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[Ninja Intro]
Hi, this is Dr. Steve. In this short video I’m going to answer a common question about
antibiotics, specifically how to restore your body’s “good bacteria” when taking antibiotics.
So if you are on antibiotics, or you know somebody who is, listen up. I got this question
just last week. I was meeting with a group of hospital administrators and after the meeting
one of them comes up and tells me she’s currently taking antibiotics and heard that
she should be eating yogurt as well. She wanted to know if that was true, and what the scientific
research says about it. I know you’ve got the same question, so I’ll tell you what
I told her.
Now, I’m not gonna bore you with all the science: my job is to make things simple for
you. So very simply, you’ve got “good bacteria” living in your gut:
helping you with digestion, keeping you healthy by fighting “bad bacteria”,
stimulating your immune system, making some of your vitamins, and
helping your body get rid of some common toxins and poisons.
So these bacteria are good and you want to keep them happy. Because when they’re happy,
you’re happy.
So what’s the meanest thing you can do to your good bacteria? Taking antibiotics. Now
don’t get me wrong, antibiotics have saved millions of lives and they are probably the
primary victory of modern medicine. Bad bacteria can kill you, so your doctor wants to kill
them first. That’s certainly understandable.
But despite all the good that they do, antibiotics can kill all your bacteria, the bad and the
good. And doctors typically don’t do anything to help your good bacteria grow back. This
can cause a number of unpleasant side effects and potential health problems. For example,
many people suffer from diarrhea and other digestive problems,
sometimes certain harmful bacteria grow back first, causing infection and inflammation,
it can damage your immune system, and can hurt your levels of important vitamins,
like biotin, folate and vitamin K. They call these things vitamins for a reason – you
need them!
If your doctor tells you that you must take antibiotics then do what your doctor says.
However, it’s your responsibility to restore the good bacteria as fast as possible. Luckily
you can do this easily with yogurt. Many yogurts have live and active cultures that can benefit
your gut and will help replenish your good bacteria much faster than if you did nothing.
People often ask me what types of yogurt are best. One problem is that many yogurts are
basically just sugar, so try to find plain yogurt with only two ingredients: milk and
live cultures - and hopefully no other ingredients. You can add fruit or even a little honey if
that’s the only way you’re going to eat it. There’s also types of yogurt called
Kefir, and Greek yogurt, and yogurt from cows, sheep, goats or buffalo, it’s all good.
And if the ingredients list contains the scientific names of the cultures used, then that’s
generally a very good sign. There are some live cultures that are better than others,
and perhaps I’ll make a video talking about the different strains of bacteria. But for
now, just pick one that you like because you’re the one that will be eating it.
Unless your doctor tells you not to eat dairy, start eating the yogurt as soon as you start
taking the antibiotics, and continue for 2 weeks after the antibiotics stop. Personally,
I love yogurt (especially from goats and sheep) and I eat it all the time. If possible, eat
the yogurt at least 4 hours after taking the antibiotics. Try to eat at least 8 ounces
(or 1 cup) per day.
There are so many topics related to antibiotics, and dairy, and good bacteria and probiotics,
that it’s impossible to cover them all in this one short video, but don't worry, I'm
going to talk about each of them separately in my free newsletter. So sign up at my blog,
steveonhealth.com, right now! And remember, don’t assume your doctor is going to tell
you this stuff, or even knows about this stuff. Your health is your responsibility. So stay
informed!