Side effects from drinking too much kefir? Is there such a thing?

[Laurel723]

So let me preface this by saying that I normally have no dairy issues, at all. none. I could live on the stuff-happily. Even the nasty homo- & past- stuff.

But-I found some Lifeways brand Kefir at the store-and had it for breakfast/lunch thur and Friday, and again today. None over the weekend.

Halfway through my bottle (32 oz) I'm wondering-What happens if you drink too much? I'm just wondering if its going to have some unpleasant effects that I could avoid by not having it for a while-or if chowing down on it while I can find it is an ok thing to do? Its the unflavored, unsweetened kind, but it tastes so much better than yogurt (I'd never in a million years consider eating that much yogurt-hence my question...)

[AnnC]

Originally Posted by Laurel723

So let me preface this by saying that I normally have no dairy issues, at all. none. I could live on the stuff-happily. Even the nasty homo- & past- stuff.

But-I found some Lifeways brand Kefir at the store-and had it for breakfast/lunch thur and Friday, and again today. None over the weekend.

Halfway through my bottle (32 oz) I'm wondering-What happens if you drink too much? I'm just wondering if its going to have some unpleasant effects that I could avoid by not having it for a while-or if chowing down on it while I can find it is an ok thing to do? Its the unflavored, unsweetened kind, but it tastes so much better than yogurt (I'd never in a million years consider eating that much yogurt-hence my question...)

I love dairy too. I first discovered plain Lifeways kefir in about 1990, in a health food store, and I loved it! I would eat it on granola, and chug it plain. I never had any problem, no matter how much I drank.
I drink it a lot now, too, but I make it from raw milk. Although I know the grains give you more friendly bacteria than the powder, I actually like the taste of the powder better. So I do both.
A friend of mine drinks about a quart to half gallon of kefir a day, and says he feels better when he does.

Ann

[Leilalu]

I make my own from grains. The thing I notcied at first was the change in my bowels. But now that we have been drinking it about everyday, I feel pretty healthy. I don't think there can be too much when it comes to kefir. Just loads of friendly healthy bacteria to help you out!

[Laurel723]

What does the homemade taste like compared to the storebought? I can't help but think it would be better for you....

[kdmama33]

Homemade kefir is more sour than storebought, in my experience. (I've only had one brand of storebought, and that's what I'm using as a basis for that judgement, so take that with a grain of salt.) It is better for you, as there are many more of the beneficial bacteria in homemade than in storebought. Having said that, I don't think the storebought is a complete waste.

As for the OP, I'd have to say that bowel changes were the only differences we saw when we first added kefir to our diets. We had to take it slowly, working up from 1/4 cup per day to 2 cups or more every day, or we were dealing with multiple emergency restroom trips (for me and the kids). But now, I could probably down a quart or more per day and feel great!

[Laurel723]

So I guess my diving in with a quart a day right off the bat was definitely a case of ignorance is bliss? Better lucky than good, as they say....!

Maybe I ought to slow up just a tad on the off chance it's going to build up and then . That would be a bad thing. But maybe it's a good sign that I haven't had any difficulty-maybe my gut bugs are in better shape than I thought they were. (Hope that wasn't tmi. Sorry, if it was!)

[knittinclothmama]

Originally Posted by kdmama33

Homemade kefir is more sour than storebought, in my experience. (I've only had one brand of storebought, and that's what I'm using as a basis for that judgement, so take that with a grain of salt.) It is better for you, as there are many more of the beneficial bacteria in homemade than in storebought. Having said that, I don't think the storebought is a complete waste.

As for the OP, I'd have to say that bowel changes were the only differences we saw when we first added kefir to our diets. We had to take it slowly, working up from 1/4 cup per day to 2 cups or more every day, or we were dealing with multiple emergency restroom trips (for me and the kids). But now, I could probably down a quart or more per day and feel great!

Emergency room???? I'm new to kefir so I'm wondering if you're serious!!??

[~member~]

Originally Posted by knittinclothmama

Emergency room???? I'm new to kefir so I'm wondering if you're serious!!??

I think she means the bathroom, ie-diarrhea.

[Annabel]

I had no trouble at all going straight into drinking a couple of cups of kefir a day right from the beginning. My husband was more of the emergency bathroom trip type at the beginning! I eat a lot of yoghurt and he doesn't so I put it down to me having better bacteria in my system already, and he was experiencing a 'die off' of bad stuff.
I don't think drinking a lot would be bad for you, but it does have the potential to be a little unpleasant for a while until your digestive system gets used to it. Kind of like a detox.

[Leilalu]

I think the biggest thing I noticed was that my sugar cravings went down alot

[kdmama33]

Just adding more lacto fermented foods to my diet in general has helped seriously curb my sugar cravings. I can cut back on kefir as long as I'm eating a lot of sauerkraut or kimchee or the like.

And yes, I did mean diarrhea, not trips to the ER.

[knittinclothmama]

Originally Posted by kdmama33

Just adding more lacto fermented foods to my diet in general has helped seriously curb my sugar cravings. I can cut back on kefir as long as I'm eating a lot of sauerkraut or kimchee or the like.

And yes, I did mean diarrhea, not trips to the ER.

That's good!! My dh read that and it kind of freaked him out. I don't think he'll be going near it for quite awhile but still......