Antibiotics & Your Gut: Protecting the Microbiome

Antibiotics are life-saving drugs that have revolutionised modern medicine. However, they are a blunt instrument. In wiping out pathogenic infection, they often indiscriminately destroy the beneficial bacteria in our gut as well. This "scorched earth" approach can lead to Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhoea (AAD) and leave the gut vulnerable to opportunistic infections like Candida or C. difficile.

At Better Health Beat, we advocate for a protective strategy: supporting your microbiome during and after antibiotic treatment.

The Microbiome Wipeout

Research shows that a short course of antibiotics can alter the diversity of the gut microbiome for months, or even years. This loss of diversity is linked to weakened immunity and digestive issues. So, how do we mitigate the damage?

Strategy 1: The Right Probiotic, At The Right Time

Taking probiotics alongside antibiotics is crucial, but timing is everything.

The 2-Hour Rule: Always leave at least a 2-hour gap between taking your antibiotic and your probiotic. If you take them together, the antibiotic will simply kill the good bacteria you just swallowed.
Saccharomyces Boulardii: This is a unique beneficial yeast, not a bacteria. Because it is a yeast, antibiotics cannot kill it. Studies show it is exceptionally effective at preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and protecting the gut lining during treatment.

Strategy 2: Feed the Survivors (Prebiotics)

While the antibiotic is working, you want to nourish the good bacteria that remain. Eat plenty of prebiotic fibres—food for your friendly flora.

Focus on: Stewed apples (rich in pectin), onions, garlic, leeks, and asparagus.
avoid: High amounts of refined sugar, which can feed opportunistic yeasts like Candida that thrive when bacterial competition is low.

Strategy 3: The Repair Phase

Once your course is finished, the real work begins. For the next 4 weeks, flood your system with fermented foods (sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi) and a high-strength multi-strain probiotic to re-seed the gut and restore diversity.

Editorial Summary

The risk: Antibiotics can decimate beneficial gut bacteria, leading to long-term digestive imbalance.

The defence: Use Saccharomyces boulardii during treatment as it is resistant to antibiotics.

The rule: Always separate other probiotics from antibiotics by at least 2 hours.

View our specific antibiotic-support probiotics and gut healing formulas.

Strategy 1: The Right Probiotic, At The Right Time

Taking probiotics alongside antibiotics is crucial, but timing is everything.

The 2-Hour Rule: Always leave at least a 2-hour gap between taking your antibiotic and your probiotic. If you take them together, the antibiotic will simply kill the good bacteria you just swallowed.

Saccharomyces Boulardii: This is a unique beneficial yeast, not a bacteria. Because it is a yeast, antibiotics cannot kill it. Studies show it is exceptionally effective at preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and protecting the gut lining during treatment.