Antibiotics are a great way to eliminate certain infections, but they do have a downside. After taking antibiotics, many people experience stomach aches. What’s even worse is that just taking one round of antibiotics can destroy your gut flora, or healthy bacteria, for one to two years. Luckily there are plenty of foods you can eat during and after taking antibiotics to rebuild your gut health.
Food-Based Probiotics
Probiotics work to restore the good gut bacteria that is eliminated by the use of antibiotics. You can take advantage of Activia and other similar yogurt products, although they don’t provide a high enough dosage of probiotics. You can purchase live organism probiotics in the refrigerated section of a healthy grocery store such as Sprouts or Trader Joe’s. Other products to try include Kombucha tea and goat’s milk kefir.
Fermented Foods
In addition to food-based probiotics, there are plenty of fermented foods that you can eat to restore your healthy gut bacteria after taking antibiotics. The most popular fermented foods include sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickled vegetables. Not everyone enjoys these foods, so you can opt to take what are called “gut shots” which will be located in the same refrigerated section of your local healthy grocery store.
Supplements
In addition to foods, there are plenty of supplements to help you restore your healthy gut flora after needing to take a round of antibiotics. Some efficient supplements include L-Glutamine, milk thistle (taken as a tea or pill), and collagen.
Other Foods
Bone broths are a great way to restore your healthy gut bacteria and there are some delicious recipes available online. You can also try more natural antibiotics including oregano oil. Eating your vegetables is always recommended, and they can also help you out by restoring healthy gut bacteria. Starches and high-fiber foods are also good to eat. In addition to adding to your diet, you should also restrict certain foods including those high in sugar as well as grapefruit or grapefruit juice.
At University Associates in Dentistry, we sometimes prescribe antibiotics to patients who are in pain from an infection. We want you to be informed about how to properly recover from a round of these antibiotics by actively restoring your healthy gut bacteria. We’re here for all your dental needs, so give us a call today at (312) 704-5511 to schedule an appointment.
