Protecting the gut health while on antibiotics

As a seasonal shift happens, you or someone in your family may be feeling a bit under the weather.

Doctors will often prescribe antibiotics, which assist in fighting bacterial infections like whooping cough or strep throat. However, the disruption in your gut brought on by them can have unpleasant effects, including an upset stomach, nausea or diarrhea.

“As they’re fighting the bugs that are making you sick, they’re also killing the good bugs that are in our intestines,” Lauri Wright, Ph.D., associate professor and director of nutrition programs at the University of South Florida, told Today.com. “They can wipe out a lot of the good bacteria that are in the gut.”

Making sure that you’re eating the right foods while on antibiotics can be a game changer, restoring the healthy balance of beneficial bacteria.

Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Theresa Gentile, told Today.com that people “can regrow and repopulate the gut with either foods or supplemental probiotics.”

Most Americans have had at least one period of taking antibiotics, and many have had multiple bouts with the medication. However, the simple rules we should know seem to evaporate from our minds.

For example, for antibiotics that should not be taken with food, you should eat either two hours before or one hour after a dose, according to Samaritan Health Services.

What are the best foods to eat on antibiotics?

While taking antibiotics, dietitians recommend you eat probiotic foods that are high in healthy bacteria, according to Today.com. Foods like yogurt, kimchi, kombucha and cottage cheese are great options.

Prebiotic foods are also key while taking antibiotics, as the fibers in them are often able to reach the large intestine, according to Today.com. These foods help the bacteria in probiotics thrive.

Choose options like bananas, garlic, onions, apples and beans to start.

Lastly, foods high in vitamin K are beneficial as antibiotics can kill the bacteria that produces it.

“Increasing the intake of the green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale and collards are ways to get vitamin K back in through food,” Wright told Today.com.

Which foods should you never eat while on antibiotics?

You should definitely trust your body and what you remember working during your last run of antibiotics. However, there are a few items you should completely stay away from while taking antibiotics.

Fried food and other foods with excess fat should be avoided, according to Gentile, who went on to say that those foods “might just make you feel fuller longer and just not feel well.”

Stay away from spicy foods as well, as this may just increase any existing nausea.

Sugary foods can fuel the harmful bacteria stewing in your gut, according to Today.com, so they should also be avoided during this period.

As any good doctor would let you know before you pick up your prescription, stay away from alcohol while on antibiotics, as it can worsen side effects like nausea and diarrhea.

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