My mom has been hiding soda from my brother for years, so when I discovered kombucha, it became the perfect soda-replacement for my family.  

My house isn't the only place where which kombucha is more popular than soda. In the battle to be the best fizzy drink, soda has fortunately been falling behind. Kombucha, your new favorite fermented tea, is taking the lead, and for a few very good reasons. I broke them down for you below.

1. It doesn’t have harmful chemicals that disintegrate your teeth.

We’ve all heard that Coke's acidity dissolves the rust off pennies? It does that to the enamel on your teeth, too. Kombucha doesn’t, though, so your teeth are safe. 

2. There’s caffeine in it.

But not too much. Kombucha is made of tea, which actually has more caffeine than coffee. By the end of the fermentation process, though, kombucha has about one third the amount of caffeine as the tea it came from. So you won’t be jumping off walls, but it’s enough for your mid-day energy boost.

3. It’s photogenic.

beer
Tara Shooshani

Those colorful glass bottles (BPA-free, may I add) kombucha comes in look as good in pictures as they do in your hand. The only place a can of soda looks good is... I honestly can't think of anywhere.  

4. It’s a probiotic.

tea
Tara Shooshani

You know, like yogurt. It helps your digestive system do what it does best: digest food and make you poop.

 5. You’ll be the coolest person in your yoga class. 

A photo posted by Camila Morrone (@camimorrone) on

Kombucha is super trendy these days. A bottle of it will draw more attention than the new Lululemon legging pattern. Not to mention, it’s socially unacceptable to take soda into a yoga class. 

6. There are so many flavors to choose from.

A photo posted by GT's Kombucha (@gtskombucha) on

At the end of the day, all soda flavors taste the same: sugary and artificial. Kombucha flavors are complex and interesting. My favorites include ginger, raspberry chia, and watermelon rosemary.

 7. It won’t dehydrate you.

A photo posted by FIJI Water (@fijiwater) on

Unlike soda, which is full of sodium, kombucha won’t make you thirstier. And as my grandma always says, staying hydrated is good for your skin. 

8. You’ll sound like a sophisticated scholar.

Kombucha is probably the most sophisticated word in my vocabulary. Pronounce it correctly and you’re on your way to sounding at least somewhat smart. 

9. It has much less sugar than soda.

cookie, cake, chocolate, bread
Tara Shooshani

One can of Coke has 39 grams of sugar. The same amount of kombucha has anywhere between 3 to 8 grams. More is not always merrier. 

10. It contains alcohol.

beer, alcohol, liquor, soda
Tara Shooshani

Ok, not exactly. Like other alcoholic drinks, kombucha is fermented, but by the end of the process, it only has about .5% to 3% alcohol. Probably not the drink of choice at your next pregame, but, hey, it's something. However, if you are feeling like being healthy AND tipsy, it turns out that intentionally alcoholic kombucha actually exists (pictured above). 

Whether you're trying to feel healthy, active, or just satisfied by a delicious beverage, kombucha is the obvious go-to. It's like the soda everyone is so accustomed to, except without all the chemicals, sugar, and dullness.