The microbiome or also called intestinal flora is an extremely sensitive area in our body. It reacts to the smallest stimuli and changes. And not only from the outside, for example through nutrition, but also from the inside, such as through the psyche.
One big factor that can throw the microbiome off track very quickly and for a very long time is the use of medications. Antibiotics in particular are the biggest enemies of the microbiome. Find out what happens to our microbiome while taking medication.
5 facts about how medications affect the microbiome and vice versa:
- Repeated use of antibiotics destroys the gut flora
- The microbiome takes weeks or months to recover
- If the intestinal germs die, chronic diseases can develop
- Reasonable and long-lasting effective treatment is weakened when there are no more intestinal bacteria left
- A few medications also have a positive impact on our microbiome.
How can we prevent an attack on the microbiome?
It would be best if taking antibiotics in life could be prevented entirely. But unfortunately, this is not the case. Sometimes it is necessary to take an antibiotic once or even several times. This can be accompanied by an attack or destruction of one's own microbiome. To prevent this or to actively support the intestinal flora, it makes sense to do something good for the microbiome through the diet.
Reach for foods like yogurt, other dairy products or fermented foods like sauerkraut or pickled vegetables. You can find out more about the right diet for a healthy microbiome here.
Individuality of the gut flora
The uniqueness of a person's microbiome could be compared to that of a fingerprint. No two gut flora and bacterial occurrences are alike. This makes it so difficult to analyze which medications can be taken without hesitation and which should rather be omitted or replaced. After all, while one drug may attack the microbiome of one patient, it does much less harm to the next. It is important to find this out for yourself personally or talk to a doctor about any concerns. Because the fact is, sometimes taking medication is indispensable and vital to survival.
Citation
- Romero (10.12.21): Wie Medikamente das Mikrobiom des Darms beeinflussen. In: DZHK- Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung E.V. (Zuletzt abgerufen am 02.08.22). https://dzhk.de/aktuelles/news/artikel/wie-medikamente-das-mikrobiom-des-darms-beeinflussen/.
- Antibiotika und der Einfluss auf das Mikrobiom. In: Marien Apotheke Prien am Chiemsee. (Zuletzt abgerufen am 02.08.22). https://www.marien-apotheke-prien.de/magazin/Antibiotika-und-der-Einfluss-auf-das-Mikrobiom-3789.
- (28.03.2019): Wie Medikamente das Mikrobiom beeinflussen. In: science. Orf.at. (Zuletzt abgerufen am 02.08.22). https://science.orf.at/v2/stories/2972665/.
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