Guide
How much probiotics is too much?
There is no established upper limit for probiotics. What the safety reviews found, why more is not better by default, and what our label says.
No upper limit has been set for probiotics, so "too much" cannot be given as a number. A review of 622 studies found no significant increase in overall or serious adverse events in short-term randomized trials, but long-term effects are largely unknown. Do not exceed the dose on your label.
What the safety reviews found
The AHRQ evidence report on probiotic safety reviewed 622 studies. Randomized trials showed no statistically significant increase in overall adverse events (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.07) or serious adverse events (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.16) with short-term probiotic use compared with control. The report also said long-term effects are largely unknown, rare adverse events are difficult to assess, and the literature is "not well equipped to answer questions on the safety of probiotic interventions with confidence." It did not look for, or set, a ceiling on dose.
A review of 384 trials found 106 reported no harms-related data and 309 did not give serious adverse events per group. That is a reason not to treat the absence of reported problems as proof there are none.
Is more better?
No official daily amount exists. A review of dose-response studies in people found that whether a higher dose does more depends on the outcome, and for most outcomes studied no clear relationship was found; the author said the findings do not allow extrapolation. A bigger CFU number is therefore not evidence of a better product, and it is not evidence of harm either. See how much probiotics per day.
Signs of too much probiotics
We have no research to give a list of "signs of too much" or a symptom threshold, and we do not invent one. The trials the AHRQ report reviewed primarily reported gastrointestinal events, at a rate not significantly different from control. If a symptom is new, persistent or severe after you start or increase a supplement, stop and ask a doctor. See probiotics side effects.
The AHRQ report noted case studies of bloodstream infections (fungemia and some bacteremia) potentially associated with the administered organisms, and said people with compromised health were most likely to have adverse events. These are rare and the frequency is unknown. It is why the label tells anyone with a weakened immune system or a medical condition to ask a physician first, and why who should not take probiotics exists.
What our label says
Electric Tiger Probiotic 20 Billion CFU directs one capsule daily with 6–8 oz of water, or as directed by a healthcare professional, and warns: do not exceed the recommended dose. One capsule is 20 billion CFU at the time of manufacture from 13 listed organisms (species only, one 317 mg row), as low as $14.39 a bottle on subscription. The safety reviews above did not test our product, so none of their findings is a claim about it.
Questions people ask
Can you take too many probiotics, or too much probiotics?
No limit has been established either way. Short-term trials showed no significant excess of side effects; long-term effects are largely unknown. Stay at the label's dose unless a clinician tells you otherwise.
Can you have too many probiotics, or overdose on them?
We found no study that defines an overdose of probiotics. The only serious events described were rare case studies of bloodstream infections, mostly in people with compromised health, and their frequency is unknown.
Can you eat too much probiotics, for example from yogurt or other foods?
Fermented foods are a different category from probiotics, according to the ISAPP definition, and a probiotic needs an identified strain and a known amount. That means a food's live cultures are not counted as a probiotic dose, and this guide cannot give an amount for food.
Is it possible to take too many probiotics by combining products?
Two products add up to more than the label of either. Our label says do not exceed the recommended dose; ask a doctor or pharmacist before combining.
Sources
- Safety of probiotics used to reduce risk and prevent or treat disease Short-term trials found no more side effects with probiotics than with control, but safety reporting was poor and long-term effects are largely unknown.
- Harms Reporting in Randomized Controlled Trials of Interventions Aimed at Modifying Microbiota: A Systematic Review A review of 384 trials found harms were often poorly reported, so safety cannot simply be assumed.
- A review of dose-responses of probiotics in human studies A review found that whether a higher probiotic dose does more depends on the outcome, and for most outcomes studied there was no clear relationship.
- Expert consensus document. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic A 2014 international expert consensus statement defined 'probiotic' as a specific, identified live microorganism given in a known, adequate amount that has been shown to produce a health benefit — not a general term for any product containing live bacteria.
- The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on fermented foods Experts define fermented foods by how they are made, and say they are not the same thing as probiotics.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
