How to Restore Your Microbiome After Antibiotic Use
On a recent trip overseas, I found myself with a nasty case of food poisoning that was not improving on its own. As a result I had to use antibiotics for the first time in over 20 years. Since returning home, I have been on a quest to heal my gut and restore the health, richness and diversity of my microbiome.
Throughout this article I will explain:
– What I should have done to prevent food poisoning before my trip
– What effect antibiotics have on the microbiome long term
– How the microbiome impacts weight, gut health, immunity and skin health
– 3 easy steps you can take to begin restoring your gut health after antibiotic use
Before every other overseas trip, I’ve been lucky enough to be in a great place with my gut health. However, the start of 2024 was significantly more stressful than anticipated and as a result I neglected certain aspects of my health, including my gut health. I was regularly struggling with a number of symptoms that I will list below.
Instead of ignoring these problems and hoping a few weeks away would fix everything, I should have:
Worked on optimising stomach acid and digestion. I would regularly experience nausea in the morning, aversion to meat (a food I usually love), heartburn, bloating after meals, strong cravings for sweets and processed food and sluggish bowels. These are common signs of low stomach acid. When stomach acid is low, it puts us at risk of developing an overgrowth of “bad” or “unhelpful” gut bacteria which affects the health of our gut lining. Low stomach acid significantly increases your risk of food poisoning.
Listened to my body and rested more. I was feeling completely run down at the end of every week. This is a HUGE red flag that your body is burnt out and desperate for rest. Instead of pushing through I should have paid more attention to my diet, sleep (which was also poor), potential deficiencies (which develop with low stomach acid) and general self care.
Used a probiotic Usually before every trip, I use Saccharomyces boulardii daily for 2 weeks before I leave. This probiotic strain is known to reduce the risk of food poisoning AND if you happen to be unlucky enough to still experience travellers diarrhea, it can reduce the severity and duration. Unfortunately, taking these once I already developed food poisoning was too little, too late.
This is a perfect example where prevention is more powerful than a cure, and I will always pay more attention to my gut health before any trips in the future.
What effects do antibiotics have on gut health and microbiome long term?
Several studies have shown that antibiotic use had a profound and rapid effect on the richness and diversity of the human microbiome. A healthy, rich and diverse microbiome plays an important role in overall health. Antibiotics can have several negative impacts on health both directly and indirectly through changes in the microbiome.
One study continued to follow 3 participants for 10 months after antibiotic use and discovered that the restoration of healthy gut bacteria was incomplete. This same study revealed antibiotics can affect various functions including immune regulation, metabolic activities, and overall health. (1)
While antibiotics are commonly prescribed, my belief is that they should be reserved for serious conditions. If you are someone who regularly needs antibiotics for tonsilitis, skin infections or UTI’s, it is important to know that antibiotics encourage the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria and they do not resolve the underlying issues that is causing you to experience recurrent infections. Seeking alternative support from a naturopath or integrative GP can help you to uncover and resolve the root cause of immune challenges and infections leading to frequent antibiotic use.
How does the microbiome impact weight, gut health, immunity and skin?
Our microbiome impacts every aspect of our health but these four areas are more commonly affected than others.
How does our microbiome impact weight?
Every strain of bacteria has a unique function. The goal is to have hundreds (possibly even thousands) of helpful bacteria all working together to support optimal health while reducing the amount of unhelpful bacteria living in our gut.
While we may not be able to eliminate every single strain of unhelpful bacteria, we can create an environment that supports the growth and development of helpful bacteria. A healthy environment will allow helpful bacteria to dominate and thrive.
Certain strains of helpful bacteria can reduce hunger by strengthening the full signal by producing hormones like GLP-1 and leptin, they can improve blood sugar balance leading to less cravings, decrease inflammation and improve gut motility. These are just some of the foundations required for anyone wanting to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Certain unhelpful strains can increase hunger and cravings for processed food, increase inflammation which can lead to hormonal disruption and inflammatory conditions, they can cause blood sugar dysregulation, anxiety, depression (2), fatigue and other challenges that can make it feel impossible to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
The impact of microbiome health on weight is proving to be far more significant that anticipated in the past, to the point where researches have been busy trying to find a way to offer safe microbiome “transplants” from those who find it easy to maintain a healthy weight to those that struggle. Interestingly, your diet and lifestyle have the biggest impact on microbiome health but there are no profits to be made with this approach.
Optimising gut and microbiome health is vital if you have been struggling to shift unwanted weight.
How does our microbiome impact gut health?
Dysbiosis (an overgrowth of unhelpful gut bacteria) and “leaky gut” also known as intestinal hyper-permeability go hand in hand. “The leakage of the intestinal barrier and the disruption of the gut microbiome are increasingly recognised as key factors in different pathophysiological conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), chronic liver diseases, obesity, diabetes mellitus, types of cancer, and neuropsychiatric disorders.” (3)
“Leaky gut” is a common challenge that affects many of the women I work with. Symptoms include bloating, swelling of abdominal area, food intolerances (usually to wheat, gluten and dairy), allergies, sluggish bowels or diarrhea and generalised inflammation.
Unhelpful bacteria can affect the integrity of the gut lining leading to leaky gut. Leaky gut has been linked to nutrient deficiencies, hormone issues, food intolerances, allergies and auto immune conditions.
How does our microbiome impact skin health?
“Several dermatologic conditions, such as acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and rosacea are linked with intestinal dysbiosis” (4) Optimising gut health by focusing on developing a rich and diverse microbiome can have a positive effect on skin conditions. As always, a holistic approach works best and we want to take other systems into consideration (hormone system, nervous system, etc) but the skin is often a clear reflection of gut health.
How does our microbiome impact immunity?
“The human microbiome might be a major player in autoimmunity, as the loss of immune tolerance can be caused by microbial composition changes” (5)
Mainstream science is still “inconclusive” in terms of the links between gut health, microbiome diversity and autoimmune conditions. From a holistic, naturopathic point of view, gut health must be a primary focus when supporting clients to reduce the severity of symptoms associated with autoimmune challenges. Based on personal experience, I have seen the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, MS and Parkinsons all improve when gut health is addressed.
Dysbiosis (overgrowth of unhelpful bacteria) can exacerbate allergies and “hayfever” through the overproduction and impaired clearance of histamine.
Frequently catching every cold and flu that is doing the rounds can also be due to gut issues including stomach acid imbalance and microbiome problems.
How can you restore your gut and microbiome health after antibiotic use?
First of all, if you have used several rounds of antibiotics throughout your lifetime, are still being prescribed antibiotics or have never been well since antibiotic use, it is best to work with a practitioner as there may be several imbalances at play.
If you would like to get started with the basics, I will list 3 things you can start doing today.
1. Optimise stomach acid.
An optimal acid environment is essential for the growth and development of helpful bacteria, whereas, unhelpful bacteria LOVE a low acid environment.
Reflux, indigestion, bloating after food, aversion to meat (not for ethical reasons) and use of acid lowering medications, QuickEze or Gaviscon, etc all signal that there may be a problem with stomach acid.
Taking 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar in a small amount of water before food can help to stimulate enzyme and acid production, leading to an environment that is more friendly for helpful bacteria to thrive.
2. Eat a wide variety of fruit and veg
Every type of fruit and vegetable has its own unique fibre “footprint”. Different types of bacteria feed on different types of fibre. Consuming a wide variety of fibre will lead to a wide variety of bacteria. This is how we develop a rich and diverse microbiome.
Experts suggest we aim for 30 different plant foods a week. 1 tablespoon is considered a serving size which means you do not need to eat a huge amount of each food. As I write this article in the middle of winter, I am finding it difficult to reach 30 different seasonal plant foods each week, so I am doing my best with what is available.
3. Consider a probiotic
There are so many different probiotics to choose from and some are more helpful than others.
If you suspect you are having challenges with low stomach acid and if you are not eating a wide variety of plant fibre, taking a probiotic may not help much.
If you have recently used antibiotics, a broad spectrum probiotic may help to introduce a wide variety of helpful bacteria back into your digestive system.
Certain probiotic strains can support skin health, allergies, immune health, metabolic health and more. It is best to speak with your practitioner to uncover which strain is going to work best for you.
Fermented foods are rich in specific strains of probiotics, yoghurt, kefir, apple cider vinegar (with the mother) and kimchi can be helpful. If you find that any of these foods cause bloating or digestive discomfort, do not persist, work with a practitioner to uncover the cause.
Summary
The microbiome plays a vital role in our overall health and wellness. Antibiotics are destructive to microbiome health and to prevent health complications, deliberate intervention is required to ensure microbiome health is restored after antibiotic use.
If you are ready to start working on your gut health, here are 3 ways I can help:
1. Work with me! Book a consultation in person (Evandale, SA) or AUS + NZ wide online via Zoom
2. Listen to the Holistic Weight Loss Podcast
3. Connect with me on Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook
(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8756738
(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10146621/
(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9082752/
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