Many healthcare professionals argue that antibiotics aren’t what they once were. Even the World Health Organization has stated that antibiotics may be losing some of their effectiveness. They also can create superbugs that are resistant to common treatments. While many people may have benefited from antibiotics at some point in their lives, they can take a massive toll on your gut flora and overall health. Research shows that it takes a year or more to rebuild the body and heal damage from antibiotic use. Many health problems are known to be caused from overuse of antibiotics as well.
Research into the gut microbiome has shown how incredibly important having a diverse range of bacteria is for good health. The friendly bacteria that are often destroyed by antibiotics play a role in almost every aspect of health. No matter what your stance is on antibiotics, it’s important to properly recover gut and immune health following antibiotic use. Lethargy, yeast infections, poor immunity, frazzled nerves, stomach pain, poor digestion, low mood, cognitive function, candida overgrowth, and Clostridium difficile colitis are some of the commonly experienced after effects of antibiotics.
Here are a few ways that can help you recover and regain robust health following antibiotics:
Replenishing healthy bacteria through food and supplements
It is important to have a steady diet of grass-fed kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, buttermilk, cultured and pickled vegetables, natto (if you can stand the taste), apples, artichokes, and almonds following a course of antibiotics. These foods will all help increase a number of healthy strains of bacteria to repopulate the gut. Having bacterial diversity in the gut helps the entire body to function better and capture toxins each day.
Colostrum
Purified colostrum is a fantastic substance to rebuild the lining of the gut, strengthen the immune system, and lower the chances of other infections from occurring. It is known to be one of the most powerful gut and immune-repairing foods on the planet. The antibodies in colostrum help patrol the bloodstream for harmful intruders while the body is recovering from antibiotics. Leaky gut is a massive worldwide problem that causes toxins to slip through the digestive barrier into the bloodstream. Colostrum helps fight this by strengthening the gut wall, stimulating cell repair, and tightening the gaps that guard against toxins getting through.
Take a bifido-based probiotic
Bifidobacteria are main class of bacteria that are perhaps the most affected by antibiotic use. While many probiotic supplements aren’t very effective, finding a good bifido-based supplement with different strains can be very beneficial to overall health. Foods like apples, almonds, artichokes, and others will help to increase bifido species in the gut, but providing a direct probiotic as quickly as possible will protect the body. In the months following antibiotics, viruses and fungi can cause problems in the body if not kept in check by other species of bacteria.
Florastor
Florastor is a product that is been highly touted by health professionals for many years. It’s a much stronger and more beneficial version of Saccharomyces Boulardii. Many people say it’s more effective than routine probiotics for issues like C.diff, stomach pains, immune function, kicking out bad bugs, digestive health, and more. It really depends on your individual needs and chemistry, but many users speak highly of its benefits following antibiotics.
References
https://health.usnews.com/wellness/articles/2017-06-26/antibiotics-screwed-up-my-gut-now-what
https://www.nature.com/articles/1601480.pdf?origin=ppub
