Wednesday, March 27, 2024

How To Restore Healthy Gut Flora After Antibiotics

Taking Probiotics During And After A Course Of Antibiotics

How Long Does It Take For The Gut Flora To Restore After Antibiotics? | Ask Eric Bakker

Doctors prescribe antibiotics to treat serious bacterial infections that can sometimes be life-threatening. There are some unpleasant side effects of taking antibiotics that include gastrointestinal upset, yeast infections, and rashes.

The Yonsei Medical Journal reports that antibiotics upset the intestinal microbiota and can cause antibiotic-associated diseases. The most common side effect of taking antibiotics is diarrhea.

Other studies into the effect of antibiotics on gut health have shown that taking antibiotics can cause Clostridium difficile infections that can cause inflammation of the colon. Research has also found that interfering with the gut microflora can also impact the immune system and put you at risk of further infection.

Scientific research shows why you should take probiotics after taking antibiotics. For example, a systematic review of 20 trials found that probiotics can help to prevent C. diff. infections that cause diarrhea.

Another review of clinical trials involving more than 3,400 children found that various probiotic strains can help to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children.

One study found that the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 was effective in reducing and preventing diarrhea in people taking antibiotics. Taking 2 probiotic supplements 2 times a day for 4 weeks helped to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

Add A Collagen Supplement

There is some research to suggest that collagen supplementation has therapeutic effects on the gut lining. This is largely due to the amino acid content in the collagen protein. Collagen contains the amino acids glycine, glutamine, and proline, which are largely beneficial to the intestines.

Glutamine for one, is the most abundant amino acid in the body and works to repair and maintain the integrity and function of the gut barrier both of which are vital post-antibiotic treatment.

Whats more, glycine is an essential amino acid that directly improves the health of the gut by protecting cells from damage and helping to rid of toxins .

Soothing the gut with foods and supplements that help strengthen its barrier will help make it more resistant to damage and better equipped to heal after antibiotics. Incorporating a collagen supplement into your routine is a great way to provide your body with the amino acids it needs .

To ensure you are getting a high-quality collagen supplement its best to look for one sourced from grass-fed cows and without any added ingredients.

Our Naked Collagen is made exclusively from European pasture-raised and grass-fed bovines, its highly soluble, and tasteless, making it an easy addition to your morning coffee or smoothie.

How Antibiotics Affect The Gut

While antibiotics have vital health benefits in certain situations, they also alter the microbiome and can change the gut even after a single dose.

Not only do antibiotics suppress bacterial infections, they can also cause an immediate decline in beneficial bacterial strains like lactobacillus and bifidobacteria. In some cases, they can also cause a rise in clostridium, a harmful type of bacteria that lives in the gut.

Most antibiotics can also cause long-term changes to the bacterial landscape of the gut. While the gut may return to normal on its own without assistance, in many cases, it can take an average of four weeks after a single dose of antibiotics for the gut to begin this process. If more doses are used, or frequent antibiotics are taken, the gut can experience permanent changes unless interventions are used.

The potential even exists for antibiotics to change the gut so that bacterial groups remain altered for two or more years, including the addition of resistant strains to the gut, which can be problematic for future health. Antibiotics can cause damage in mitochondria the energy-producing powerhouses of cells.

Beyond just the gut, antibiotics can also cause damage in mitochondria the energy-producing powerhouses of cells. Without healthy mitochondria, its possible for your whole body to feel run down and short on energy.

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Consume Fermented Foods While Taking Antibiotics

Many fermented foods contain probiotics and can help to restore normal gut flora that has been disrupted by antibiotics. Here are a few of the best probiotic-foods.

Yogurt. You can eat raw yogurt when taking antibiotics because it contains strains of healthy bacteria. One study found that people who consume yogurt have more Bifidobacterium in their gut. Other studies have shown that raw yogurt containing Lactobacillus casei can positively influence gastrointestinal health. Yogurt is also one of the best foods for treating yeast infection.

Some studies seem to indicate that calcium-enriched foods may inhibit the absorption of certain medications. However, this has not been proved with calcium-rich dairy products when taking moxifloxacin.

Kefir. This is a fermented milk drink that contains many types of good gut bacteria. Several studies have shown that kefir has antimicrobial, antitumor and anticarcinogenic activity. Consuming kefir can also boost your immune system and improve lactose digestion.

Kimchi. Another probiotic food you can take after antibiotics is kimchi. Kimchi is made by fermenting vegetables with probiotic lactic acid bacteria. Studies have shown that kimchi contains probiotic properties that have a positive effect on your gut health and immune system.

The Composition Of Gut Bacteria Almost Recovers After Antibiotics

How To Restore Gut Flora After Antibiotics
Date:
University of Copenhagen The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Summary:
The use of antibiotics has long been linked to deprivation of gut bacteria. Now, a new study shows that the composition and function of gut bacteria can recover after antibiotic treatment in healthy people. But after six months, the gut still lack nine common beneficial bacterial species.

The trillions of bacteria in the human gut affect our health in multiple ways including effects on immune functions and metabolism. A rich and diverse gut microbiota is considered to promote health providing the human host with many competences to prevent chronic diseases. In contrast, poor diversity of the gut ecosystem is a characteristic feature of chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes, asthma and gut inflammatory disorders.

Due the general bacterial-killing nature of antibiotics, it has been speculated that repetitive use of antibiotics deprives people of a rich gut bacterial environment and through this lead to adverse health effects.

Now, an international team of researchers led from the University of Copenhagen and Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen report when 3 antibiotics were given to young healthy men for 4 days it caused an almost complete eradication of gut bacteria, followed by a gradual recovery of most bacterial species over a period of six months.

Is the missing beneficial gut microbes in the Western world due to over usage of antibiotics?

Story Source:

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Antibiotics And Gut Health: What Goes Wrong

Antibiotics have one job: kill bacteria and stop them from multiplying. However, this simple task is what leads to a disruption in your gut microbiome.

Antibiotics cannot tell the difference between good bacteria and bad bacteria. Their job is to simply go to your gut and kill bacteria. They dont discriminate between the good and bad.

When antibiotics enter your system and kill off bacteria seemingly at random, your balance of good and bad bacteria can be thrown out of wack. This is a major issue as the good bacteria in your system play a vital role in protecting you from issues such as SIBO or Candida overgrowth. As the number of good bacteria in your gut decreases, you become susceptible to overgrowths of other organisms, including a yeast called Candida.

While a small amount of yeast is normal and necessary, Candida is opportunistic. If given the chance, such as antibiotic usage killing off protective good bacteria, it will grow and multiply quickly especially when its fed sugar, carbohydrates, or alcohol. When yeast starts to multiply, it can damage the lining of your intestinal walls. This leads to increased intestinal permeability and whats known as leaky gut.

Checking Your Gut Flora

Number of professional tests can help diagnose leaky gut SIBO and other forms of gut dysbiosis infections like C. difficile and H. pylori parasite infection inefficient digestion of fats, proteins and/or carbohydrates and of course, diseases of the gut like diverticular disease, ulcerative colitis, and celiac disease. Certainly, if you are worried about a serious health issue, its imperative to go to your doctor and have a detailed conversation. Fortunately, there are a few tests you can do at home to gauge the state of your gut health and see if you have indications of a problem.

These are some of the test that you can do at home

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Eating Unhealthy Foods In Excess

According to Dr. Bulsiewicz, there are a few different culprits scientifically known to diminish the good bacteria in the gut. One of the biggest reasons is eating unhealthy foods. “Refined sugar, refined flour, and saturated fats all inflict harm on the gut microbiome,” he says, as these foods are fuel for the harmful bacteria in the gutwhich can ultimately throw your gut bacteria out of balance.

How Long Does It Take For Gut Flora To Restore After Antibiotics

Restoring Gut Health After Antibiotic Use – Dr. Tom O’Bryan

Antibiotics kill bacteria. Thats their job, after all. Its how theyve saved millions of lives over the last hundred years.

But killing the bad guys responsible for your infection means you also kill good flora crucial for your health. If youve recently taken a course of antibiotics, and youre wondering how long it will take to get your microbiome back to normalor even if its possible at allread on.

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Probiotics And Antibiotics In

There is no doubt that antibiotics have an essential role to play in modern medicine in preventing and curing bacterial infections. They have saved millions of lives worldwide since their development and mass distribution in the 1940s. Bacterial infections are no longer the most common cause of death in the modern world, predominantly as a result of the action of antibiotics1. However, in recent times it has become increasingly recognised that antibiotics negatively affect our gut microbiome2.

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If Someone Has Mrsa Do You Need To Do Anything Special

MRSA should ALWAYS be treated by a health care provider. It is important to follow the instructions for treatment that your provider gives you.

Your provider will open the sore and drain it. After the infection is drained, you must keep it covered until it heals.

MRSA is resistant to many antibiotics so it can be difficult to treat. However, there are antibiotics that can treat MRSA and make the infection go away. Your provider may culture your infection and have the lab test the bacteria to find out which antibiotic is best for you.

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Increase Your Intake Of Prebiotics

In addition to probiotics, which are the live bacteria, prebiotics are another important addition to a post-antibiotic gut-healing regime. Prebiotics are the fuel for the probiotics.

They are the fibers that our gut bacteria use as fuel, and in turn, when the probiotics feed off of these fibers, they produce nutrients.

Some of these nutrients include something called short-chain fatty acids, or SCFAs, such as butyrate, acetate, and propionate.

SCFAs promote a healthy intestinal wall and barrier and have anti-inflammatory effects. Plus, the more prebiotics we consume, the more the probiotics can feed and flourish .

Prebiotic-rich foods include:

  • Bananas
  • Artichokes

Many health foods and supplements contain added prebiotic fibers supplements such as inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides .

In addition to containing probiotics, and anti-inflammatory greens, Naked Greens contains prebiotics as well specifically inulin.

Can I Take Probiotics At The Same Time As My Antibiotics Or Will It Just Cancel Out

6 Ways to Restore Healthy Gut Flora

When on antibiotics, the NIH recommends taking probiotics twice a day, two hours away from the prescription to avoid killing the supplemented probiotics.

This recommendation seems to be based on common sense of digestion timing rather than specific research that I can source. Whether theres been any official research on whether the antibiotics just wipe out all the probiotics the next time you take them and therefore you should take a break from probiotics during your actual abx regiment I am not sure.

But my own common sense says that were only talking about a 5-10 day period, and thats not very much probiotics to waste if its going to be wasted anyway. If it doesnt bother your stomach, Id keep taking them right through the prescription.

A reader shared that taking them at the exact same time caused her extreme digestive distress so do follow the 2-hour guidelines and listen to your body. Again, its only 5-10 days, so skipping probiotics during that time isnt going to set you back so far that you cant recover.

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Good Bacteria For Gut Health

Most people associate the word bacteria with sickness and disease. The truth is that maintaining the right amount of good bacteria is essential for survival. You can’t live without the good bacteria in your gut. You also can’t live if the bad bacteria types overrun your gut.

Your gut microbiome is home to trillions and trillions of bacteria cells. When you’re born, those bacteria cells are actually hard at work training your immune system every time you come into contact with something new. The bacteria cells continue to work throughout your life. In fact, your bacteria cells are actually producing key substances to protect your gut lining as you read this! They are also at war with bad bacteria cells.

The good news is that your body sends cues right away when bad bacteria cells are overrunning your gut microbiome. The bad news is that most people aren’t taught to recognize those cues. In fact, the prevailing thought is to simply reduce discomfort by taking antacids, avoiding certain foods or using pain relievers. None of these solutions actually solve the root problem.

Ideally, your gut will have the right amount of microbial diversity for everything to keep swimming along. However, you may experience something called dysbiosis when your gut is out of balance. Common signs include

  • Digestive issues.
  • Dysfunction in the gut lining.
  • Brain fog.
  • Mood issues.

Do Antibiotics Damage Your Gut Health

Antibiotics are known as gut disruptors. That’s because antibiotics are tasked with killing bad bacteria. However, these drugs don’t have the intelligence to decipher between good bacteria and bad bacteria. As a result, they often kill off both. In fact, antibiotics often kill off more of your good bacteria because your bacteria cells have been activated to go to work on tackling an infection when you’re prescribed an antibiotic. This makes a person more susceptible to harmful bacteria like salmonella, C.diff and E.coli. Even people who don’t have severe reactions can experience the subtle effects of having an unbalanced gut microbiome that can impact their health for years if nothing is done.

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Why Do I Need To Restore Good Bacteria After Antibiotics

Research confirms that antibiotics can destroy beneficial bacteria and cause damage to the gut microbiome. While this is less likely to occur after one round of antibiotics , repeated rounds over a period of time without restoration of healthy gut bacteria could negatively affect gut health long-term.

Compromised gut health can lead to a weakened immune system, digestive problems, increased food allergies and sensitivities, and more. The good news is that there are some simple ways to restore good bacteria after antibiotics.

So Who Should Have Them

Restoring Gut Flora After Antibiotics

Prebiotic foods are good for everyone, contain a range of nutrients and help promote a healthy bacterial gut environment.

The benefits of probiotics for a range of health conditions are unclear theyre likely to be small, and depend on what is being taken and the underlying health issues.

But people at high risk of diarrhoea after antibiotics may benefit from consuming probiotic as well as prebiotic foods daily.

There is also emerging evidence that combining specific probiotics and prebiotics can increase the beneficial effects of both. Both the pro- and prebiotics could be added to the one food, termed a synbiotic, or they could be from separate sources but eaten together.

When it comes to antibiotics, the bottom line is only take them when prescribed for bacterial infections. Take them according to instructions from the manufacturer, your pharmacist and your doctor.

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What You Should Eat During And After Antibiotics

Antibiotics are a powerful line of defense against bacterial infections.

However, they can sometimes cause side effects, such as diarrhea and liver damage.

Some foods can reduce these side effects, while others may make them worse.

This article explains what you should and shouldnt eat during and after antibiotics.

Take Probiotics And Prebiotics To Decrease The Impact Of Your Treatment

Probiotics may help the good and beneficial bacteria to grow back quicker than it would without probiotic supplements. By taking probiotic supplements, you can help to keep one strain of gut flora from taking over. Restoring gut flora after antibiotics are essential as you need a diverse gut microbiome to remain healthy. When youre taking a treatment, you can kill bad bacteriaand sometimes the good ones. You may also disturb the functions of the remaining microorganisms, and the disruption can lead to digestive symptoms. You need probiotics to help increase the population of colony-forming units in the gut. Consider it as replenishing what youre losing. Meanwhile, prebiotics can help feed the remaining microorganisms in your digestive tract. Its like helping them survive and thrive despite the treatment. There are many sources for probiotics, but the best probiotic is one that also contains fungi such as BIOHM Probiotics. Many people are not aware they have fungi in their gut too, along with viruses and bacteria.

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