By Otto Rodriguez
Miami-Dade Health
Probiotics are all the rage, but a new study warns that they are not always beneficial and may cause brain fogginess and severe bloating.
The new research, published in the journal Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology, links symptoms associated with brain fogginess, including poor short-term memory and difficulty concentrating to a bacterial overgrowth resulting from probiotic consumption.
Brain fogginess is not a clearly definable clinical condition and the symptoms are often transient, with great difficulty in targeting exactly what triggers it.
The research took into consideration a group of patients that reported symptoms of brain fog, and all with evidence of probiotic use. It was revealed that all these subjects had high levels of bacterial overgrowth in their small intestine.
Researchers say that the overgrowth of the bacterium Lactobacillus was found to produce excessive levels of D-lactic acid.
D-lactic acid is produced when some bacteria break down sugars in food, which produces gases that result in bloating and abdominal discomfort, as well as D-lactic acid, which can be absorbed into the bloodstream and reach the brain.
Previous studies have shown that D-lactic acid has been found to be toxic to brain cells, resulting in a temporary cognitive condition.
“What we now know is that probiotic bacteria have the unique capacity to break down sugar and produce D-lactic acid,” said one of the researchers. “So if you inadvertently colonize your small bowel with probiotic bacteria, then you have set the stage for potentially developing lactic acidosis and brain fogginess.”
