What Are The Side Effects of Too Many Probiotics?

Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms that we naturally ingest through various foods. Fermented foods like kimchi and different types of dairy, like yoghurt, are known for having healthy bacteria that is good for our gut. 

It’s important to understand that we already have more than 30 trillion in our bodies to begin with so while it’s unlikely that we can have “too much” it’s not necessarily a good thing to have too many probiotics. So, can you really overdose on probiotics?

In this quick guide, we’ll address the issue of too many probiotics and talk about probiotics side effects that may tell you whether or not you’re overdoing it on the healthy bacteria. 

Can You Take Too Many Probiotics? 

While you can always have too much of a good thing, you can’t necessarily have too many probiotics. After a certain amount, you’ll simply be taking them for nothing because they won’t have any positive effects on your body. 

According to the World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO), it’s not possible to figure out an actual dose of probiotics. They also state that there’s no way of determining this for sure from patient to patient. 

The amount of probiotics you take should be specific to your individual needs and that can vary dramatically from patient to patient. 

For the average, healthy adult, there are no government guidelines or recommendations for probiotics. 

Side Effects of Eating Too Many Probiotics

What happens if you eat too many probiotics? Once again, while it’s not a major risk to take too many probiotics, there are still side effects for those who overdo it. Here are some of the side effects. 

Bloating

Bloating is the most common symptom and this occurs because your abdomen can fill with excess gas. This can lead to your stomach looking and feeling swollen. It might also feel tender to touch or when you push on it. 

This issue is not generally dangerous and you can eliminate it by reducing the amount of probiotics you take. That said, it can cause plenty of discomfort and pain. 

Gas

Bloating and gas are similar and eating certain foods that contain healthy bacteria can result in some people producing more gas than others. It’s important to keep your diet in check when taking probiotics. 

Our diets change from day to day and certain foods that you ate one day and had no issue with can result in you having more gas on other days.. 

Probiotics are designed to supplement your body with good bacteria to help break down food and regulate your digestive system -  too much of this can lead to excessive gas. 

Diarrhoea

Gas may be accompanied by loose or watery stools. Keep in mind that most of these symptoms often go hand-in-hand and you could have all or none of them. Nausea may also often accompany diarrhoea. 

Generally, diarrhoea should only last for a day or two and can be caused by contaminated food or water. If you have loose bowel movements lasting longer than two days, you’ll want to call your Doctor. 

Headaches

Is it bad to have too many probiotics if you’re experiencing headaches all the time? Only you can determine this but many strains of bacteria from probiotics can cause high biogenic amine levels which results in headaches. 

This is due to an overload of toxins in the intestines which overwhelms the body and leads to toxic levels resulting in headaches. Biogenic amines are found in foods that undergo fermentation like cheese, wine, and fish. 

Keep in mind that it would take extremely high levels of probiotic ingestion to cause this but it is possible.  

Poor Quality Probiotics Cause Reactions

Lastly, we want to talk about the importance of being choosy about where you get your probiotics from. Since they are not federally regulated, it’s easy for any company to produce probiotics and claim that they resolve certain issues when they don’t. 

You want to make sure that you’re only purchasing your probiotics from trusted and respected companies that have a history of producing high-quality products that address gut health needs and solve gastrointestinal issues. 

So, can you take too many probiotics? Yes, but the side effects are minimal and it would require an incredibly high dose to experience most issues.