Consume Prebiotic Foods To Help Restore Gut Flora After Taking Antibiotics
Many foods naturally have prebiotics that can help to promote good gastrointestinal health. Here are just a few prebiotic foods you can consume while taking antibiotics:
Garlic. Garlic has many health benefits inducing having antibacterial properties. Studies have shown that garlic also benefits the guts microflora because of its prebiotic content. Garlic can help increase the number of bifidobacteria and can help prevent some gastrointestinal disorders.
The Length And Number Of Courses
Multiple courses of antibiotics appear to be the most damaging , and higher doses of antibiotics taken over a longer period of time have the biggest impact. This might be shocking news to the many people whooften as teenagerstook antibiotics for months on end in an attempt to treat their acne.
Oluf Pedersen, chief scientist on a 2018 project that looked at the impact of just one course of antibiotics on the microbiome, pointed out that most people will get multiple rounds of exposure to antibiotics. The concern relates to the potentially permanent loss of beneficial bacteria after multiple exposures to antibiotics during our lifetime, he said to journalists for the science news website ars TECHNICA.
Does Your Gut Need Probiotics After Antibiotics
If you take antibiotics, theres a good chance youll also get diarrhea.
Antibiotics kill harmful bacteria that cause disease. But they also cause collateral damage to the microbiome, the complex community of bacteria that live in our gut. This results in a profound, though usually temporary, depletion of the beneficial bacteria.
One popular strategy to mitigate the disruption is to take a probiotic supplement containing live bacteria during, or following, a course of antibiotics.
The logic is simple: beneficial bacterial in the gut are damaged by antibiotics. So why not replace them with the beneficial bacterial strains in probiotics to assist gut bacteria returning to a balanced state?
But the answer is more complicated.
There is currently some evidence that taking probiotics can prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea. This effect is relatively small, with 13 people needing to take probiotics for one episode of diarrhea to be averted.
But these studies have often neglected to evaluate potential harms of probiotic use and havent looked at their impact on the wider gut microbiome.
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First Do The Test: What About Your Intestinal Bacteria
If, after antibiotic therapy, you would like to know how your intestines and their inhabitants are doing and whether intestinal rehabilitation is advisable, you can use a test to find out for yourself. By using the comprehensive intestinal analysis, INTEST.pro from BIOMES, you can learn which bacteria are present in your intestine with a high level of accuracy that is unique from other tests found in Europe.
- You get an overview of whether the relationship between the different bacterial strains is balanced.
- Based on the test results, we give you recommendations for action that help you know your next steps.
- We can support your intestines with a comprehensive bowel clean-up with bowel cleanup with RESTART.pro. This dietary supplement has been specially developed for the period following antibiotic use.
Consume More Fermented Foods In Your Diet To Enhance Postbiotics
Postbiotics are the metabolites, or the waste products, of microorganisms. Unlike human poo, they can help restore the healthy gut microbiome since they still produce biologic activity. They are potent enough to be potential complementary therapies for pre-term babies with a disease, according to a 2013 study.
To stimulate the production of postbiotics, you can consume fermented foods such as kimchi, kombucha tea, and sauerkraut. As the microorganisms further ferment these, they can create the metabolites. Many of these fermented foods are rich in lactobacilli. Lactobacilli is a type of bacteria the has benefits to your overall health. For instance, people who eat a lot of yogurt in their diet seem to have much more lactobacilli in their intestines. These people also tend to have less Enterobacteriaceae too. Enterobacteriaceae is a type of bacteria that is linked to some chronic diseases and inflammation. Taking probiotics supplements can help as well, especially if they contain multiple strains. Some of these can encourage bacteria to produce butyrate, which may be ideal for people with Crohns disease.
What is Crohn’s disease? It is an inflammatory bowel disease that affects the digestive tract, particularly the small intestine.
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So Who Should Have Them
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.
Natural Intestinal Rehabilitation: Can The Body Regenerate Itself
The body possesses impressive regenerative abilities which also applies to the intestines. However, natural intestinal regeneration, especially after taking antibiotics, is not always complete. Additionally, this process can take quite some time which can lead to the further imbalance between the bacterial species resulting in more problems. For example, this happens when the antibiotic kills other bacteria which they were not designed to target.
Some bacteria are also very dominant. If their primary bacterial opponents are missing, they multiply uncontrollably which causes discomfort or can block important processes in the intestine.
Certain processes in the intestine can become so out of balance that the bodys regenerative powers alone are not enough. That is why you can do yourself and your intestines a favour and help them by supporting intestinal rehabilitation after taking antibiotics with high-quality dietary supplements.
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Feed A Variety Of Whole Foods Rich In Antioxidants
Antioxidants are compounds that support the immune system and prevent disease by getting rid of free radicals . The antioxidants found in food are typically polyphenols, which are produced by plants. These compounds feed beneficial gut microbes, increasing their numbers and also causing them to produce new substances that promote the health of the whole body.
In people, higher intake of antioxidant-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, is associated with a lower risk of chronic oxidative stressrelated diseases . Consider the ingredients included in your pets food and then talk with your veterinarian about how to add more antioxidant-rich foods to their diet.
Strengthen Your Intestinal Barrier With Collagen
If youve been seeing the rise in discussion of bone broths and their benefits, its because they are very particularly rich sources of collagen, amino acids, and gelatin, which have been proven to heal and soothe the gut lining. Including Gut Garden’s Collagen Peptides in your diet can work to heal leaky gut by sealing the lining, and stopping food particles from leaching through the gut walls small junction openings, thereby lessening inflammation and allergic responses to foods.
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Antibiotics And The Microbiome: Restoring Gut Flora After Antibiotics
Antibiotics have rapid effects on microbiome composition and health. Effects that can be detrimental to host health, especially with over exposure, which is increasingly common. We cannot always avoid antibiotics and should not when we need them, they are after all life saving drugs. However, we can take measures to lessen the harmful effects they have on our microbiomes.
If you are interested in learning more about how antibiotics affect the microbiome and how those effects can be prevented, we will cover those topics in the following sections:
First, lets cover how antibiotics work to fight bacterial infection.
What Are Antibiotics
Antibiotics are a type of medication used to treat bacterial infections. They work by stopping the infection or preventing it from spreading.
There are many different types of antibiotics.
Some are broad-spectrum, meaning they act on a wide range of disease-causing bacteria. Others are designed to kill certain species of bacteria.
Antibiotics are very important and effective at treating serious infections. Yet, they can come with some negative side effects.
For example, excessive antibiotic use can damage your liver. One study has shown that antibiotics are the most common medication to cause liver injury .
Antibiotics may also have negative effects on the trillions of bacteria and other microbes living in your intestines. These bacteria are collectively known as the gut microbiota.
In addition to killing disease-causing bacteria, antibiotics may kill healthy bacteria .
Taking too many antibiotics can drastically change the amounts and types of bacteria within the gut microbiota, especially in early life .
In fact, only one week of antibiotics can change the makeup of the gut microbiota for up to a year .
Some studies have shown that changes to the gut microbiota caused by excessive antibiotic use in early life may even increase the risk of weight gain and obesity .
Furthermore, the overuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance, making them ineffective at killing disease-causing bacteria .
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What Is Gut Flora
You have a world of microorganisms living in your digestive system. This collection of microorganisms is your gut flora, also known as the gut microbiotaa complex ecosystem that consists of approximately 300 to 500 bacterial species. Thats nearly 10 times the number of cells in the human body.
Our knowledge of the interaction between gut health and overall health is still in its early stages. We do know that colonies of beneficial bacteria help you digest and absorb your food, fight off germs that make you sick and even make a large portion of your serotonin, which helps keep your moods level.
Science is continuing to discover ways that gut bacteria are directly linked to your health. We know that its normal to have balanced populations of beneficial gut bacteria and bad bacteria, and a healthy gut is able to keep the bad guys in check. But researchers are just now beginning to understand what happens when other factorslike antibiotics, diet and stresstilt the scales in the wrong direction.
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What Is Mrsa And Why Is It So Serious
Usually, staph bacteria dont cause any harm. However, sometimes they get inside the body through a break in the skin and cause an infection. These infections are usually treated with antibiotics. When common antibiotics dont kill the staph bacteria, it means the bacteria have become resistant to those antibiotics. This type of staph is called MRSA .
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Diet Approach To Modulate Gut Microbiota
A diet-based approach to modulate the microbiota should consider the effect of long-term diets . Recent studies have highlighted important differences in the ability to modulate microbiota composition in long-term and short-term diets. In short-term diets, changes are significant and rapid, but the magnitude of changes is modest and insufficient to relocate individuals from one enterotype to another . In contrast, long-term diets are adequate to relocate enterotypes . If an enterotype is shown to be causative/linked to a disease, long-term dietary interventions could represent a good strategy to help . Among diet interventions, a feeding regime with a low content of fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharaides, and polyols was shown to reduce gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with IBS in less than 48 h .
In IBS patients who experienced a low FODMAPs diet, carbohydrates fermentation is reduced, and a decrease in luminal osmolarity and gas generation is observed. Consequently, typical IBS symptoms of gas and bloating are reduced/eliminated . However, more studies should be carried out on the effects of a long-term low FODMAPs diet. It should be borne in mind that FODMAPs, especially oligosaccharides, play an important role in stimulating the growth of beneficial bacterial groups. The long-term assumption of a low FODMAPs diet could have unpredictable effects on the composition of gut microbiota.
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Add Gut Repairing Supplements To Your Routine
Collagen does more than just improve your hair, skin, and nails. It also plays a role in restoring gut health. This is because collagen makes up the villi of your small intestine. Your villi are like tiny little fingers that grab nutrients and move them into your bloodstream. They vastly increase the surface area of your gut, making it easier for your body to absorb nutrients. Taking a collagen supplement will help restore your gut lining, nurture your villi, and ward off leaky gut.
Supplementing with Leaky Gut Revive® is another great way to protect your gut. Leaky Gut Revive® combats the root cause of leaky gut by fortifying your gut and keeping your microflora in balance. Using it in conjunction with collagen will provide a one-two punch of protection against harm to your gut from antibiotics.
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How To Balance Your Gut Microbiome
Now Ill tell you about another secret weapon I recommend everyone consider when dealing with an unbalanced microbiome. Microb-Clear® is a cutting-edge blend of botanical extracts, minerals, and fatty acids that create a favorable environment for beneficial bacteria that could have been killed with antibiotics. It also creates an inhospitable environment for microorganisms that have become dysbiotic or imbalanced.
Most bacteria do not live alone, they live in communities. These communities, called biofilms, adhere to surfaces and tend to be multiple species of organisms, commonly bacteria and fungi. Inside the biofilm community, bacteria share nutrients, and even DNA, while undergoing changes to evade your immune system. As a whole, the biofilm can sustain itself with less oxygen and fewer nutrients than individual bacteria great for the bad guys, not great for us! The biofilm is more resistant to antibiotics, forming a physical barrier that even cloaks the bad bacteria from being detected by immune cells.
With biofilms cleared out and an optimal balance of microorganisms in the gut, you are supporting your immune system. I mentioned earlier that 80% of your immune system is headquartered in your gut, and 90% of your neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, are also produced there! By supporting optimal microbiome and gut health with Microb-Clear®, you are setting the stage for optimal health!
How To Restore Gut Health After Antibiotics
Amy Myers, MD
Amy Myers, M.D. is a functional medicine physician, trained and certified by The Institute of Functional Medicine. Dr. Myers earned her Doctor of Medicine at the LSU Health Science Center, and completed her Emergency Medicine residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Dr. Myers retired from her functional medicine clinic, Austin UltraHealth, where she served thousands of patients, to empower those who were failed by conventional medicine. Shes a 2x New York Times bestselling author, and the founder and CEO of the health & lifestyle e-commerce brand, Amy Myers MD®.
If youve ever taken a round of antibiotics to fight an infection, you are not alone! While antibiotics are sometimes unavoidable, nearly 50% of the antibiotics prescribed are unnecessary and do more harm than good.
Antibiotics are the most commonly prescribed medication in the United States. I recommend that no one use antibiotics unless absolutely necessary because they suppress your immune system and disrupt the balance between the good and bad bacteria.
I understand that taking antibiotics may sometimes be unavoidable. Restoring your gut health after a cycle of antibiotics is critical to maintain and achieve optimal health!
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Reduce Your Stress Level:
You may not have thought about this one. But the gut is highly sensitive to stress. The gut contains a complex system of nerves and neuron cell bodies that are influenced by signals from the brain.
Some stress-induced gut changes include changes is gastric secretions, mucosal permeability, and barrier function of the gut lining. There is also research that shows that stress can lead to an overgrowth of certain bacteria and a decrease in the diversity of microbes in the large intestine.
So, breathe, relax, and find ways to lessen the stress.
Restore Stomach Flora After Antibiotics Therapy
Intestinal rehabilitation after antibiotic therapy helps to ensure that intestinal bacteria, which are necessary for a healthy balance intestinal functions, are balanced as quickly as possible. In addition to a suitable diet, you can support intestinal bacteria with probiotic food supplements from BIOMES. Natural probiotics are found in foods such as yoghurt and kefir, both of which contain lactic acid bacteria. However, the intestinal microbiota consists of so many different types of bacteria that it is a real challenge to try to get them all from food. With probiotic supplements, you can be sure that you are taking in all the important bacteria!
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I Advanced My Diet Strategically
While being mindful about which foods I was putting into my body to support my gut, I also took into account how I was nourishing myself. Your stomach muscle isn’t as used to being expanded after being sick. To accommodate for this, I focused on limiting my portion sizes, chewing food completely, and eating slowly. I also made sure to stop eating when I felt full, to avoid overtaxing my system.
Reduce The Intake Of Foods That Cause Digestive Distress
Stop taking foods that may cause digestive distress until you recover your gut flora. Food additives like emulsifiers, artificial flavors, and sweeteners can disturb your gut health more. Therefore, avoid taking any food that contains them.
Now that you know how to heal your gut biome, choose the most convenient method from the methods listed above and let it do wonders for you.
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