Long Term Effects of Antibiotics
Metagenics, our Algonquin Nutrition Company, has many well-researched probiotic formulas that help to restore the normal flora in our GI tracts.
University of British Columbia, August 18, 2014. New University of British Columbia research found that receiving antibiotic treatments early in life can increase susceptibility to specific diseases later on.
The University of British Columbia released a report on August 18, 2014 stating the utilization of antibiotic in infants and youth can compromise the immune system in later life.
When administering antibiotics, we are killing off the bad and the GOOD bacteria indiscriminately. We have more non-human cells in the body than human when considering the good bacteria in our gut. Estimates are over 100 TRILLION cells that line our GI tract.
The study that was conducted and then published in JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY demonstrates the importance of the good bacteria and that it can be very costly to overall health. The longer we are without adequate good bacteria the more potential adverse conditions we can develop.
Many studies have demonstrated what each of the good bacterial strains help to accomplish. Let’s look below what the article stated:
“This is the first step to understanding which bacteria are absolutely necessary to develop a healthy immune system later in life,” says Kelly McNagny, a professor in the Dept. of Medical Genetics who led the research along with UBC microbiologist Brett Finlay.
The researchers tested the impact of two antibiotics, vancomycin and streptomycin, on newborn mice. They found that streptomycin increased susceptibility to a disease known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis later in life, but vancomycin had no effect. The difference in each antibiotic’s long-term effects can be attributed to how they changed the bacterial ecosystem in the gut. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is an allergic disease found in people with occupations such as farming, sausage-making, and cleaning hot tubs.
The researchers stress that infants should be treated with antibiotics when needed, but they hope these results will help pinpoint which bacteria make us less susceptible to disease. This could open up the possibility of boosting helpful bacteria through the use of probiotics.
“Probiotics could be the next big trend in parenting because once you know which bacteria prevent disease, you can make sure that children get inoculated with those bacteria,” says McNagny.
This research was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and AllerGen NCE, a national research network funded by Industry Canada through the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) Program.
This is another wake-up call that we cannot treat the body with drugs without causing other reactions in the body. This was a very narrow study on potential side effects but very insightful. We have used pre and probiotics in our practice for over 20 years. In fact, I take pre and probiotics daily and will always do so.
Before you go and buy a probiotic at the grocery store, consider this: “Metagenics guarantees its probiotics for purity, clinical reliability, and predicted safety via scientific identification of strains with established health benefits.”
Many generic brands will not have the proper strands, proper dose and poor stability (meaning the bacteria will die before you take it.)
Metagenics, www.metagenics.com, our Algonquin Nutrition Company, has many well-researched probiotic formulas that help to restore the normal flora in our GI tracts. Taking a daily probiotic is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve your health and prevent disease.
We make it easy to order online, call our office to set up a Metagenics account, 847-854-2000.