Protect Your Gut

Antibiotics can heal your body, but the wonder drug can also upset your digestive system.

- Dawn Chen

Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, and they do this by inhibiting or killing off bacteria in your body – including those in your gut. Unfortunately, this means that the medication can lead to some negative and uncomfortable side effects.

Your gut is made up of trillions of microbes, both good and bad bacteria. These microbes play a big part in maintaining a healthy digestive system. When you take a course of antibiotics, the good bacteria often get wiped out along with the infection-causing bacteria, leaving your gut in a state of imbalance.

A study released in mBio, a journal published by the American Society for Microbiology found that eating antibiotics for a week caused microbial imbalances and shifts for up to a year afterwards. Hence, if you’ve ever experienced stomach discomfort after taking a dose of antibiotics, you’re not alone.

But just what happens in your gut, and does the age-old belief that eating antibiotics can affect your weight hold any, well, weight? Dr Gwee Kok Ann, medical director and consultant gastroenterologist at Gleneagles Hospital explains more.

How antibiotics affect you