If you have been prescribed and taken ‘Antibiotics’, then this is a MUST READ!
I am sure most of us are familiar with ‘Antibiotics’, simply because it’s widely prescribed by a doctor to a patient especially in Asia, even for very minor conditions. Little did we know the damage it does to our body….
For starters, did you know that a single course of Antibiotics disrupt our microbiome for 2 to 4 years?
You see, there are 2 issues here.
1. Not completing the course of the Antibiotics (where majority of the doctors usually recommends most patient to complete the entire course)
2. Whether should an individual take ‘Antibiotics’ despite it is prescribed by a doctor?
In this article, I am only going to touch base on #2. Not so much on who should be taking the prescribed Antibiotics but rather sharing from many research conducted on the IMPACT of Antibiotics.
Here is WHY you need to understand the importance of the DAMAGE!
a. What is Microbiome?
Our gut is made of trillions of bacteria and other microbes. The microbiome in our gut plays a critical role in our health, supporting the function of digestion and benefiting our immune system.
b. On average 1 course of Antibiotics disturbs the microbiota for 16 to 24 months.
– Clindamycin is considered one of the worst forms of Antibiotics because it affects the microbiota in our body for 18 to 24 months.
c. Proton Pump Inhibitors such as Prilosec and Nexium decrease populations of small bowel bifidobacteria within 7 days of commencing the therapy.
d. What is Bifidobacteria?
Bifidobacteria is important for production of our inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA, and production of the short chain fatty acid (SCFA) butyrate, the main fuel for enterocytes (cells in the small intestinal responsible for digestion and absorption of nutrients) which heals and seals the gastrointestinal lining, reinforcing gut barrier integrity.
Despite Antibiotics are the reason people are ALIVE from severe bacteria infection, infected cuts, deadly virus or parasites, used after surgery and many other critical conditions, it has also caused some dangerous antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria.
Summing it up:
To sum this up, in the recent years, it has been overused by many even when the condition does not require one to do so. Both Doctors and Patients should use them carefully and responsibly.
