Daily Plate: Too Much of a Good Thing?

As of late, I find myself hooked on ginger kombucha. If you haven't tried it, you really should. It's delicious. A raw, probiotic beverage, it is thought to support (according to the label):

Digestion
Metabolism
Immune System
Appetite Control
Weight Control
Liver Function
Body Alkalinity
Anti-Aging
Cell Integrity
Healthy Skin & Hair

The main attraction to me is that it tastes really good. Let me rephrase: it's addictive. It also doesn't hurt that it's packed with B-vitamins and folic acid. It also contains organic acids and antioxidants along with 1 billion Lactobacillus Bacterium and another 1 billion S. Boulardii. That's per serving, which means that each 16-ounce bottle houses 4 billion bacterium. These little organisms are a few types of the "good" bacteria that we need in our system, and among the casualties that result from antibiotic use.

Anyway, I’m not on antibiotics, so it’s not like I’m trying to replenish anything. Still, there’s quite a bit of research that suggests that it’s good for your immune system to consume probiotic foods and beverages. I just have to wonder if you can have too much of this particular good thing. Supplements are a different story—I think when you're taking supplements, it’s easier to take too much. However, to be on the safe side, I try not to drink kombucha on a day when I drink kefir (a probiotic fermented milk drink I also love) or eat a lot of yogurt. I've read that it's very hard to overdo it because we need billions of these bacteria, but I'm a classic hypochondriac, and while overdose symptoms are mild (bloating, gas…) who needs that?

Fortunately, this stuff is expensive (easy to spend four bucks on a bottle), so it’s a once-in-a-while treat, but it’s so hard to resist!