Big up your bacteria
We already know that having rich and diverse gut bacteria helps keep us healthy, and poor diversity is linked to everything from obesity to diabetes. Now a team of Danish researchers has shown the impact a course of antibiotics can have on our gut health. They gave antibiotics to a group of healthy men for four days and it almost completely eradicated their gut bacteria. Most species gradually recovered over six months, but nine of them were still MIA, and new potentially unhealthy bacteria had colonised the gut. In some countries, it’s routine when you take a course of antibiotics to also be given a course of probiotics, or fermented foods such as kefir (rich in healthy bacteria). It seems like they have the right idea, so next time you require antibiotics, make sure you up your good bacteria courtesy of fermented foods, drinks or probiotic supplements.