Infection occurs when those bacteria, viruses, or other microbes begin to multiply. As a result of a bacterial infection, your doctor might prescribe you a course of antibiotics to treat the infection. Antibiotics are a class of drugs that kill off swathes of \u201cbad\u201d bacteria, but what you might not know is that they can also kill the commensal \u201cgood\u201d bacteria that compose the gut microbiome, supporting immune and digestive function. Further to this, antibiotics can also cause dysbiosis (gut imbalance). For example, administration of antibiotics can cause diarrhea<\/a> in about 20 percent of cases[1]<\/sup><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Could ingesting beneficial microbes (aka\u00a0probiotics<\/a>) along with the antibiotics buffer these negative effects? Keep reading to find out!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Probiotics are \u201clive microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host[<\/sup>2<\/sup>]<\/sup><\/a>.\u201d Breaking down this definition there are two important components: <\/p>\n\n\n\n A surplus of recent research shows the promise of probiotics, though the evidence for some digestive conditions is still limited[3]<\/sup><\/a>. Fortunately, there is more evidence that certain probiotics can make a difference when it comes to preventing and treating antibiotic-induced diarrhea [4]<\/sup><\/a>,<\/sup>[5]<\/sup><\/a>. Intriguingly, the probiotics don\u2019t even need to make a permanent home in the microbiome to exert their benefits, though in most cases their mechanism of action is unclear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Walk into any pharmacy and peruse the probiotics aisle. There are dozens of different labels featuring different strains of bacteria and yeast\u2013 some feature one single strain of microbe while others combine half-a-dozen into a capsule. Unfortunately, in Canada probiotics don\u2019t face the same stringent guidelines as other drugs. Many probiotics in the market make wide-ranging claims that aren\u2019t backed up by rigorous science assessing their efficacy and safety[6]<\/sup><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ensuring you are making an informed choice and taking the right probiotic for the symptoms or condition you wish to treat is important. Referring to the Clinical Guide to Probiotic Products Available in Canada<\/a> can provide you with probiotic strains and their corresponding brand names that have been reviewed based on scientific evidence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, if your goal is to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea, you will see on the chart<\/a> that Florastor\u00ae features one strain of a beneficial yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii <\/em>CNCM I-745. Compared to many available products on the market, there has been a substantial amount of research, bolstering their claims. In addition to yeast probiotics, there are a few bacterial probiotic strains that are also effective in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While taking a full course of antibiotics is important for getting rid of pathogens, it also damages the commensal \u201cgood\u201d gut microbes. One recent review study found that antibiotics cause profound changes in the\u00a0gut microbiome<\/a>\u00a0which can persist for more than four months, though the long-term consequences of these changes is unclear[7]<\/sup><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, antibiotics reduce the number of different bacteria in the gut which reduces the diversity of the ecosystem[8]<\/sup><\/a>. In addition, the total amount of commensal bacteria is reduced after antibiotic treatment[8]<\/sup><\/a>. Lower levels of bacterial diversity are also associated with many, though not all, autoimmune disorders[9]<\/sup><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But there\u2019s another unwanted consequence, pathogenic bacteria could take up some of the empty real estate and in rare cases it can lead to an antibiotic-resistant infection. Scientists are searching for ways to provide more protection to the commensal microbes as well as ways to promote the health of the gut ecosystem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If we want to protect the gut microbiome while taking antibiotics, it makes sense to use a probiotic that is resistant to those drugs. Antibiotics can kill bacteria but aren\u2019t as effective for other organisms. As a yeast, S. boulardii <\/em>CNCM I-745 is the only probiotic resistant to any tested antibiotics, ensuring that it can survive what kills bacterial probiotic strains[10]<\/a><\/sup>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat are probiotics?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Are all probiotics the same?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When antibiotics meet the gut microbiome<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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