What Detox Symptoms Should I Be Aware Of When Taking Probiotics?

Written by David Kahana, MD for 1MD

Dr. David Kahana is board certified in Pediatrics and Gastroenterology through the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP), as well as Medical Nutrition through the National Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists. He also sits on the 1MD Scientific Advisory Board and Complete Probiotcs Platinum physician-formulator.

Bacteria are often given a bad name but there are many bacterial strains that are beneficial and work from inside your gut to help keep you healthy. Probiotics are commonly used to support these trains within your gut to help you as the host.

Probiotics work to restore balance to your digestive microbiome and in doing so symptoms may sometimes be experienced. While these symptoms can be uncomfortable, they are normal and are a sign that the probiotics are working to clean out your gut and restore a healthy balance and better digestion.

Probiotics and Your Body

Probiotics are live microorganisms that provide digestive and immune benefits when consumed. Many foods such as yogurt and kefir contain probiotics, supplemental support is often the best way to make sure you get an effective dose. Probiotics play an essential role in digestive health as well as immune function and overall maintenance, so it is important to consume beneficial doses.

Most of the bacteria in your body live inside your gut so this is the target destination for probiotics. Optimal health relies on eubiosis, a term used to describe a balanced microbiome. The presence of certain strains of bacteria work to protect your gut from common digestive problems that can develop as a result of an unbalanced microbiome, or dysbiosis.

Most of your core microbiome is developed within the first year of life and close to 80% of it is difficult to modify. The 20% that is variable is influenced by your diet, habits, lifestyle, inactivity, and exposure to antibiotics. Each of these factors contributes to the development of an aberrant microecology in the gut. This increases your risk for inflammation and chronic illness.

An aberrant microbiome can be corrected and proper digestive health can be restored. A healthy digestive tract centers around the ability to digest, absorb, and assimilate nutrients. Overeating or not breaking food down properly for absorption will overwhelm your digestive system. Any undigested food in the gut can be fermented by bacteria or leaked into the body, causing widespread inflammation. Probiotic supplements are a clinically studied way to restore eubiosis, improve digestive function, and maintain overall health.

The body is constantly exposed to a variety of microbes and toxins and it is the responsibility of the immune system to initiate a low-grade response to clear these from your system. As the central hub of the immune system the gut is where the immune response is initiated. Without proper mediation, this response can become aberrant leading to chronic inflammation and an increased risk for disease. Your gut health is essential for maintaining an efficient immune system, and probiotics have been shown to promote this.

What Strains and Dosage Should I Take?

The main goal being to reduce the risk of digestive disease and inflammation that is linked to other health conditions. There are a few beneficial probiotics for gut health, immune system function, and proper digestion.

• S. boulardii is sturdy and well-equipped to travel through the digestive tract so it gets to your gut as needed. There it works to prevent bad bacteria in your gut from colonizing and causing infection. This allows for more efficient and health digestion and nutrient absorption. It also acts directly on your immune cells to inhibit chemical activity that can cause inflammation through the body.
• L. rhamnosus GG is a probiotic found naturally in your gut and it helps support healthy digestive function. L. rhamnosus GG produces lactic acid which stimulates the growth of beneficial bacteria that crowd out harmful strains in the gut microbiome. As it digests fiber from your diet, it also produces beneficial short-chain fatty acids that support overall health and body maintenance.
• Bifidobacteria are also essential to digestive health. Along with production of essential short-chain fatty acids, vitamins, and organic compounds, these help maintain balance within the gut microbiome. They break down important phytonutrients in your food to support overall health and also protect the gut and immune system by interfering with potential pathogens that may be trying to colonize in your gut.

A dosage between 10 and 20 billion CFU (colony forming units) per day is recommended but this is dependent on the strains you are taking as well as your health. It is important, in addition to the right dose, to choose a brand of probiotics that contains multiple clinically studied strains. Complete Probiotics Platinum™ from 1MD delivers 11 potent probiotic strains and all-natural ingredients, specifically formulated to support broad-spectrum digestive health and stimulate immune system function.

Detox Symptoms When Taking Probiotics

When taking probiotics, it is not uncommon to experience symptoms similar to a detox. At first, these can be unpleasant but it is important to understand that this is normal. It may be a good indication that the probiotics are working to restore balance in your gut to better support proper digestive function and overall health.

The potential side effects of taking probiotics may include:

• Gassiness
• Bloating
• Abdominal pain
• Mild nausea
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Mild rash

As probiotics stimulate the breakdown of food , gases and metabolites are temporarily released. These will be expelled from the body within a few days and your microbiome will adjust in response. Before this occurs, you may experience some gassiness, bloating, and other mild symptoms in response to these gases being present in the gut.

Although rare, you may experience severe symptoms, in which case you need to seek medical attention. Vomiting, respiratory distress, and fever may occur although probiotics are used extensively and considered very safe.

The release of metabolites into the blood can also cause headaches or temporary changes in your gut microbiota. Again, this is considered normal and part of the healing process which starts when probiotics are introduced into a dysbiotic environment. The potential symptoms are signs that your body is being cleared of harmful substances and unhelpful bacteria and in most cases, people see improvement within a few days to a week.

How to Ease Detox Symptoms When Taking Probiotics

Taking probiotics is a proven way to enhance digestive and immune health. To achieve your health goals, it is essential to stick with your supplement schedule. Should you experience any of the symptoms there are ways to ease them, while you complete your probiotic schedule.

• Stay hydrated to help flush toxins and metabolites from the body more efficiently.
• Exercise regularly to help cleanse the skin through sweat and to promote optimal circulation so the body can better cleanse itself of toxins.
• Take your probiotics with meals as they will have better survivability when ingested with a small, non-acidic meal.
• Take high-quality supplements only to ensure you get the most beneficial strains and no artificial fillers or unhealthy ingredients.

Final Thoughts

There are a number of digestive conditions that cause unpleasant symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and gassiness. These symptoms can indicate that your gut bacteria are unbalanced. Taking Complete Probiotics Platinum™ regularly helps restore balance through the repair of your gut. Mild detox symptoms are possible as this happens, but are also considered natural and temporary and may be letting you know that your digestive and immune health is headed in the right direction.