How Much Water Kefir Is Safe For Kids To Drink?

Water kefir is safe for your children, but how much? This was such a great question I received from a concerned parent who doesn’t want her children to consume sugar laden drinks so she is thrilled to give them low sugar water kefir but she is also concerned about the alcohol content.

It’s not surprising that parents want the best for their children. Consequently, once a mom hears about a new health sensation and verifies its benefits, she would naturally want to share these benefits with her child.

When you consider that the majority of kids are consuming sugar and corn syrup laden sodas and juices, the natural option of water kefir is a no brainer. You’re getting probiotics. It’s a lower sugar option and it’s a healthy functional beverage full of enzymes, electrolytes and vitamins.

Did you know that exposing kids to fermented foods such as pickles, sauerkraut, olives and water kefir gives them to a broader palate and makes them less picky eaters? Drinking water kefir also sets them up for appreciating lower sugar drinks and it takes the place of unhealthier choices. It also builds their immunity consequenting in less colds and flus. The New York Times did a great article about this topic.

When it comes down to the alcohol content, all fermented drinks contain alcohol. That is what fermentation is. Water kefir specifically has 0.2% to 0.5%. It is created when the beneficial bacteria in the water kefir grains consume the sugar in the sugar water, and as they metabolize the sugar, they produce a variety of beneficial acids, food enzymes, B vitamins and more beneficial bacteria. That is how it’s fermentation process works and unlike kombucha which has tea as it’s base and contains caffeine, water kefir has no caffeine and is a much better fermented drink choice for children.

The most important thing to remember when children drink water kefir is that their systems are more sensitive than adults, in part because their bodies are just plain smaller. For that reason, we don’t recommend water kefir to anyone under two years old. For a general rule, kids age three and up can drink their age in ounces (30 ml in an ounce) safely on a daily basis.