PSA: Kombucha Is Just As Bad For Your Teeth As Soft Drink

Stop guzzling the stuff, stat. - by Lucy Bode

Unless you’ve somehow managed to avoid the superfood scene (or a supermarket for that matter…) you’d know that kombucha is THE health tonic to try rn. If not, it’s essentially a fermented tea that’s gained a rep as a cure-all for everything from gut issues to high cholesterol.

The catch? It could be rotting your teeth at the same rate as sugary soft drinks.

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Dr Larry Molenda puts it down to the acidity factor. In a recent article – aptly titled, Kombucha And Your Teeth Enamel– he points out that the average pH of water is 7 (neutral), while tea is a 6 (slightly more acidic) and vinegar is 2 (very acidic.) And because kombucha must have a pH level of below 3.5 (in order to prevent the growth of bad bacteria), the protective barrier on our chompers can get damaged if we drink too much.

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But hold the freak out: he doesn’t recommend cutting it out entirely. After all, the health benefits are totally legit. Instead, he suggests the following:

Neutralising the acidity levels in your mouth: “Drink it with some foods lower in acidity or give your mouth a swish with some water after you finish drinking it.”
Finding a brand with lower sugar content: “Kombucha isn’t meant to be savoured and sipped. Its purpose is for health benefits, not flavour.”
Drink it quickly: “Drinking it quickly will reduce the amount of time it takes for you to be able to restore the pH levels in your mouth to a more neutral state.”

Lucy Bode

Lucy is Women Health’s digital editor, social media specialist and the go-to girl for all things holistic wellness. Her background as a journalist and passion for food, fitness and integrative medicine has led her to write for some of Australia’s leading publications over the course of her career.

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