In addition to infectious bacteria, antibiotic medications can also affect healthy gut bacteria, often leading doctors to prescribe probiotics and prebiotics. A new review of research examined theChanges in intestinal flora after antibiotics, which were commonly prescribed for respiratory and urinary tract infections. The analysis showed that after treatment, the number and diversity of bacterial species decreased rapidly.
The role of probiotics and prebiotics in gut health
It also found that some types of “bad” microorganisms increased while some “good” ones decreased. For most people, gut bacteria recover to some extent after antibiotic treatment ends. However, other studies suggest that some antibiotics have long-term effects on the balance of microorganisms in the gut. It is therefore important to only use antibiotics when necessary and under no circumstances for viral infections, as these medications cannot kill cold viruses or Sars-CoV-2, for example. To work as probiotics and prebiotics, these supplements must be able to resist stomach acid and digestive processes. It is also important to adhere to the intestinal walls and grow without causing problems. Furthermore, the dose of microorganisms should be sufficient to restore healthy bacteria by displacing the unhealthy microbes. With itProbiotics have a beneficial effect, they also need the right fuel, which brings prebiotics into play.
Prebiotic foods contain complex carbohydrates and fiber that resist digestive processes in the stomach and small intestine. You can find foods with added prebiotics in the supermarket. However, indigestible carbohydrates also occur naturally in many everyday foods. For example, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and fruits and vegetables are some of the best natural sources of this. Other sources of resistant starch include unripe bananas, cooked and cooled rice, cornstarch, and cooked and cooled potatoes. For babies, breast milk is naturally rich in oligosaccharides. people withStomach problems after taking antibioticscan therefore benefit from daily consumption of probiotic and prebiotic foods. According to thepresent study, the combination of specific probiotics and prebiotics also has a positive effect, known in medicine as symbiotics.
