5 Drinks That May Support Gut Health

Key takeaways:

The gut microbiome promotes healthy digestion, boosts the immune system, and may even affect mood.
Drinks that promote a healthy gut microbiome have been used for centuries.
Fermented drinks — like kombucha and kefir — and ginger and green teas contain nutrients that can help the microbiome thrive.

For centuries, people all over the world have turned to specialized drinks for health benefits. From specialized tonics to teas and everything in between, there’s no shortage of drinks promising to boost your gut health. While some of it may seem like clever marketing, growing research is shining a light on the health benefits of certain drinks.

But with so many drinks claiming to support gut health, how can you tell which drinks are really worth your time? Here’s what the science says about how what you drink can affect your gut and your health.

Why should you have gut-healthy drinks?

Gut-healthy drinks contain important nutrients that feed and support the gut microbiome, including prebiotics and probiotics.

The gut microbiome is the complex web of “good” bacteria that helps the body digest food and absorb nutrients. It also supports the immune system. Researchers are still learning all the ways the gut microbiome affects human health.

Gut-healthy drinks can benefit your health by supporting your gut microbiome. But the benefits of gut-healthy drinks don’t stop there. Some also contain vitamins and antioxidants that can have anti-inflammatory benefits.

You could get all these benefits from probiotic-rich foods. But sometimes it’s more convenient (and tastier!) to reach for a drink instead.

What are the best drinks to improve gut health?

There are many drinks that can help improve your gut health. In fact, each region of the world has some variation of a gut-healthy drink. For example, there’s tepache, which originated in Mexico. And there’s kombucha, which is believed to have originated in northeastern China. Each drink has unique features and benefits.

Before diving into these drinks, here’s some important information you should keep in mind.

Watch out for sugar

Many drinks contain added sugar. Probiotic sodas and other probiotic and prebiotic drinks are no exception. Always check the nutrition label for the sugar content in drinks. Make sure that you’re staying under the American Heart Association’s recommended daily sugar intake, which is between 25 g and 36 g per day.

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

Are probiotic drinks worth the hype? Our nutrition experts review the benefits of probiotic drinks.
Curious about adaptogen drinks? Here’s how adaptogens can benefit your health.
What’s in mushroom coffee? Learn about the new coffee trend and its reported health benefits.

Check for pasteurization

Pasteurization is a safe process that kills harmful bacteria that can grow in food and drinks. Not all drinks are pasteurized though. Drinking unpasteurized products increases the risk of food poisoning and other illnesses. If you’re pregnant or have a weakened immune system, you shouldn’t drink unpasteurized products. Young children and older adults should also avoid unpasteurized products.

Keep claims in perspective

Many drinks advertise a variety of nutritional and health benefits on their packaging on promotional materials. Keep in mind that many times, these claims haven’t been approved by the FDA or verified by research. It’s not clear if the following things can boost gut health:

Enzyme shots
Adaptogen powders
Prebiotic fibers
Fiber waters

1. Kombucha

Kombucha is made by fermenting sweetened tea with probiotic micro-organisms called SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). SCOBY contains lactic acid bacteria (LAB), acetic acid bacteria, and yeast.

Kombucha also contains polyphenols, essential vitamins, and minerals, which act as antioxidants. Antioxidants can help protect cells against free radical damage.

Research suggests that kombucha can support liver and gut health. You can find kombucha just about anywhere, and the brands keep growing. Make sure to read the nutrition labels before making a specific brand of kombucha a regular part of your diet.

Avoid brands containing additives and a lot of added sugar. These things can have a negative effect on your health and outweigh any benefits of kombucha.

Make sure to keep kombucha in the refrigerator and to finish any opened drinks within the hour. Also, check labels to make sure the product was pasteurized.

Quiz: What foods are good for your gut?

2. Ginger tea

Ginger is a zesty spice found in many foods and drinks. It has a long history of medicinal uses due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

When it comes to gut health, research shows that ginger can help ease nausea and upset stomach. Ginger may also promote stomach motility (the process of your gut digesting food and liquids), which can ease heartburn symptoms and bloating.

More research is needed to show ginger’s effect on gut health. But the good news is that there’s little downside to giving ginger tea a try. Ginger tea is widely available and inexpensive. You can buy and brew prepared ginger tea. Or you can make your own ginger tea at home. To do this, boil ginger on its own or add it to other spices and tea leaves.

3. Kefir

Kefir is an ancient fermented beverage. Traditionally, kefir is made from animal milk (any type). But recently, plant-based kefir has also hit the market.

To make kefir, milk is fermented with kefir grains. These are actually powerful probiotics, specifically LAB, like Bifidobacterium animals, and yeast clusters. These probiotics can support your gut health and ease symptoms like gas and bloating.

If you’re lactose intolerant, you don’t need to skip kefir. Kefir is also naturally low in lactose. That’s because the probiotics break down the lactose in milk during the fermentation process. There’s even research suggesting that kefir can help promote lactose digestion in people who are lactose intolerant.

Make sure to keep kefir in the refrigerator and to finish any opened drinks within the hour. Also, check labels to make sure the product was pasteurized.

4. Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is made by adding yeast, an important probiotic, to apple juice or cider. The yeast breaks down the sugar in the apple juice or cider. So, like kefir and kombucha, apple cider vinegar is a fermented liquid.

Many people drink apple cider vinegar with the “mother” instead of a filtered version. The mother is the thick layer of bacteria and yeast that ferments the apple juice. The mother is chock-full of probiotics, which may support gut health. But there’s no research proving this just yet.

There’s some research showing that apple cider vinegar promotes healthy digestion and eases bloating. But some studies suggest it can worsen gastrointestinal symptoms. So it’s important to keep these things in mind if you decide to try it:

You need to dilute apple cider vinegar before drinking it. Otherwise, it can damage your teeth and esophagus lining.
It can trigger gastrointestinal reflux (GERD) and worsen heartburn. You may want to skip apple cider vinegar if you have these conditions.
Apple cider vinegar contains large amounts of acid. If you have chronic kidney disease, you may not be able to process the extra acid. Talk with your healthcare team before trying apple cider vinegar.

5. Green tea

Green tea is made from an infusion of the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. It has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine. And it has become a popular drink around the world.

There’s good evidence showing that green tea is good for gut health. Research shows that green tea has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, the tea polyphenols are broken down by the gut bacteria to promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria and to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.

You can enjoy your green tea iced or hot: The temperature won’t affect the benefits to the gut. Make sure to check for added sugar if you get pre-packaged green tea. Also, green tea does naturally contain caffeine. Check the nutrition label to see how much caffeine your green tea contains, especially if you’re trying to cut down on how much caffeine you have.

Frequently asked questions

There’s no evidence that carbonated beverages (fizzy drinks) help with digestion. People may even experience upset stomach and worsening heartburn symptoms after drinking fizzy drinks.

Drinking water throughout the day, including during and after meals, will help with digestion. Water keeps your gut lubricated so food can move through the digestive tract easily. Drinking enough water keeps your stool hydrated and lessens the risk of constipation.

Staying hydrated, eating enough fiber, and staying active can help your digestion. There’s no way to instantly speed up your digestion.

The bottom line

Some drinks can help improve and support gut health by nurturing the gut microbiome. Healthy gut drinks have been used for centuries in many cultures and are now at the forefront of many research studies. Fermented drinks like kombucha and kefir may promote gut health. Green tea and ginger tea might also help ease gut symptoms.

why trust our exports reliability shield

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Meredith Grace Merkley, DO, FAAP

Meredith Grace Merkley, DO, FAAP, is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with over a decade of work in community health. She serves as the medical director of a school-based health clinic at a federally funded health center.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts

References

GoodRx Health has strict sourcing policies and relies on primary sources such as medical organizations, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate, thorough, and unbiased by reading our editorial guidelines.

5 Drinks That Can Boost Your Gut Health

Key takeaways:

Why should you have gut-healthy drinks?