Can Probiotics Cause Frequent Urination & Make You Pee More?
Due to the limited number of studies about probiotics, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered about them. One of these is: “Can taking probiotics cause frequent urination?”
As someone who has experienced the discomfort of frequent urination in the past, I was curious to learn more about the potential effects of probiotics on urinary tract health.
After scouring the internet for answers, I stumbled upon various (and a bit contradictory) studies that delve into the topic in depth. From the surprising benefits of probiotics on kidney health to the varying effects on bladder health, this article covers it all.
So, if you’re like me and looking for a solution to those pesky bathroom breaks, keep reading to learn more about the potential role of probiotics in urinary tract health.
- Different people can have varied reactions to probiotics – some frequent experience urination, while others don’t
- Sometimes, urination can become more frequent and your urine can even look discolored or have a stronger smell
- Frequent urination after taking probiotics might actually be a good thing because that helps flush out toxins and pathogenic bacteria from your body
- Probiotics appear to have some effect on the bladder, especially in preventing UTIs (urinary tract infections), but might not help with cystitis (inflammation of the bladder)
- Click here for the BEST PRICE of our recommend probiotics supplement
Do probiotics make you have to pee more, and how do they affect your bladder? What are the reasons why probiotics cause frequent urination? Is an overactive bladder one of the signs probiotics are working?
Lets dive in!
Can Probiotics Cause Frequent Urination?
It can be a “Yes!” or “No!” The information I found on this topic is quite diverse, with different sources contradicting each other. First, according to Doctor Explains, there isn’t any strong evidence from studies that probiotics can make you urinate more.
The site further explains that there’s also insufficient evidence showing that the increased urination (frequency or volume) has links to probiotics.
However, according to 1MD Nutrition, that isn’t the case. They explain that it’s actually possible for you to experience frequent urination (or other symptoms) during the first few days – and that can be a sign that the probiotics are working! Wow.
Let’s take a look at how that works.
Why Do Probiotics Make You Pee More?
When you take probiotics, the “good bacteria” in these products fight against the bad ones in your body.
Probiotics, especially high-potency products, can remove other toxins and heavy metals from your system. While processing these toxic chemicals, your body will find ways to get rid of these by-products as fast as possible.
That’s the reason why frequent urination happens.
Your system signals various parts of your body to help out in removing or releasing these – and your excretory system processes the release through the bladder, creating more urine.
According to 1MD Nutrition, you might experience more frequent urination. Watch out for other symptoms or side effects, such as having urine with a strong or pungent smell. You might even notice some discoloration of your urine.
If there aren’t any “bad bacteria” in your body, the probiotics can focus on colonizing your gut. They eventually get flushed out.
Do Probiotics Affect The Bladder?
Yes, in a way, probiotics can affect the bladder. You might be surprised to learn that the bladder also has its own microbiome, just like your gut and other parts of the body.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, different species of bacteria are present in your bladder microbiome, but Lactobacillus is the most common. Note that this bacteria is also abundant in your gut microbiome.
The following might also be present:
- Bifidobacterium
- Aerococcus
- Gardnerella
- Streptococcus
- Staphylococcus
Just like what happens in your gut when there’s an altered or imbalanced microbiome, some issues might happen if you don’t keep your bladder microbiome in check.
Some of these issues can include having an overactive bladder and interstitial cystitis (a chronic condition that can cause bladder pain and pressure). Sometimes, it can even lead to UTIs.
Since many probiotic products have Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species, taking them can help restore the balance in your bladder and prevent these issues from happening, according to the Harvard Health Publishing article.
How do probiotics affect the kidneys?
Probiotics are beneficial for kidney health, as they can positively affect inflammation, kidney function parameters, and blood urea nitrogen levels.
Studies have indicated that probiotics may help to suppress proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6. Additionally, probiotic supplementation has been shown to improve renal function parameters in uremic rats and lower levels of blood urea nitrogen in stage 3 and 4 CKD patients.
This points to the potential for probiotics to promote better overall health for people with chronic kidney diseases (CKD). However, more research is needed to understand the full range of benefits that probiotics may have on the kidneys.
Can Probiotics Help With Frequent Urination?
Yes. As long as frequent urination isn’t caused by probiotics, there’s a big chance that they can help deal with it. As I’ve explained above, sometimes an imbalanced microbiome might be the reason why you experience certain issues, including frequent urination.
Probiotics have also been studied for their effect on urinary tract health and have been found to help reduce the frequency of frequent urination.
This is due to probiotics’ ability to maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria in the urinary tract, which can help reduce inflammation and irritation in the area. Additionally, probiotic supplementation has been found to help improve bladder function in people who suffer from urinary incontinence.
So, it makes sense that restoring the balance can go a long way in reducing the other issues that make you pee more.
