It’s a well-known fact that Antibiotics kill bacteria. The problem is, our bodies are filled with bacteria, and those microbes are essential to our health. Our gut is home to 300-1000 different species of bacteria that help us digest our food, create vitamins, fight off invading pathogens, and much more. Antibiotics are indiscriminate killers. They do not just target the one pathogen that is causing an infection in our body; they kill off the good bacteria in our gut as well. So how do we restore good bacteria after taking a antibiotic?
If we take an antibiotic, specifically a broad spectrum antibiotic, we need to replenish the good bacteria that was destroyed in our gut as soon as possible. We need that good bacteria to maintain the delicate balance between bad bacteria and fungus. Candida specifically. Given the opportunity, it will quickly replicate, and the first thing impacted is digestive tract and, in time, the entire body will see it’s effects.
Scientists are learning that the appendix appears to be a “safe house” for the beneficial bacteria living in the human gut. The gut is populated with different microbes that help the digestive system break down the foods we eat.
There are a few ways to restore good bacteria that the antibiotics destroyed. First you must feed the good bacteria that remain in your colon and encourage them to multiply. They need prebiotics – raw, preferably organic, vegetables and fruits. Insoluble fiber provides food for good bacteria while giving it a structure to help it multiply. Eat a large salad each day with a variety of vegetables. Raw vegetables and fruits should always comprise 80% of your diet (more vegetables than fruits). After antibiotics, following this 80% rule (with mostly vegetables) is essential to regain the proper balance of bacteria in your gut.
Avoid processed sugar at all costs. Processed sugar is known to feed “bad” bacteria (including the pathogen you are trying to destroy with the antibiotic). Non-organic, Processed foods, heavy starches, and chemicals (sugar substitutes) should not be consumed.
Probiotics are the next step to help you restore good bacteria back into the gut. Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain beneficial bacteria. All probiotics are not equal. Don’t eat flavored, sugar-filled, commercial yogurt. This will do more harm to your gut than good.
Stomach acid kills off a lot of the probiotics we ingest in any form. So try including probiotic rich foods into our diet..
Homemade sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, coconut kefir, and other fermented foods can help restore good bacteria into the gut along with nutrition and enzymes. The right prebiotic and probiotic supplement will also assist in balancing your digestive system after taking antibiotics.