Probiotics and Antibiotics
Probiotics and Antibiotics.
By Dr. Daniel Rocha, DN LMT CPT, CNS
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are invaluable for good digestive health. These friendly bacteria offer many benefits, including better skin, gut health, and weight loss—all great news for adrenal fatigue sufferers.
We depend on “good” bacteria in the body to help with a wide range of functions, including digestion, disease prevention, and wound healing. Some helpful bacteria are in the vagina, called vaginal flora or microbiome. The body maintains healthy levels of good bacteria, keeping the body balanced. Still, illness, antibiotics, and other stressors disrupt the balance, resulting in infections and other health problems. Probiotics can help restore balance.
Probiotics are living organisms present in some fermented foods or nutritional supplements. They help treat gastrointestinal disorders, diarrhea, periodontal disease, and other conditions. Because probiotics can help the body break down food, taking them for even short periods can help increase the assimilation of nutrients from food.
Probiotics and Antibiotics
Probiotics with antibiotics are often recommended to help maintain or restore your gut health during and after antibiotic treatment.
Antibiotics kill not only harmful bacteria but also beneficial bacteria in your gut. Probiotics can help replenish these good bacteria, maintaining a healthy balance of gut microbiota.
Antibiotics can disrupt the natural balance of bacteria in your intestines, leading to diarrhea or other gastrointestinal issues. Probiotics may reduce the risk or severity of antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
A healthy microbiome aids digestion, nutrient absorption, and immune function. Probiotics help support these processes during antibiotic therapy. Disruption of gut flora by antibiotics can sometimes lead to overgrowth of harmful bacteria like C. difficile, causing severe diarrhea. Probiotics may help prevent such overgrowth.
Timing Matters
To maximize benefits, take your probiotics a few hours apart from antibiotics. This reduces the chance that the antibiotic will kill the probiotic bacteria before they can colonize your gut.
Consult Your Healthcare Provider:
While probiotics can be beneficial, it's best to discuss with your doctor or pharmacist before starting them, especially if you have a compromised immune system or other health conditions.
Summary:
Taking probiotics alongside antibiotics can help maintain a healthy gut microbiome, reduce gastrointestinal side effects, and support overall digestive health during treatment.
There are many different strains of probiotics, all of which have other effects on the body. However, remember that nature always provides. Beneficial bacteria can readily be found in foods such as sauerkraut, fermented pickles, and even blue cheese! Eating these with prebiotic foods (foods that feed the probiotics), such as garlic, onions, chickpeas, oats, asparagus, cashew nuts, and leeks, can support optimum gut health and improve digestion.
Probiotics are a huge part of my supplement list. If you would like a copy of my vitamin supplement list, please respond to this email, send a DM, or comment. Good eating with good people always will have positive results.