Among the potential side effects from taking antibiotics, diarrhea may be one of the most uncomfortable.
A new study conducted at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University suggests that taking probiotics may help prevent this digestive problem, which researchers say causes up to 20 percent of people on antibiotics to stop taking their entire course of therapy.
Antibiotics may kill the “good” bacteria in the large intestine, as well as attacking the “bad” bacteria this is what leads to diarrhea.
The findings, published in American Family Physician, recommend administering probiotics to people who are on a course of antibiotics in order to restore the bodys microbial balance and promote growth of good bacteria.
Co-author of the study Dr. Benjamin Kligler explained that probiotics should not have any drawbacks when taken in conjunction with antibiotics.
“With the level of evidence that probiotics work and the large safety margins for them, we see no good reason not to prescribe probiotics when prescribing antibiotics,” he commented.
Probiotic nutritional supplements are already taken by a number of people who are not on a course of antibiotics, to help improve their digestive health.