PROBIOTICS AND ANTIBIOTICS – THE CASE FOR PROBIOTICS
The discovery of antibiotics and their impact in reducing mortality and disease was arguably the most important advancement in human healthcare in the 20th century.
A
ntibiotics effectively treat bacterial infections and are estimated to have saved between 200 and 500 million lives
since the 1940s when they were put into widespread use.
Despite this success, antibiotics also have a significant impact on the gut microbiome, disrupting the balance and diversity of bacteria found in our digestive tract - targeting both harmful and beneficial bacteria.
This alteration to the balance of the gut microbes is known as dysbiosis. It can involve a reduction in microbial diversity and potentially result in ‘overgrowth’ of ‘undesirable’ types of bacteria.
This, in turn, may lead to symptoms of IBS, such as bloating, abdominal pain, constipation and/or diarrhoea. Long-term changes to the microbiome have been associated with increased risk of developing chronic conditions, such as allergies, obesity and inflammatory bowel disease.
Antibiotic Resistance Antibiotic resistance is considered one of the largest threats to human healthcare worldwide
46
scotpharm.com
in the 21st century. There are an estimated 700,000 deaths due to resistant infections each year and this is forecast to rise to around 10 million by 2050.
Each course of antibiotics a person takes can disrupt their microbiome and can lead to an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria in their gut. People who take antibiotics frequently have shown higher levels of resistance genes within their microbiota.
Currently the only way to reduce the progression of antibiotic resistance is by restricting their use - both in farming and through less prescriptions.
Probiotics and Antibiotics Probiotics are ‘proxies’ (substitutes) for the natural bacteria in our gut microbiome and are officially defined at ‘live microorganisms, which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host’.
Emerging evidence indicates that, when used alongside and following antibiotics, certain probiotics may be effective in both maintaining
bacterial balance in the microbiome and reducing levels of antibiotic resistance in the re-growth bacteria.
When probiotics are taken alongside, and preferably also following, a course of antibiotics, they help to ‘fill the gaps’ left by the bacteria killed by the antibiotics.
This effect is likely to be temporary, as probiotics can also be killed by the antibiotic, but the benefit is maintained through daily supplementation throughout (and following) the antibiotic treatment course.
The result is a significant mitigation of damage to the microbes in our gut, particularly in the small intestine, which contains less microbes than the large intestine, but is arguably more important from a functional perspective.
Overall, taking probiotics alongside and following antibiotics can help to prevent digestive disruption and side effects, support gut microbiome recovery and reduce antibiotic resistance.
TAKING PROBIOTICS ALONGSIDE AND FOLLOWING ANTIBIOTICS CAN HELP TO PREVENT DIGESTIVE DISRUPTION
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
