Should you eat fermented food like yogurt when taking an antibiotic? If so, how much? While the answer isn’t exactly clear, there may be a ballpark amount to aim for. Show
Antibiotics are used to target and kill harmful bacteria when you have an infection that's making you sick. And, when the right one is chosen, taking an antibiotic can be lifesaving—not to mention that they can significantly improve painful or annoying symptoms within 24 to 48 hours. But antibiotics aren't without a downside. Here's how antibiotics may impact your gut health and what foods help you restore it. How Antibiotics Impact Your Gut HealthAlong with killing off harmful bacteria, antibiotics inadvertently kill off some"good" bacteria in your gut in the process. If enough beneficial bacteria are lost, the diversity and ratio of good-to-bad microbes starts to shift slowly, leading to unhealthy changes in the overall bacterial composition of the gut. Stronger, more targeted antibiotics often come with a label advising consumption of probiotic-rich foods like yogurt while taking them, and the purpose of this is to repopulate the gut with good bacteria to circumvent or lessen negative changes in the gut. But consuming probiotic-rich foods is a good idea in most cases, even when the antibiotic isn't quite as strong or doesn't have this label. In fact, according to a 2019 systematic review published in the Journal of Infection, even broad-spectrum, commonly prescribed antibiotics such as amoxicillin lead to changes in gut microbe composition. And the big concern at the center of this is what we're gradually learning about the potential influence that gut microbes have on our long-term health and disease risk. What Research Says About the Benefits of ProbioticsConsuming probiotic-rich foods and drinks is one of the best ways to support gut health, particularly when taking antibiotics. In fact, a review published in 2019 in the Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology suggests that consuming probiotics while also taking a round of antibiotics can improve and potentially even restore the microbiota afterward. And fermented food and drink products are the best natural source. This is because most probiotics—those living, beneficial bacteria—are created through the fermentation process. While yogurt is the go-to probiotic food often recommended, most fermented foods help to repopulate and rebalance the gut's microbial makeup. This means that, in addition to fermented dairy products like yogurt and kefir, fermented plants or cultures used to make kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, miso and tempeh are also great probiotic sources. Results of 10-week clinical trial at Stanford University, published in Cell in 2021, demonstrated just how beneficial consuming fermented food and drink can be. The researchers randomly divided healthy subjects into two groups: one group that consumed fermented foods or beverages each day and one group that consumed high-fiber (prebiotic-rich) foods each day. Both groups had comparable gut makeups prior to starting, and all individuals gradually increased their intake of either fermented or high-fiber foods over the 10 weeks. However, only the subjects in the fermented products group exhibited a significant increase in new bacteria strains and gut diversity, outcomes often seen as indicators of a healthy gut. Even better, these positive changes remained at follow-up, when the subjects' fermented food intake was no longer being monitored. How Much Fermented Food to EatSo we know that probiotics can boost your gut health, but exactly how much fermented food and drink should you consume when taking antibiotics? No precise daily or weekly amount has been established. But here's what is known, to help guide you.
Serving size varies among probiotic foods and beverages. In the study, one serving was defined as:
Also, don't be afraid to eat half-servings and to mix-and-match fermented sources to reach your daily or weekly fermented-foods goal. Your health care provider or a registered dietitian can help you figure out the right goal for you! What type of yogurt is good when taking antibiotics?For preventing diarrhea due to treatment with antibiotics: 125 mL (approximately 4 ounces) of yogurt containing Lactobacillus GG taken twice daily throughout the antibiotic treatment course. Some researchers recommend taking 240 mL (8 ounces) of other yogurt preparations twice daily.
Is it OK to eat yogurt while on antibiotics?Eating yogurt or taking a so-called probiotic when you have to take antibiotics may help prevent the diarrhea that often accompanies antibiotic treatment. That's the conclusion of a study just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
How long should you wait to eat yogurt after taking an antibiotic?Dairy products include milk as well as butter, yogurt, and cheese. After taking an antibiotic you may need to wait for up to three hours before eating or drinking any dairy products. Grapefruit juice and dietary supplements containing minerals like calcium may also work dampen the effect of antibiotics.
What is the best food to eat with antibiotics?The BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) can help with diarrhea from antibiotics. Water – Staying hydrated is important, especially when you're sick. It helps your body fight the infection, your medication to work properly and to combat some of the gastrointestinal side effects of antibiotics.
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