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How to Naturally Restore Healthy Bacteria After Antibiotics

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2023-06-05 20:35:39
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A natural cures approach to life doesn’t mean you should never take treatment for ailments. Antibiotics are necessary for treating severe bacterial infections, but they’re often overused and frequently cause more harm than good:
  • Antibiotics don’t just target the bad bacteria. They also wipe out many of the beneficial bacteria that improve digestion and produce nutrients, such as B vitamins, that your body needs to survive.

  • Killing off beneficial bacteria upsets the delicate balance of intestinal microflora, leading to yeast overgrowth and infection. Alterations of the gut flora can have devastating effects on your overall health. The bacteria in your gut shapes your metabolism and can affect your behavior and your ability to fight pathogens.

  • Overuse of antibiotics over time results in bacteria that are resistant to the antibiotic, making the medication less effective or completely ineffective in treating the infections they were developed to cure.

Even if you don’t take prescription antibiotics, many of the foods you eat probably contain antibiotics. Seventy percent of all antibiotics are sold to commercial livestock suppliers, so if you consume meat or dairy products from these suppliers, you’re probably getting a daily dose of antibiotics. To reduce your exposure to antibiotics from these sources, purchase free-range, grass-fed, pastured animal products.

Take antibiotics only for bacterial infections that threaten life or limb, never for viral infections, such as the common cold, the flu, most coughs and sore throats, some ear and sinus infections, or bronchitis. Antibiotics do not cure viral infections. Using antibiotics to treat viral infections only kills the good bacteria in your system and contributes to making bacteria more resistant to antibiotic treatment.

If you must take an antibiotic to treat a bacterial infection, then follow this protocol to help preserve the good bacteria and restore a healthy balance of microflora in your gut during and after antibiotic treatment:
  • During the time you’re taking the antibiotic, maintain a healthy gut by taking the following supplements:

    • Colostrum: 10,000 mg daily

    • L-glutamine: 3 grams twice daily

  • For 30 days, including the time you’re taking the antibiotic, take the following probiotics:

    • Saccharomyces boulardii: 250 mg twice daily

    • Multistrain containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, and Lactobacillus plantarum: 15 billion CFUs

  • After the 30 days, switch to lower maintenance doses of broad-spectrum probiotics:

    • Multistrain probiotic: 5 billion CFUs daily, containing 3 billion Lactobacillus helveticus, 1 billion Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and 1 billion Bifidobacterium longum

    • HOWARU bifido (Bifidobacterium lactis): 15 billion CFUs daily

  • Follow these dietary suggestions:

    • Consume whole foods with plenty of vegetables, oily fish, and quality proteins.

    • Consume fermented foods, including sauerkraut, kvass, kombucha, kimchi, pickles, and fermented vegetables. These are a great source of probiotics.

    • Avoid foods that feed yeast and pathogenic bacteria, including sugar, juice, wheat, and potatoes.

About This Article

This article is from the book: 

About the book author:

Dr. Scott J. Banks has been in clinical practice for more than 30 years. In 2013, Banks joined an elite group Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioners. He is uniquely trained in the Functional Medicine model to identify and treat the root causes of illness, disease, and chronic disorders.

Joe Kraynak has authored and co-authored numerous books.

Joe Kraynak is a professional writer who deals with bipolar in his family.