What Is a Ginger Bug & Is It Good for Your Gut?

• A ginger bug is a fermented mix of ginger, sugar and water that creates probiotic, gut-friendly soda.
• Fermentation adds probiotics and natural fizz, while ginger offers digestion benefits.
• Though healthier than cola, ginger bug drinks still contain added sugar, so it’s best to enjoy mindfully.

Prioritizing your gut health means supporting healthy digestion, regularity, reducing your risk of colorectal cancers and improving your overall health. And a gut-healthy diet means focusing on high-fiber and fermented foods that are bound to help you feel your best.

Over the last couple of years, there has been more and more buzz surrounding gut-healthy drinks, from kombucha to probiotic sodas. All of these options aren’t top-tier gut health solutions, but they are good alternatives to your typical cola or sugary drink. Most recently, there’s been a homemade drink that promises even more gut health benefits, and it’s safe to say that we’re intrigued. Meet the ginger bug, which may or may not be taking over your TikTok feed. 

What Is a Ginger Bug?

Quite like your sourdough starter, a ginger bug is a fermented culture kept in a jar to create magic later. It’s made with three simple ingredients: fresh ginger, sugar and water. And because of the fermentation process, the “bug” is naturally carbonated, meaning you can whip up gut-healthy ginger ale in no time… okay, by “in no time,” we mean in five to seven days.

In a recent video, food scientist Wendy Luong, MSc, explains how the fermentation process works, and how you are able to use a homemade ginger bug to whip up a variety of different probiotic sodas.

“On the skin of ginger live wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria,” Luong says. “Feed them sugar, and the magic begins. Yeast turns sugar into carbon dioxide and a touch of ethanol for the fizz. Lactic acid bacteria creates lactic acid for that tangy flavor and natural preservation. Seal it in a bottle to trap the carbon dioxide, and you’ve got real, naturally carbonated soda.”

To make different flavors from it, you can easily strain the active ginger bug into a base of fruit juice. Mix it up and seal the bottle for a couple of days before serving. Note that when opening your ginger bug or homemade fermented soda, be sure to slowly remove the seal to carefully let out any trapped air. We don’t want an explosion on our hands!

Is Ginger Bug Gut-Healthy?

But how gut-healthy is a ginger bug? For its pros, its main ingredient is ginger, which has ample benefits like relieving constipation and reducing nausea and vomiting when you’re under the weather. Plus, consuming more fermented foods and drinks will increase your intake of probiotics, which are essential for your gut health.

However, there’s no denying that a ginger bug has added sugar, and when paired with fruit juice for a flavored mocktail, it can become a sugary drink choice. But if you’re swapping a soda habit with a ginger bug-infused sip, we recommend it. Just be mindful of your added sugar intake throughout the day if this is more than an occasional beverage.

If you’re looking for more gut-healthy drinks to make at home, try our Homemade Kombucha recipe, or keep it simple with a Healthy Gut Tonic with Chia.