Antibiotics vs Probiotics Part 1: Why Take Probiotics
Wondering why it’s important to take probiotics after antibiotics? In this three-part video series, I’ll be giving you the lowdown on antibiotics versus probiotics and telling you everything you need to know about them — the good, the bad, the ugly… and the beautiful! Ready? Let’s hop right in.
Alright, so — if you’ve recently been prescribed a round of antibiotics, probiotics are going to be super beneficial for you — we’d even say NECESSARY! To answer why that is, first we’re going to talk about what’s living in your gut. It may not be the most glamorous part of your body, but your digestive tract is full of some very impressive living things!
Let’s break it down into 5 simple facts:
#1 — Your gut is filled with billions — if not trillions — of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and yeasts that all live together in harmony!
#2 — All these beautiful, living beings are referred to as your ‘microbiome’ or your ‘microflora’. Sometimes you’ll hear ‘intestinal flora’ or ‘gut flora’ as well.
#3 — These living organisms — especially bacteria — are essential for healthy digestion.
#4 — They play a role in countless other functions in your body — most importantly, your immune health! Bacterial balance even impacts your mood, your brain, your energy, and even how well you are able to absorb nutrients from your food.
And #5 — A happy, healthy balance of your gut flora is essential for you to experience vibrant health and good digestion. And this balance is sensitive. It can be thrown off by diet, environmental toxins, medications, and, yes, antibiotics.
To put it simply, your gut is the gateway to almost every system in your body, so keeping it healthy is a HUGE priority. And one of the best ways to support a healthy gut is by promoting bacterial balance!
Now, I’m going to touch more on WHY it’s necessary to take probiotics after antibiotics in just a second, but before I do that I want to invite you to go ahead and click that subscribe button down below! Don’t forget to click the bell notification so you don’t miss out on the rest of this series about antibiotics and probiotics!
Okay, so — why take probiotics after antibiotics? Because antibiotics are a powerful medication that kills harmful bacteria in your body — but there’s a problem. Antibiotics kill good bacteria, too. Antibiotics can’t differentiate between the good bacteria and the bad bacteria. They eliminate the bad stuff that can make you sick or cause infection, which is great! BUT antibiotics also kill the good stuff that keeps your digestive tract healthy and your immune system strong.
So, at the end of a round of antibiotics, your bacteria in your gut is thrown entirely out of balance. And this is exactly where taking a probiotic supplement after a round of antibiotics can help! Here’s how:
- Probiotics after antibiotics introduce millions of new, healthy bacteria to your gut
- These bacteria then grow even more bacteria to support your digestive system
- These bacterial allies then help your body to fight off ‘bad’ bacteria, infection, and future illness!
If you’re interested in learning more about antibiotics versus probiotics, specifically when and how to take them, or how to choose the best probiotic supplement — check out our next two videos in this 3-part series. You can find links to those videos below, along with our top probiotic recommendations for adults and kids. If you want some really good, dense info then you should check out the link to our article, where we go in-depth about this issue.
Also, please know that we offer a LiveChat feature on our website where you can ask questions or get personalized support.
And speaking of questions! I’ve got one for you before we wrap up! What’s one thing that stood out to you in this video? Did you already know that taking probiotics after antibiotics was so important? Do you have more questions? We’d love to know! Give us a comment down below and we’ll reply.
Watch the original video on YouTube here, “Antibiotics vs Probiotics Part 1: Why Take Probiotics”