Best Probiotic To Take With Antibiotics, Taking Probiotics With An Antibiotic To Prevent Antibiotic Associated Diarrhea

Taking probiotics after antibiotic treatment is recommended by most doctors and healthcare professionals. This article looks at the most beneficial probiotics to take during, with and after prescribed antibiotics.

So which is the most effective probiotic supplement to take while on antibiotic treatment. We have narrowed the field to 2 probiotic supplement brands.

Best Probiotics With Antibiotics - Quick Look

YourBiology Gut+ - Best probiotic for women
Biotics 8 - Best probiotic for men

YourBiology Gut+ (Women)

YourBiology Gut+

CLICK to view YourBiology Gut + Price and special offers

A highly effective probiotics + prebiotics formula that can give a 250 times better survival rate than standard probiotics

Benefits at a Glance:

Reduced stress levels
Improved digestion
Increases beneficial bacteria
Reduces symptoms of bacterial infection
Lose weight
Energy & focus
Strengthened immunity and immune health

Biotics 8 (Men)

Biotics 8

CLICK to view Biotics 8 price and special offers

A male focused probiotics made especially to boost the gut microbiome after antibiotic use.

Health Benefits at a Glance:

Boost testosterone levels
Strengthens Immunity
Increases healthy bacteria
Reduces symptoms of irritable bowel disease
Improves digestion and digestive tract
Focus, energy and brain health

Probiotics and Antibiotics

Although taking antibiotics is commonplace, using them can cause a lot of problems inside the gut, some of which can impact overall health and well-being.

This article provides information about how taking probiotics can reduce the negative effect of antibiotics and help you to maintain optimum gut health. It also reveals the best probiotic to take with antibiotics and the value of probiotic foods (fermented foods such as yogurt, tempeh and kombucha).

What are Antibiotics and How Do They Work?

Antibiotics is an umbrella term that covers bacteria-killing drugs such as amoxicillin, clindamycin, and doxycycline. Once they enter your system, antibiotic drugs either kill the bacteria they encounter or prevent them from reproducing, causing the bacteria level to dwindle over time.

Antibiotics achieve these things in several ways including targeting the protective coating that surrounds the bacteria and inhibiting protein biosynthesis. [1]

As you may be aware, antibiotics only act on bacteria. They offer no value at all as treatments for viral infections such as the common cold or influenza.

Although antibiotics start working just after you take them, it may take two or three days before you begin to feel better.

Antibiotics save lives. They are a very useful medicine. It's just unfortunate that in addition to destroying dangerous bacterial invaders within the body, they kill useful probiotic bacteria as well.

NOTE: Your doctor may or may not prescribe antibiotics if you have a health condition that warrants their usage.

Common Antibiotic Side Effects and Why They Occur

As is the case with most medications, antibiotics can present several side effects. Most of them are due to changes the drugs cause in the gut microbiome.

The human gut is home to 50 trillion bacteria. Some of the bacteria species are beneficial (such as lactobacillus acidophilus) , while others are pathogenic bacteria that have the potential to cause harm. The gut also contains yeasts, viruses, and other forms of microbial life. Collectively, this diverse colony is known as the gut microbiome.

Also known as good bacteria or flora, probiotics overpower bad bacteria and other pathogens. By doing so they help keep your gut healthy.

What happens in the gut has far-reaching effects. Unfavorable changes in the gut microbiome can cause many problems.

Some examples include:

Poor digestion
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Inflammatory bowel disease
Abdominal pain
Bacterial infections
Chronic fatigue
Weight gain
Depression
Crohn's disease
Yeast infections
Impaired immunity
Bacterial vaginosis
Poor mental health

The gut microbiome is so important experts have described it as a virtual organ.

By diminishing important probiotic bacteria colonies, antibiotics can cause many problems. When your gut does not have sufficient levels of probiotic bacteria to control them, harmful microbes thrive and multiply. This causes a condition named dysbiosis. Symptoms of dysbiosis can include all the issues mentioned above and many more.

One of the main antibiotic side effects is diarrhea. It's very common and can be scarier than it sounds.

More than a third of antibiotic users develop antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) and there is a 17% chance of it being fatal.

Antibiotic associated diarrhea appears to be influenced by several gut-living pathogens including Clostridium difficile infection, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella oxytoca.

C. difficile has the potential to be the most dangerous. It causes a form of colon inflammation called pseudomembranous colitis. This is the reason behind many fatalities due to ADD. [3, 4]

Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic resistance is another undesirable issue that can arise due to using antibiotics. When bacteria become antibiotic-resistant, the medication no longer works.

There are several ways this can happen. Overuse of antibiotic medications is one of them. Not completing a course of antibiotics is another.

Both these things can leave you with bacteria that have become impervious to the drug. These bacteria can breed unhindered. If the antibiotic has already succeeded in making unfavorable changes to your gut microbiome, this can leave you very vulnerable to additional illness.

Fortunately, when you use probiotics and antibiotics together, side effects and antibiotic resistance is less likely to become an issue.

What are Probiotics and What Do They Do?

Probiotics are live microorganisms that live and breed inside the human gut. Unlike many of the other gut microbes, probiotics support good health instead of impairing it. One of the ways they do this is by fighting gut pathogens like C. difficile and S. aureus, suppressing their activity and ability to multiply.

Certain foods, such as sauerkraut, also contain probiotic bacteria. Eating these foods is a good way to enhance gut health. As is daily use of a good probiotic supplement.

There are many different species of probiotic bacteria but the most beneficial ones come from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families. Probiotic bacteria species can be further divided into bacteria strains.

Each species provides a different range of benefits. All the best probiotic supplements provide a mix of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium bacteria,

As we have already mentioned, research shows consuming probiotics is a good way to reduce antibiotic side effects such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea, C. difficile infection, and inflammation of the colon. [3]

Probiotics can help with many other conditions as well including cardiovascular disease, IBS, and mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. [5, 6]

Many aspects of human health are influenced by the state of the gut's virtual organ and the microbial activity that's happening inside.

Probiotic Suitability and Potential Side Effects

Although probiotic supplementation is beneficial for most people, unless a doctor advises them otherwise, this type of supplement may be unsuitable for people whose immune systems are not functioning properly. Obvious examples include people who are HIV positive or have AIDS.

Some medications can impair immune function too. As can certain medical procedures, such as chemotherapy. The chances are that you will already know if any of these issues are affecting your health.

Although probiotics change the gut microbiome for the better, consuming them may present mild side effects during the first few days of use. Probiotic side effects are generally limited to minor digestive discomfort, bloating, gas, and similar gastrointestinal issues.

Short-lived side effects like these typically disappear when your gut becomes used to receiving daily probiotic top-ups.

If you are worried about the risk of side effects or are unsure if a probiotic strain is suitable for you, it makes sense to discuss the matter with the doctor providing your antibiotics prescription.

How Good Are Probiotics for Preventing Antibiotic Side Effects?

The merits of using probiotics to prevent AAD and similar antibiotic side effects have been well-researched. Plenty of studies prove probiotics work well in this role.

Many of the top studies have been evaluated via systematic reviews and meta-analyses that are supportive of using probiotics to prevent and treat antibiotic side effects, such as ADD. [3, 7, 8]

What is The Best Probiotic to Take with Antibiotics?

Here are the best probiotic supplement brands fro men and women that are excellent choices to take during and after an antibiotic course.

Best Probiotics for Women While On Antibiotics

YourBiology Gut+

YourBiology Gut+

CLICK to read more on YourBiology Gut+

Best Probiotics for Men While Antibiotics

Biotics 8

Biotics 8

CLICK to read more on Biotics 8

When it comes to probiotic supplements, there are so many options available it may initially appear as if you are spoiled for choice. However, some options are better at controlling antibiotic side effects than others.

It's important not to overestimate the abilities of your probiotics. Even when you are using the best options, your antibiotic will still kill some of your good bacteria. The supplement only provides damage limitation.

So, which probiotic supplement will work best alongside your antibiotic medication? After evaluating all the most popular options, YourBiology is our no. 1 choice. It's a high-quality probiotic supplement that offers excellent value for money and has a money-back guarantee that's good for 60 days.

Like all good probiotics, YourBiology contains a mix of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium bacteria.

As far as offering protection from antibiotic side effects, L. plantarum is the most useful probiotic species. Research published in the Central European Journal of Immunology shows strains from this species can prevent C. difficile-associated diarrhea due to antibiotic treatments. [9]

YourBiology also contains B. Lactis, which has been shown to support cardiovascular health. It has L. acidophilus too. It's one of the most versatile probiotic strains and research shows pairing L. acidophilus with B. lactis is a good way to prevent bloating. [10, 11]

Like all the top probiotic supplements, YourBiology provides prebiotic fiber. This "good bacteria" food helps probiotics to thrive and multiply. Don't worry though. It doesn't do the same for other types of bacteria.

The best thing about this supplement is the special coating. It's a seaweed-based compound that slows down the pill's disintegration rate. By doing this, it prevents digestive enzymes in the stomach from hurting the probiotics inside the pills. Maktrek does not release them until they are safe inside the gut.

A Look at Some Good Probiotic Foods

At the beginning of this article, we promised to reveal the best probiotic to use with antibiotics. We have just done that. We also promised to provide information about the best good probiotic foods (fermented foods) to eat in combination with a good probiotic supplementation for healthy gut flora.

These are some of the best probiotic foods:

Yogurt
Kimchi
Kombucha
Kvass
Natto
Sauerkraut
Salt-based refrigerated pickles
Tempeh

Many of these foods may be unfamiliar to you, but most of them are fermented food.

For instance, kvass is a low-alcohol fermented beverage that's brewed in Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, and other Slavic countries. Kombucha is a fermented tea that's popular in many countries, especially ones located in Asia.

Depending on where you live, you may find yogurt and pickles are the two options that are easiest to obtain and add to your diet.

However, if you want to use pickles as a probiotic food, you will need to avoid options that are pickled in vinegar.

Pickled cucumbers (gherkins) are one of the best options but instead of ones that have been treated with vinegar, you need to go for ones that are preserved in salt water. This type of pickle is left to ferment in its own Lactobacillus bacteria. It's the fermentation process that makes them taste sour.

Sauerkraut is quite popular these days and may be easy to obtain too.

However, some sauerkraut is pasteurized. The pasteurization process kills probiotics that are naturally present in the food. So, if you like the idea of dosing your gut with probiotics from sauerkraut, you will need to make certain you are buying the unpasteurized kind.

How Long Do You Need to Keep Taking Probiotics After AntiBiotics?

When you have finished your course of antibiotics, it can be a sensible move to continue taking daily doses of probiotics dietary supplements for a few months.

Research shows the damage antibiotics do to the gut microbiota can last a long time. When you continue to take probiotics after your antibiotic treatment, it helps your good bacteria colonies to replenish more quickly.

The results of one study suggest that even a month after antibiotic treatment, your probiotic bacteria levels may only be 88% replenished. Data from the same study also suggests that, one month later, your probiotic bacteria levels may still be 11% lower than they were before you began taking antibiotics. [11]

Bearing in mind the important role probiotics play in immune function, there are strong arguments for continuing to consume probiotics long-term. [12]

By supporting your natural immunity, probiotic food and supplements may help protect you from becoming ill and needing to take antibiotics in the first place.

Taking Probiotics Alongside Antibiotics

Antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria in the body. This can destroy the balance of bacteria in the gut, known as the gut microbiome. This imbalance can lead to side effects like diarrhea and upset stomach.

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your gut health. They help rebalance and replenish the healthy bacteria in the gut that are wiped out by antibiotics.

By taking probiotics alongside or after taking antibiotics, you can help minimize antibiotic side effects, replenish the good gut bacteria and support a healthier gut microbiome. Probiotics don't reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics, they just help counteract some of the negative effects on gut health.

Best Probiotic to Take After Antibiotics Conclusion

After antibiotic use it is highly recommended that women take a premium probiotic supplement such as YourBiology Gut+. Men should take male focused probiotic supplements such as Biotics 8 . Both brands are available directly from their respective websites and are fully covered by a money back guarantee.

The Best Times to Take Probiotics When on Antibiotics are:

With a meal or snack at least 2 hours after antibiotics. This is to reduce the probiotics' exposure to stomach acid and ensure they reach the intestines where they can colonize.

In the morning daily. Consistency is important for probiotic strains to establish themselves and remain balanced.

Starting a few days into the antibiotic course. This gives the antibiotics time to work and reduce harmful bacteria before supplementing with probiotics.

Continuing use for a few weeks after antibiotics end. This helps maintain balance as the gut microbiota continues to recover.

In summary, probiotics should be taken consistently at mealtimes at least a couple hours after antibiotics, starting a few days into antibiotic treatment and continuing for a few weeks after the antibiotics course ends. This will provide the best chance for the probiotics to effectively colonize and rebalance gut bacteria.

Disclaimer: The above is a sponsored post, the views expressed are those of the sponsor/author and do not represent the stand and views of Outlook Editorial.