How Much Beet Kvass Should I Drink Per Day?

Many people have asked me “how much beet kvass should I drink per day?” and in general I’d say you should aim for one cup of beet kvass per day, split into 2 4oz servings.

But really, there are multiple things you should consider before deciding how much beet kvass to drink. As most things do, the exact amount of beet kvass a person should drink per day varies by the individual.

So, let’s look at some of the factors to consider!

When deciding how much beet kvass to include in your diet, you should consider:

• am I asking this question for an adult or a child?
• how many other fermented drinks do I drink per day?
• how many other fermented foods do I eat per day?
• am I taking any probiotic supplements?
• have I had negative symptoms from eating other ferments?
• do I have a reason to limit my consumption of beets/products made with beets?
• how do I feel with the amount of beet kvass I currently drink?
• do I love, love, love the taste of beet kvass?

If you need to know HOW to make beet kvass, here is a complete guide with helpful tips and tricks for a successful ferment.

Now, let’s tackle each of these questions!

How many other fermented drinks do you drink per day?

If you are having multiple fermented beverages per day, it makes sense that you would not need as much beet kvass as someone else might. In those cases, I would go with a general recommendation of 1/4 cup per day for a child, and 1/2 cup per day for an adult.

How many other fermented foods do you eat per day?

If you eat a wide variety of fermented vegetables, you are getting a good variety of probiotics that will help with healing your gut, fighting off bad bacteria and yeasts, and controlling inflammation. Not to mention you are also getting a wide variety of beneficial nutrients that are easy for your body to assimilate!

If you’re good at eating your fermented vegetables, which I consider having 1/4-1/2 cup per meal, then you can go with the general recommendation of 1/4 cup per day for a child or 1/2 cup per day for an adult.

Are you taking any probiotic supplements?

It is perfectly fine to take probiotic supplements, especially if you are early into a journey to fight off candida, heal your gut, or have the horrible symptoms that accompany a variety of digestive diseases such as SIBO, ulcerative colitis, etc.

When we first started fermenting for my son’s health, I tried several different probiotic supplements before being wowed by Body Biotics. He used that for several months while we ramped up his consumption of naturally fermented foods.

Taking the probiotic regularly along with lots of homemade broth really helped him deal with a wide variety of symptoms such as bloating, gas, food intolerance, nutrient deficiencies and constipation.

So, there’s definitely no judgment if you are taking probiotic pills. If you take them regularly, you might consider at what times (we spread throughout the day), and you might just be able to fit one dose of beet kvass in before bed, and that would be perfectly fine.

Have you had negative symptoms from eating other ferments?

If you’ve had intolerance or die-off from introducing new ferments, and this will be your first time having beet kvass, then it makes sense to have a small amount. One teaspoon for a child, or one tablespoon for an adult is more than enough to give beet kvass a try and see how it interacts with your system.

If you do not note any negative effects from such a small amount, then try 1/8 cup for a child and 1/4 cup for an adult and see how it goes. Try this for a week or so and then move to 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup respectively.

I do want to note that we haven’t had negative symptoms introducing properly fermented foods. They are generally low in sugar, already fermented, and do not produce excess histamines in an anaerobic environment. You can read more about why I ferment anaerobically here.

Am I asking for an adult or a child?

Children generally don’t need as much beneficial bacteria as an adult does. That being said, it makes sense that they would not need as much beet kvass, either!

Here’s a little table to help you determine how much beet kvass to serve for a child vs. an adult, based on several factors.

Factors	Child	Adult
New to ferments	1 tsp	1 tbsp
New to beet kvass, negative symptoms with other ferments	1 tsp	1 tbsp
New to beet kvass, no symptoms with other ferments	1/8-1/4 cup	1/4-1/2 cup
Beets contraindicated due to health issues	Avoid	Avoid
Taking probiotic supplements, once or twice per day	1/8-1/2 cup at a different time than supplement	1/4-1 cup, at a different time than supplement
Taking probiotic supplements, multiple times per day	1/8-1/4 cup at a different time than supplement	1/4-1/2 cup, at a different time than supplement
Taking other fermented beverages	1/8 cup at a different time than other beverages (preferably upon waking or right before bed)	1/4 cup at a different time than other beverages (preferably upon waking or right before bed)
Consuming a wide variety of fermented foods	1/8 cup at a different time than other beverages (preferably upon waking or right before bed)	1/4 cup at a different time than other beverages (preferably upon waking or right before bed)
Feel good & LOVE Beet Kvass	Up to 1 cup (8oz) per day	Up to 2 cups (16oz) per day

Do I have a reason to limit my consumption of beets/products made with beets?

There are several reasons to reduce or avoid consuming beets or products made from beets.

One study found that drinking 250ml of beet juice per day lowers blood pressure. Thus, if you are on medication to lower your blood pressure, you might want to consider speaking with your doctor or limiting consumption.

Another study found that beet consumption could contribute to kidney stone formation since beets contain oxalates. However, the bacteria in beet kvass may mitigate that risk. It is worth noting and discussing with your doctor, and monitoring if deemed necessary.

One other consideration is your potassium level. If you have weak kidneys and your doctor has put you on a low potassium diet, you might want to consult your doctor to determine how much beet kvass, if any, you can safely consume.

I could not find any studies on beet kvass and a low potassium diet. But it is very likely that potassium is leeched out of the beets along with the other vitamins and nutrients the brine pulls.

Hopefully soon some studies will be done! It may be fine because of the proportion of water to beets, and the fact that you are consuming the liquid instead of actual beets or pure beet juice. Still, it’s best to speak with your doctor.

How do I feel with the amount of beet kvass I currently drink?

If you are already consuming beet kvass, how much do you currently drink? And more importantly, how does it make you feel? If you feel great on the amount that you are already having, then you can stick to that.

If you find that you are experiencing unwanted symptoms since you began drinking beet kvass, then try going down to a smaller amount first. Of course, if you have serious side effects from drinking beet kvass then it is probably not the best probiotic drink for you.

There is no need to push the limits of comfort!

Do I love, love, love the taste of beet kvass?

What if you just really, really, really love beet kvass? Well, the good thing is that if you really love to drink beet kvass, you love the flavor, and you love how it makes you feel, there’s not much downside to having more! Listen to your body!

Just remember that you want to have a wide variety of fermented foods on a regular basis for the different nutrients and probiotic bacteria that they offer.

Most probiotic bacteria do not colonize the gut, but rather they are transient. That means that they are just helping you out for a short time, then they move on to other endeavors.

So, you want to consume fermented foods regularly so that you have a constant flow of beneficial bacteria helping to protect your gut and enhance your nutrition.

I love beet kvass, and I rarely go over a cup per day. But, I do have tons of other fermented food and drinks throughout the day as well!

I hope you found this information helpful. If you did, please share with your friends and pin to your fermented food board on Pinterest. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!