
Too Much Of A Good/Bad Thing:
We’ve all been told we need antibiotics from time-to-time. But sometimes, that advice gets taken a bit too far into overuse.
So much so that not only do we now have antibiotic-resistant superbugs, but many strains of old annoyances are on the verge of turning antibiotic-resistant, too.
Well now we can chalk up another issue to watch out for: Long-Term Collateral-Damage.
In a set of experiments in the UK and Sweden, researchers led by U.Amsterdam are finding out some unforseen problems that crop-up in timeframes only a Cipro Survivor could have imagined…
What the researchers found out is that the course of antibiotics has effects Far beyond just the week-or-so you take it.
Your Microbes Are Your Defense:
But for a second, let’s go back to one of the most important parts of your immune-system: Your Microbes.
In-addition to all the trillions of little buggies living all over your skin, a huge part of your personal bacteria lives in your G-I tract.
That collection of bugs does many things: Taking in all kinds of dietary/chemical inputs, balancing colonies of different types, producing feel-good chemicals, anti-inflammatories, and even communicating things like fullness after a meal to your brain [!]
The Baby Gets Thrown Out With The Bathwater; -Repeatedly:
And it is just Decimated when you take antibiotics.
Unfortunately, the pills kill all the good guys you have inside along with the few bad guys you need to target.
And the U.A team has found out the effects can last MUCH longer than the previously-prescribed 3 weeks for complete repopulation.
The four antibiotics tested were Clindamycin, Cipro, Tetracycline, and Amoxicillin.
Not All Antibiotics Are Created Equally. 2 Good, 2 Bad:
On the good end of the news, Amoxicillin had little effect on the gut microbes. And tetracycline-takers were back to normal within 1 month.
On the bad end of it, Clindamycin and Cipro users (as many can attest) were still in-trouble by the 4 month and AFTER the 12-month marks, respectively.
The effects included, but weren’t limited-to: Severely-reduced microbiome population, variety, and presence of a good bacteria that produces an anti-inflammatory/anti-oxidant called Butyrate.
(take one guess why many Cipro users have joint problems afterward)
What Happens In The Meantime?:
But wait, it gets worse. Since the “bad” antibiotics have after-effects that last as little as four or more-than twelve months, what does your body do till then?
It can at-least become vulnerable to all kinds of other harmful microbes, suffer more inflammation, oxidative stress/damage, and have all kinds of problems with digestion.
You may also never regain some mysterious-but-healthy bugs you’ve had your whole life that you got from a few unique, irreplaceable sources. Their benefits may be lost to you forever.
Oh, The Irony!:
And one more capper: After testing the good bacteria population of the subjects, the researchers found an increase in one more thing…
Genes associated with Antibiotic-Resistance!
-BOOM!
Always Be Prepared:
So the next time you’re considering antibiotics lightly for whatever reason, remember this post.
And have those Kefirs, Kombuchas, Probiotics & Naturally-Fermented-Foods at the ready regardless.
Check out the rest of the nerdy details at the Links:
Photo Credits: “Time Warp”, by Billy Alexander
Links:
• via: ArsTechnica | TheAtlantic
• Source Study: mBio-Same Exposure but Two Radically Different Responses to Antibiotics: Resilience of the Salivary Microbiome versus Long-Term Microbial Shifts in Feces
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