The importance of probiotics after antibiotics

The importance of probiotics after antibiotics


(NaturalNews) Most of us have taken antibiotics to get rid of a nasty
cold that turned into a secondary bacterial infection, or as a
preventative measure after a surgery or some other injury. We take these
powerful drugs because we are told by our healthcare professionals that
we must. After all, who would want to risk a serious bacterial
infection when it could be easily avoided? Antibiotics are great at what
they do; they kill bacteria. Unfortunately, they are unable to
discriminate between good bacteria and bad bacteria.

What your doctor hasn't been telling you

There
are over 100 trillion good bacteria in our bodies that play a vital
role in our overall health and well-being, particularly to immune
function and digestion. Many of these bacteria are destroyed by
antibiotic treatments and therefore must be quickly replenished. The
best way to do this is by consuming probiotics, which contain live
bacteria that will repopulate the gut.

You will rarely come
across a traditional doctor that even mentions this practice when
prescribing antibiotics; however, if you neglect the good bacteria after
a course of antibiotics, you are risking reinfection, as your immune
system will be compromised. The best practice is to begin taking
probiotics while taking antibiotics; however, you should wait at least a
few hours after your dose of antibiotics to take a dose of probiotics.

Probiotic foods and supplements

Probiotics
exist in various food products like yogurt and are found in
particularly high concentrations in kefir. If you have access to raw
(unpasteurized) milk, you can make your own kefir at home with some
kefir grains, which will yield an enormous amount of probiotics.
For most people who don't have access to raw milk, store bought
(pasteurized) kefir and yogurt still contain a fair amount of
probiotics.

There are also many probiotic supplements on the
market now; however be sure to buy a reputable brand. Some of these
supplements are worthless as they contain no live bacteria.
Be sure to check the label for the number of live cultures as well as
how many of those cultures will still be alive when the product reaches
its expiration date. If the supplement does not contain this
information, don't purchase it.

Natural antibiotics

There
may be times when taking antibiotics is necessary; however, the
majority of the time they are used without sufficient cause and end up
doing much more damage than good. Most bacterial infections can be
healed naturally. So the next time you get a chest cold, instead of
running to the doctor and asking for a Z-pak, which most doctors will
prescribe without hesitation, first attempt curing your infection with
these powerful, natural probiotics that also promote overall health and
well being:

- Manuka honey (UMF 15+ or higher)
- Garlic
- Andrographis (particularly useful for upper respiratory infections)
- Goldenseal
- Echinacea
- Colloidal silver

You
don't have to worry about natural antibiotics killing the good bacteria
in your gut as they, unlike prescription antibiotics, are able to
target only the bad bacteria. You can use these natural remedies any
time you get sick, as a preventive measure, without any worry of
negative side-effects.


Source:-
http://www.naturalnews.com/037005_antibiotics_probiotics_gut_flora.html