Probiotic Supplements May Not Be the Gut Savior You Think When Taking Antibiotics

Daily Health

·

12/12/2025

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New research shows that swallowing probiotic pills while taking antibiotics probably does not help the gut much, despite earlier beliefs. Antibiotics are needed to kill bacteria that cause infections, but they also kill helpful gut bacteria. Many people therefore swallow probiotics to replace the lost bacteria - yet new studies show this approach is less useful than expected.

Key Points

Probiotic pills taken with antibiotics barely raise gut bug variety.
Fermented foods give more useful bacteria than pills.
Probiots mainly stop antibiotic diarrhea - they do not solve other gut complaints.

What the Studies Found

A recent review of 15 trials and about 1,200 people tested probiotics taken at the same time as antibiotics. The result was a tiny 0.23 percent rise in gut microbe diversity. Researchers concluded that the pills "were not found to be influential on microbiome diversity" in this setting.

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Why the Pills Often Fail

Several reasons limit their effect. The number of bacteria that reach the gut from a pill is often small. Stomach acid destroys many strains before they arrive. Antibiotics can also kill the very bacteria the pill introduces - the effect is lost. Many pills contain microbes that live in the small intestine - yet most gut microbes live in the colon.

When Pills Still Help

They can still be useful in specific cases. Their main proven use is to stop diarrhea caused by antibiotics. Only certain strains work for this purpose, like the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii and, to a smaller degree, the bacterium Lactobacillus rhamnosus. The antibiotic chosen affects their success.

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Choose Real Food First

Doctors usually advise getting probiotics from food, not pills. Kimchi, pickles and sourdough bread contain live microbes. Fruits and vegetables feed the gut supporting a healthy mix of bacteria. If you still want pills, read the label to know the exact strains and check for interactions with antibiotics. Ask your clinician for advice on dose, length of use and possible side effects.

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