Probiotics helps the body in maintaining a healthy community of microorganisms or help the community of microorganisms in returning to a healthy condition after being disturbed. According to a recent study, supplementing with probiotics could help in preventing the changes in the diversity and composition of gut microbiota associated with antibiotic treatment.
The study was published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology. It suggests that probiotics could prevent or diminish the negative effects of antibiotics on the composition and diversity of gut microbiota while reducing antibiotic-associated risk of diarrhea.
Talking along the lines, the lead author Dr. Elisa Marroquín said, "However, there is a concern about shifting the initial gut microbial composition by taking probiotics while on antibiotic interventions, based on the available human evidence, I and my team of researchers suggest health professionals continue to recommend probiotics when antibiotics are prescribed."
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Additionally, the study also suggest that disruption of the gut microbiota composition due to antibiotics could also have lasting effects such as obesity and other kinds of allergy.
The researchers included data from randomised clinical trials and assessed the impact of anti and probiotics individually and when prescribed together. It was found that the use of antibiotics was linked to a decrease in gut bacteria belonging to the Firmicutes phylum and an increase in those from the Proteobacteria phylum.
“In addition to the findings of our research, it has also revealed that adding probiotics while a person is on antibiotic interventions which helps in protecting the intestinal barrier and the person's immune system. This not only helps with the infection eradication, but it also decreases the appearance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria,” Dr. Marroquin said.
