Let’s get straight to the point. If you suffer from any water kefir side effects because you are consuming it, this is mostly because your state of health is not good. A person who is relatively healthy usually doesn’t experience any negative side effects. But, there are some who may experience detoxification symptoms that are referred to as a healing crisis.
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| Water Kefir Side Effects |
Homemade water kefir is a potent probiotic. Toxins will start leaving the body when the digestive tract improves. Toxins that are moving through the circulatory systems on their way out of the body will cause a feeling of discomfort.
Water kefir is a probiotic, this means that you will slowly start seeing your body’s reaction to this drink. There are some people who drink large quantities of water kefir, but it is advisable that you start gradually and modify the doses after a period of ten days. Improper consumption can cause side effects such as diarrhea, and stomach pain. But just like everything else, you must start reasonably and see if the effects are positive or not for your body.
When preparing the water kefir, it is important to take precautions because any contact of the water kefir grains with any metals can represent a danger to your health. I found this kefir fermenter on Amazon to be most practical as it is made for the specific purpose of making water kefir (link to Amazon reviews) and it doesn’t contain any metals. However, any similar fermenter should do the work too but be sure to check that there are no metal parts and that plastic is FDA approved for food. This is the part where you don’t want to cut any corners.
Additionally, if grains are exposed to direct sunlight, artificial light or other bacteria, they can deteriorate and become toxic. Therefore, it is important to be careful when preparing the water kefir drink. If unsure about the process on how to make water kefir I would recommend my step by step guide on how to make water kefir at home that covers the complete process in detail of making water kefir.
For a person with a weak digestive system, water kefir could cause problems. Instead of regulating and restoring the intestinal flora, taking water kefir can upset the intestines by causing some minor dysfunction. This can lead to stomach getting upset, possible diarrhea and other side effects.
Some of the Temporary Symptoms of Using Water Kefir
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Digestive problems
These are characterized by flatulence, diarrhea or constipation, foul-smelling bowel, cramping, heartburn, and nausea.
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Flu-like symptoms
You will experience an increase in mucus production, sore throat, low-grade fever and cough among others.
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Neurological Symptoms
Such symptoms include headaches, difficulty with concentration, dizziness, brain fog, anxiety, euphoria or depression.
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General aches
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Bloating
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Gas
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Acne
Interactions of Different Drugs and Diseases with Water Kefir Consumption
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Mastocytosis
Tyramine and Histamine naturally occur in water kefir and are produced during the bacterial fermentation process. Individuals with mastocytosis are required to adhere to a diet that is strictly free of histamine and Tyramine. Therefore, this group of individuals must avoid consuming water kefir.
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Depression
People using Monoamine Oxidase inhibitors to treat depression should also avoid taking kefir. This is because of its high content of Tyramine which can cause a spike in blood pressure.
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Migraines
If you suffer from acute or chronic migraine, you should avoid the consumption of water kefir. This is because it contains Histamine and Tyramine which is associated with migraines.
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Consumption by Children
Water kefir is possibly safe for consumption by children between the age of one and five when taken in smaller quantities for up to ten days.
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Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
While there is not enough reliable information about the safety of taking water kefir when being pregnant or breastfeeding, it is important that you stay on the safe side and avoid its use.
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AIDS
If you have AIDS or any other condition that is likely to weaken the immune system, you should consult your doctor before taking water kefir. Water kefir contains yeast and bacteria. There is some concern that people with a weakened immune system might be more likely to build up infections from these yeasts or bacteria.
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Colon Cancer
For people that are undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer, water kefir might increase side effects. Some of the side effects include drowsiness, stomach and intestinal complications, mouth sores.
Tips on How to Reduce Some Water Kefir Side Effects
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Constipation
If you experience constipation after taking water kefir, improving your bowel movement is advisable. You should increase your level of fiber intake and drink sufficient amounts of water. These combined with the probiotics in water kefir will improve the movement of the bowel and your constipation symptoms will also be improved as toxins will be washed out of the system.
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Intestinal Problems
If you are experiencing severe intestinal problems and want to try a natural method to care and relieve your intestine, it is advisable that you start by taking yogurt. Yogurt contains just a few bacterial strains compared to water kefir thus it cannot cause fewer discomforts.
If you want to use water kefir after you have incorporated yogurt, ensure that you consume it in small quantities. You can then possibly increase the quantities depending on the benefits generated and the benefits that you are looking for from the consumption. You can start with one spoon a day and gradually increase the amount until you are able to take one or more cups of the water kefir in a day without any complications.
In rare cases, people sensitive to yeast cannot tolerate either water kefir or milk kefir. You can assess your sensitivity to yeast by stopping the use of kefir. After assessing your sensitivity to yeast, you can then again start using it after some time. If you feel that you are sensitive to kefir’s yeast, you can look for other strains of kefir and probiotic cultures.
Final Verdict on Water Kefir Side Effects
Kefir is a highly potent probiotic drink with many health benefits. However, just like any other fermented drink, it doesn’t come without side effects. Generally, most of these have no scientific proof for being dangerous as most of them are just a Herxheimer reaction to the drink. A Herxheimer also is known as Herx, this is a reaction that takes place when the organisms in the body start dying and releasing some toxins into the bloodstream. Most of these reactions are not harmful but they are a type of discomfort that will go away once the toxins leave the body.
Water kefir doesn’t have many side effects. The most common ones are diarrhea and stomach cramping. Other people will experience constipation, nausea, bloating and gas, and general aches. Water kefir is also known to cause some type of reactions to people with particular conditions such as histamine intolerance. When using water kefir for the first time, it is advisable that you start with smaller doses before gradually increasing the dosage depending on your needs and tolerance to the drink.