Probiotics, Prebiotics, Antibiotics
Jul 03, 2023What is a biotic anyway?
Biotic means living organisms in an environment.
Rare indeed is the person who has never taken antibiotics. Rarer still is someone whose beneficial gut flora has not been adversely affected by antibiotics. Antibiotics are designed to eradicate unwelcome bacteria that make us sick, but antibiotics actually struggle to discriminate between good bacteria and bad bacteria. Your gut, or intestines, contain bacteria that is imperative to good digestive health. It might seem strange to think of any bacteria as good, let alone beneficial bacteria that live inside you, but without these good bacteria you will struggle to assimilate vital nutrients and suffer the ill-effects of an imbalanced gut ecosystem.
Symptoms
Antibiotics disrupt the balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut, often leading to a population overgrowth like camdida, or, undergrowth. Too much of the wrong bacteria in your gut can reek havoc on your system. Symptoms that may indicate your gut microbiome is out of balance include:
Bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, and acid reflux
- Food intolerances like lactose intolerance
- Skin conditions like psoriasis
- Sleep disturbances, constant fatigue
- Autoimmune diseases
... just to name a few. If you have taken antibiotics it is essential to repopulate the good bacteria in your gut with probiotics.
Repopulation
Let's get technical:
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods. The easiest way to repopulate that gut bacteria is with a variety of fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, kefir, pickles (not usually store bought) and raw apple cider vinegar (with the mother). You can purchase probiotics in the refrigerated section of some health food stores, but bacteria variety is usually limited. Including a variety of fermented foods in your diet should do the trick.
Now that you've repopulated these good guys, what are you going to feed them? They have to eat something!
Fed and Happy
Prebiotics are what your probiotics live on. They need to grow and reproduce, and to do this they need something to eat. This is where prebiotics come in. Prebiotics include anything that grows and contains fiber. Good natural sources of prebiotics include legumes, whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
So, after taking antibiotics make sure to take care of your gut flora by consuming fermented foods along with natural food (I sometimes call actual food), and avoid empty depleted foods that may exacerbate your digestive health. Listen to your body! What is it telling you?!
Kristi Taylor is a Master Herbalist, Clinical Herbalist and Natural healing Guide®. She endeavors to share her knowledge and passion of natural healing with whomever will listen – because nature’s wisdom never ceases to delight and amaze!
References
Dix, Megan. "Understanding Gut Health: Signs of an Unhealthy Gut and What to Do About It". Healthline.com, 1 June 2022. (Accessed 29 Jun 2023).
Patangia DV, Anthony Ryan C, Dempsey E, Paul Ross R, Stanton C. Impact of antibiotics on the human microbiome and consequences for host health. Microbiologyopen. 2022 Feb;11(1):e1260. doi: 10.1002/mbo3.1260. PMID: 35212478; PMCID: PMC8756738.
Scott, Karen. "Do antibiotics 'wipe out' your gut bacteria?". ISAPP Science Blog, 25 Aug 2021. (Accessed 29 Jun 2023).
