Recommended Probiotics Dosage Per Day – How Many CFUs to Take?

Recommended dosages for probiotic supplements will vary depending on the reason why probiotics are being used as well as the strains of bacteria in the products.

There is significant variation in the dosages provided by different probiotics; more so than with almost any other dietary supplement used today. This has to do with the different forms of probiotics available today, individual product viability and intended product usage.

Probiotic dosages are measured in Colony Forming Units (CFUs), which tells you how many live bacterial organisms are provided in each dosage. The usual oral dosage for the probiotic Lactobacillus is between 1 to 10 billion live CFUs, taken 2 to 4 times daily for adults.

Dosages may be higher or lower for specific health conditions. Different dosages may also be recommended for babies, children or individuals with other health conditions. What do you need to know to determine the best dosage of probiotics to take for your needs?

Probiotics

Digestive Supplement

Gut Health

Digestion

Immune Function

How It Works:

• Supports a healthy immune system & microflora
• Promotes digestion & nutrient absoprtion
• Combats pathogenic bacteria; Improves metabolism

Dosage:

Between 1 - 10 Billion CFUs per day

Safety:

Rated Likely Safe

Top Probiotics Products* ❯

View User Ratings* ❯

Guide to Probiotics Dosages

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), probiotics are “live micro-organisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”

This definition points out the importance of using an adequate dosage of probiotics to experience health benefits. If administered in quantities that are too low, the beneficial effects will not manifest.

Dosing your probiotic supplements is made more complicated by the fact that these are living bacterial organisms. Not all of the probiotic organisms found in a dietary supplement will remain living from the time they are first encapsulated to the time they are eventually consumed.

Furthermore, probiotics need to be able to survive the harsh conditions of the stomach and intestines in order to confer a benefit. Some research suggests that non-living probiotic bacteria can confer a benefit on the immune system. But most research has shown positive effects from administering living cultures that can colonize the gut and play a role in breaking down food.

To combat this, probiotic supplement manufacturers will overdose their products so they provide a minimum number of viable CFUs through the end of their shelf-life.

One popular probiotic supplement provides 11 billion CFUs per serving at the initial time of manufacturer, but states that their product may only have 4 billion CFUs at the end of its shelf-life.

Supplement manufacturers have developed techniques to improve the shelf-life of probiotic bacteria and to ensure a consistent dosage is provided throughout the duration of the probiotics viability.

Methods can include enteric coatings, freeze-drying live culture or keeping products refrigerated to prevent bacteria from dying off prematurely. Probiotic foods may also be produced with agents that help to keep probiotic bacteria alive and viable.

Recommended Probiotics Dosages

Most doctors recommend taking between 1 billion and 15 billion live CFUs of probiotics per day to maintain digestive health and support the immune system. This dosage may be split into several administrations or taken all at once.

When looking for a probiotic supplement to buy, it is a good idea to choose a product that combines several different strains of bacteria together. This can improve the viability of the individual strains used and provide more health benefits compared to using a single-strain product.

If you are using probiotics to address specific medical conditions or health concerns, you should check with your doctor to find out the best dosage for your needs. A doctor should also be consulted before giving probiotics to pregnant or nursing women, infants, children or individuals with compromised immune systems.

The following is a list of probiotic dosages that have been used in clinical research trials for different health conditions.

Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea

Probiotics are used to treat diarrhea caused by bacterial and viral infections as well as frequent antibiotics use. This diarrhea is especially dangerous in children because of the risk of dehydration and nutrient deficiency.

The probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (Culturelle) with a CFU of 10-20 billion is used once a day. Alternatively, a dose of 20 billion CFU’s is administered twice a day with conventional antimicrobial treatment.

The probiotic drink Actimel (manufactured by Danone), has also been used to treat diarrhea. Actimel consists of the probiotics Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Streptococcus thermophilus in a dose of 97 mL given twice a day.

For preventing diarrhea in infants and children ages 1 to 36 months, 6 billion CFUs of Lactobacillus GG has been administered twice a day.

The brand DanActive (Danone) is a fermented milk with the probiotic Lactobacillus casei strain DN-114 001. It has been used as a diarrhea treatment in 100 to 250 gram doses.

To prevent diarrhea and reduce the duration of symptoms, 100 million CFUs of the probiotic Lactobacillus sporogenes has been used daily for newborns to one-year old infants.

Chemotherapy-Induced Diarrhea: For chemotherapy-induced diarrhea, a 10 to 20 billion CFU culture of Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus GG (Culturelle) was used daily.

Clostridium Difficle: For recurrent Clostridium difficile, which is an infection most common in frequent antibiotic use, a probiotics dosage of 1.25 billion CFUs of Lactobacillus GG has been used for 2 weeks.

Traveler’s Diarrhea: To prevent traveler’s diarrhea, Lactobacillus GG with a dosage of 2 billion CFUs administered daily has been used.

Probiotic Doses for Colds

To prevent respiratory infections in children, a dosage of 500,000 to 1 million CFUs of Lactobacillus GG was used in a fermented milk product.

For prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia in adults, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG in a dose of 2 billion CFUs twice daily has been used.

For prevention of the common cold, a combination of Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus paracasei with 1 billion CFUs taken daily has been used in adults.

Treating IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

For irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the recommended dosage of probiotics is 10 billion CFUs of Lactobacillus acidophilus, taken twice a day for six weeks.

A high-dose 450 billion CFUs combination probiotic called VSL#3 has also been used twice a day. This product provides viable lyophilized (freeze-dried) bacteria from the Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria, and Streptococcus species.

ProViva is a probiotic beverage containing Lactobacillus plantarum 299v, taken twice a day to treat IBS as well.

Using Probiotics for Vaginal Conditions

Probiotics can also be used to treat conditions such as vaginal Candidiasis and Bacterial Vaginosis (BV).

Vaginal suppositories with 1 billion CFUs of Lactobacilus GG have been administered twice a day for 7 days to alleviate vaginal Candidiasis infections.

For Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) 1 to 2 tablets of Gynoflor are used daily. This tablet contains Lactobacillus acidophilus with 10 million CFUs per dosage.

Safety of Probiotic Dosages

Taking too much of a probiotic supplement will not cause overdose symptoms, though it may result in diarrhea or constipation for some users.

The most common side effect with taking probiotics is intestinal gas. This symptom usually goes away after the first couple of doses. If the gas and bloating persists, you may need to use a lower dosage until the body has time to adjust.

High doses of probiotics could cause serious side effects in individuals who have compromised immune systems, such as organ donors. Those using a catheter or with Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS) should also not use probiotics.

Unless directed by a medical professional, probiotics should not be taken by pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding. If giving probiotic supplements to an infant or child, speak to your doctor first to find out what the appropriate dosage is.

For those allergic to milk or lactose intolerant, milk based probiotics should be avoided. Yeast-based probiotics should be avoided by those who are allergic to yeast. Probiotics do interact with antibiotics and doses should be taken at least two hours apart from each other.

Probiotics have been used safely for many years and the dosages recommended above are based on both clinical trials and medical professional practice results.

Rate This Article

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5, rated)