a flat stomach. So we mix up intestinal comfort, smoother digestion, less bloating… and weight loss, even though these are two different things.
You can feel less bloated thanks to dietary adjustments, without actually having lost any fat. Kombucha can help, but it’s not the same thing as “burning off the pounds”.
1.3. Because some campaigns exaggerate their promises
One final point: some advertising or pseudo-scientific content does not hesitate to promise wonders:
“kombucha boosts metabolism”;
“it melts abdominal fat”;
“It detoxifies and refines the figure.
These claims are seductive, but rarely honest. They take advantage of a genuine interest in fermented drinks, without reminding us of the basics: sustainable weight loss comes first and foremost from a combination of choices, not from a single product.
2. A simple reminder: how do you really lose weight?
To find out what kombucha can (or can’t) do, we need to go back to a basic principle, sometimes unpleasant but inescapable.
2.1. The concept of energy balance
Over the long term, body weight depends essentially on :
what you put into your body (food, drink) ;
what your body spends (basic metabolism, movement, physical activity, digestion, etc.).
We often talk about an energy deficit:
if you consume more calories than you burn, you store them (weight gain);
if you consume less than you spend, you draw on your reserves (weight loss);
if the two balance out, your weight will stabilise.
This deficit can be obtained by :
a slightly lower-calorie, better-structured diet;
more physical activity;
or a reasonable combination of the two.
No drink or food, even fermented ones, can “cancel out” intakes that are much higher than your needs.
2.2. The role of drinks in this balance
Where drinks play an important role is that they can represent :
a large daily volume ;
a lot of liquid calories that don’t satisfy you as much as a solid meal.
For example:
several cans of soda;
fruit juices in large quantities ;
sweet coffees with syrups;
energy drinks…
Cutting down on these drinks is often one of the most effective ways of reducing calorie intake without feeling like you’re ‘eating less’. This is where kombucha comes in.
3. What kombucha can really do for weight loss
Now that we’ve set the scene, let’s look at the practical contributions kombucha can make.
3.1 Replace high-sugar drinks with a lower-sugar drink
This is probably kombucha’s main advantage in this field.
A well-fermented home-made kombucha:
generally contains less sugar than a conventional soft drink;
has an acidity that breaks up the sweetness on the palate;
can be flavoured (fruit, herbs, spices) to keep it tasty without becoming a calorie bomb.
If, instead of drinking every day :
two cans of soda,
you go to :
a glass of lightly sweetened homemade kombucha,
and one or two large glasses of water,
you are already significantly reducing the amount of sugar and liquid calories you ingest on a daily basis. Repeated over weeks and months, this type of change can have a real impact on weight.
3.2. Helping to manage sugar cravings more effectively
Many people describe kombucha as :
“their liquid dessert”;
“their afternoon treat”;
“Their alternative to a whole bar of chocolate or a packet of biscuits.
In practice:
the acidity and light sparkle give the impression of a “worked”, almost festive drink;
the fragrance and flavour can satisfy a craving for “something good”, without the need for a pastry.
This doesn’t mean that kombucha eliminates sugar cravings, but it can divert them to a lighter choice, especially if you control the sugar content by brewing your own from a healthy SCOBY.
3.3. Supporting better hydration
Insufficient hydration can :
accentuate certain sensations of hunger (thirst and hunger are sometimes confused);
aggravate constipation and digestive discomfort ;
a general decline in well-being, which makes it harder to introduce new eating habits.
By making kombucha a reasonable part of your routine:
a glass in the afternoon, another from time to time after a meal,
and water for the rest of the day,
you make hydration more pleasant. It’s easier to say no to a very sweet drink when you know that a pleasant, well-balanced kombucha is waiting for you at home.
3.4 Setting up rituals to structure the day
Sustainable weight loss is often based on habits:
more regular mealtimes ;
moments when we really listen to hunger and satiety;
small routines that replace automatic snacking.
Kombucha can become one of these markers:
a late afternoon drink instead of the snack machine;
a small glass after a weekend meal, instead of an alcoholic digestive;
an evening ritual where you sit down, breathe in and enjoy, rather than mechanically digging into the cupboard.
It’s not the kombucha itself that makes you slimmer, but the fact that it replaces more calorific gestures and gives a more conscious structure to your day.
4. What kombucha can’t do (and what you have to accept)
To avoid disappointment – or wrongly feeling guilty – you need to be very clear about the limits of kombucha.
4.1. It’s not a fat burner
Kombucha :
does not “melt” abdominal fat;
does not magically transform your metabolism;
does not compensate for repeated overeating.
The transformation of the silhouette is based on :
duration ;
the overall balance between intake and expenditure ;
food quality, stress management, sleep and movement.
Kombucha can be a support, not a sole driving force.
4.2 It’s not a licence to eat just anything
A common trap: telling yourself “I drink kombucha, so I can go easy on the rest”.
We sometimes see :
a kombucha in hand… but the meals were always very fatty and very sweet;
the idea that this ‘detox’ drink would compensate for excesses.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. If kombucha gives you a feeling of ‘good conscience’ that encourages you to ignore the rest, it may actually be distracting you from your goals.
4.3 It does not replace medical assistance
If you :
are severely obese;
suffer from major hormonal, metabolic or digestive disorders;
take heavy treatments ;
kombucha is not intended as a treatment. It may be incorporated into your diet, in consultation with a health professional, but it is not a substitute for :
medical follow-up ;
or personalised nutritional care;
or the treatments you have been prescribed.
5. How can kombucha be incorporated into a balanced weight loss strategy?
Now that the scene is set, let’s look at how to use this drink in practical terms, without excess or illusions.
5.1. Priority No. 1: kombucha replaces, not adds to, your diet
If you already drink a lot of water and never have sodas or very sweet juices , adding kombucha won’t change your calorie count much.
On the other hand, its impact can be significant if you use it to replace:
a breakfast soda ;
an afternoon energy drink ;
a very sweet fruit juice taken “to give yourself energy”;
a very sweet liquid dessert.
Ask yourself each time:
“Does this glass of kombucha replace a sweeter or higher calorie drink? Or is it a glass on top of everything else?”
In the first case, it’s consistent with a weight target. In the second case, the effect will be neutral or even slightly negative if your kombucha is very sweet.
5.2. Reasonable quantity: one or two glasses a day
There’s no need – and no reason – to drink litres of kombucha. For most people :
One glass (100-150 ml) a day is a good start;
You can have up to two glasses if it replaces other sugary drinks.
Beyond :
you increase your intake of acids ;
you risk irritating your stomach or teeth if your kombucha is very vinegary;
you’re adding liquid calories without necessarily gaining in pleasure.
5.3. Time of day: when it saves you from a “trap
Choose the times when you are most vulnerable to high-sugar drinks or snacks:
mid-afternoon, when tiredness sets in;
at the end of a meal, when you’re always looking for dessert;
evening, when boredom or stress drive you to snack.
Place your kombucha there:
to replace a 4pm soda;
to replace a very sweet dessert after lunch;
to serve as a ‘break’ in place of a round of biscuits.
It’s in these gaps that kombucha becomes a real ally, helping to change the way you do things without making you feel like you’re depriving yourself.
6. Preparing homemade kombucha for weight watchers
If you brew your own kombucha from a healthy SCOBY – for example a live culture supplied with its starter liquid – you have a major advantage: you control the nutritional profile of your drink.
6.1. Adjusting fermentation time to reduce sugar levels
As fermentation progresses :
the more sugar is consumed by the yeast;
the higher the acidity;
the closer the taste is to sweet vinegar.
To limit residual sugar :
Allow the first fermentation to progress sufficiently for only a slight sweetness to remain;
Taste regularly from the 5th or 6th day onwards to find the point where the kombucha is still pleasant to drink, but no longer really sweet.
But be careful:
If you go too far, the drink becomes very vinegary, which can be difficult to drink and not necessarily ideal for the stomach;
You can then use it in cooking (kombucha vinegar, marinades) and prepare a new batch for drinking.
6.2. Choose flavourings that don’t add too much sugar
In the second fermentation, you can flavour your kombucha with :
pieces of fruit ;
a little juice ;
plants (mint, basil, verbena);
Spices (ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, etc.).
If you want to limit calories:
use herbs, spices and zest (lemon, orange, grapefruit);
use fruit sparingly;
Avoid adding a lot of sugar, honey or syrups, except in very small quantities and with careful consideration.
The idea is to aim for an aromatic kombucha, not a liquid dessert.
6.3. Using a healthy, balanced culture for regular results
When you want to play with sugar and acidity levels, consistency is important. A well-balanced live SCOBY, accompanied by its acidic starter liquid and clear instructions :
ensures reliable fermentation start-up;
gives more predictable trends from one batch to the next;
avoids ending up with a kombucha that is sometimes very sweet and sometimes full of vinegar, without understanding why.
That’s the whole point of starting with a quality crop rather than a random SCOBY whose balance and history you don’t know.
7. Frequently asked questions: kombucha and weight loss
7.1. If I drink kombucha every day, will I necessarily lose weight?
No.
It all depends:
what you eat on the side;
your level of activity;
the drink that kombucha replaces (or not).
If your overall diet is still too rich, if you’re very sedentary and kombucha is simply added on top, you probably won’t notice any difference, or very little.
7.2. Does kombucha “speed up the metabolism”?
You will sometimes see this statement, but in practice :
there’s no reason to think that kombucha will massively increase your energy expenditure;
At most, some people feel a little more ‘toned’ because they have improved their overall diet, hydrated their body better and replaced certain bad habits.
The gain lies in the overall choices, not in a spectacular direct effect on metabolism.
7.3. Should I choose a “light” industrial kombucha to lose weight?
You can drink industrial kombucha, but :
read the label carefully (sugar content, calories per 100 ml);
Beware of very sweet versions, even when they are sold as “healthy”;
Bear in mind that some are pasteurised (so contain fewer live micro-organisms) and highly standardised.
If you can, homemade kombucha, made from a good strain, gives you much greater control over the amount of sugar and acidity.
7.4. Is it a good idea to go on a “kombucha diet”?
No, for several reasons:
Relying on a single drink, even a fermented one, to lose weight is unbalanced;
you risk excessive acid intake and digestive discomfort;
you’re not building new, sustainable eating habits.
Kombucha is a piece of the jigsaw, not a single programme.
7.5. If I’m rebalancing my diet, how much kombucha can I drink?
There is no universal rule, but a reasonable approach might be :
1 small glass a day (100-150 ml) to start with;
possibly 2 glasses a day if it replaces sweeter drinks.
Beyond that, it doesn’t necessarily provide any added benefit and increases the proportion of liquid calories in your day.
Conclusion: a useful ally, if you put it in its place
So can you lose weight with kombucha?
The honest answer looks like this:
Kombucha does not help you lose weight on its own.
On the other hand, it can be an interesting ally in a global approach:
by replacing very sweet drinks;
helping to manage certain sugar cravings;
by making moisturising more pleasant;
setting up more conscious rituals around meals and breaks.
It’s a tool, not a treatment. A daily companion, not a magic wand.
If you choose to make it part of your life :
opt for homemade kombucha, prepared from a healthy, balanced SCOBY of living kombucha and accompanied by its acidic starter liquid;
Use fermentation to reduce the sugar without going as far as vinegar;
Place your glasses of kombucha at strategic moments, where they replace rather than add to something higher in calories.
Lasting weight loss is built on small, repeated choices: one less soda, a bit more walking, a lighter dinner, a better night’s sleep… Kombucha can naturally find its place in all this. Not as the main hero, but as the reliable secondary character who makes the story more pleasant to live, day after day.
