Antibiotics vs. Probiotics: Finding Balance for a Healthy Gut

What Are Antibiotics?

Antibiotics address bacterial infections ranging from a sore throat to a swollen bladder. This sounds fantastic, but it has one caveat: they can’t distinguish between nasty and good bacteria. Antibiotics live up to their name by preventing infections caused by unfriendly bacteria from spreading.

Unfortunately, It can also eliminate your body’s friendly bacteria, which alters your microbiome’s equilibrium, which isn’t ideal.

That is why you might feel diarrhoea or bloating after consuming antibiotics, as your gut is reacting to the sudden loss of friendly bacteria.

If you are interested in knowing more about how antibiotics can affect your gut microbiome, please take a look at this blog from our team.

What Are Probiotics?

Consider probiotics to be bacterial balancing forces that are naturally present throughout your system. As mentioned above, they are included in food products such as pickles and yoghurt and can even be ingested through supplements. They shield your gut from the invasion of harmful bacteria.

In case of an imbalance, probiotics can be taken in and suffuse the missing friendly bacteria. Dealing with discomfort can become an annoyance, and that’s where probiotics step in and aid in maintaining a healthy microbiome. This not only helps with the digestive system but also assists the body in battling infections more efficiently.

If you want to know more about fermented food options with rich probiotic content and health benefits, read the article - Gut Health and Probiotic Foods Guide.

Antibiotics vs. Probiotics

Antibiotics and probiotics both play important roles, but they have very different jobs and undertakings. For example, antibiotics are emergency doctors who come to the rescue when an infection occurs. Probiotics, on the other hand, are like gardeners who work on the soil to nurture a healthy gut in the long run.

Both antibiotics and probiotics are more like two sides of the same coin. It’s all about when and how best to use them for your gut.

You might be having some questions, such as, “Does this mean I should never take antibiotics?”

No, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take antibiotics at all. They are potential lifesavers in various emergency conditions. When rightly prescribed, antibiotics are beneficial lifesavers. However, they are over-prescribed for colds and flu viruses, which is sad and unfortunate as antibiotics are ineffective against viruses. Antibiotics should only be taken if advised by a doctor—always follow medical advice.

Probiotics are helpful but don’t expect them to be a miracle cure. They are most effective when used as part of a comprehensive gut-friendly routine, which includes a healthy diet and regular fibre consumption. We shall discuss this in more detail in the following sections.

For people who maintain healthy guts while consuming fermented items regularly, the addition of excessive probiotics on a regular basis is not really required. On the other hand, if you’ve finished a course of antibiotics, have some gut-related disease, or just want to improve your gut health, having probiotics does help out.

How to Protect Your Gut While Taking Antibiotics

So, if you are taking antibiotics, here are some suggestions so that your gut will be less affected:

Tip 1 : Probiotics After Antibiotics: When on antibiotics and after the course is finished, try taking probiotics throughout the time. But do not take them together; instead, have a time gap and consume them to avoid uncomfortable reactions.

Tip 2 : Consume Foods With Sufficient Fibre: Good bacteria are enhanced through fibre consumption, and it quickens the process. You can start including more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your meals.

Tip 3 : Drink A Lot Of Fluids: Good water intake is essential for better digestion and acid removal.

Say no to unneeded antibiotics: Natural remedies for cough and proper hydration are sometimes all your body requires to recover.

Take Care of Your Gut

Once again, it’s worth emphasising that building your gut isn’t just an effort involving antibiotics or probiotics intake. Below are some of the easiest daily life practices to do that.

1. Try The Diverse Range Of Foods 

The greater the variety in your diet, the greater the diversity amongst the organisms residing in your gut. And a more diverse microbiome is associated with improved digestion, better immune response, and protection against diseases.

Different food types contain different fibres and nutrients, thus feeding different types of beneficial bacteria in a single person’s gut.

2. Exercise On A Daily Basis

Exercise not only makes your muscles firm but also allows you to increase the population of bacteria in your gut and makes them more beneficial for your body.

Chronic inflammation can be fought by using SCFAs (Short Chain Fatty Acids), which are able to nourish the gut lining, and research suggests that moderate and regular physical activity increases the amount of SCFAs in the body.

3. Avoid Feeling Distressed

Stress that lasts for an extended period causes damage to the body, including nutritional damage, bloating, and other negative side effects. Stress impacts the microbiota-gut-brain axis (cortisol), a bidirectional communication pathway between the gut and the brain.

4. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is the time when your gut (and body) gets rejuvenated and healed. Sleep deprivation is detrimental to your gut microbiota and thus your metabolism and immunity.

Research has shown that lack of sleep tends to lower the level of some species of gut bacteria, including those that help with metabolism and inflammation control.

5. Stay Hydrated

Every bodily function requires water, be it digestion, absorption of nutrients or metabolism.

Adequate hydration is crucial as it aids in the maintenance of the gastrointestinal mucus membrane and the propulsion of food throughout the digestive tract. These conditions promote a more favourable environment for good bacteria.

6. Reduce Processed Foods And Sugars

Along with high-sugar diets, other sources, such as “processed foods,” destroy beneficial gut bacteria, which ultimately leads to inflammation and, later, additional digestive system issues.

Harmful bacteria and yeast grow in the gut,  thanks to excess sugar consumption, which ultimately results in bloating or what may seem to be an infection. Additionally, ‘trans fats’ found in processed foods damage the intestinal lining.

7. Consume A Variety Of Fermented Foods

Yoghurt, kimchi, kefir, and sauerkraut are all examples of fermented foods that are also considered probiotics.

Introducing fermented foods into your meals provides a mixture of bacteria such as Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium, as well as other beneficial bacteria that play a major role in keeping your gut balanced.

8. Try To Laugh More And Stay Happy

It might be hard to accept the fact, but your emotions actually have an impact on your gut.

Emotions that can be classified as happiness result in an increased output of a gut-related antimicrobial peptide along with serotonin and other hormones, resulting in a healthy, supported microbiome.

9. Chew Your Food Adequately

Our digestion actually commences in the mouth. Taking time to chew adequately can ease the responsibility of the intestines.

Food that has been chewed well is shredded into smaller particles, which enhances the activity of digestive enzymes existing in our intestines and, therefore, diminishes the load on the gut, leading to better digestion.

10. Listen To Your Gut

Have you ever felt “off” after taking medication, eating junk food, or going through a stressful period? Your gut might be trying to tell you something. Pay attention to symptoms like bloating, discomfort, or irregular bowel movements—they’re clues about your gut health.

If you are confused about how to keep your gut healthy and happy, you can reach out to Nirva Health. Our expert team can guide you through each step towards better health and wellness. 

Wrapping It Up

Antibiotics and probiotics aren’t opposites that need to be avoided; they are balanced instruments if used wisely. Antibiotics are barbarians who ruin the peace and harmony in the gut while being effective doctors in emergencies, while probiotics uphold peace and perfect order in the gut.

Stay unworried about the health of your microbiome by eating foods that are good for your gut, using antibiotics only when absolutely needed, and using probiotics according to your condition. So, in the future, when you have an infection or are in the yoghurt section of the supermarket, remember this: it is all about finding your perfect balance. You always feel good whenever your gut is balanced.