The human body contains microorganisms that do not invade or damage tissue. Instead, these organisms, especially those in the intestines, can benefit your body. Probiotics are supplements that can increase the amount of these beneficial bacteria. Probiotics do not decrease the effectiveness of antibiotics and may in fact help those taking them.
Probiotic Identification
The microorganisms in your digestive tract play an important role in digestion, metabolism and immunity. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, probiotics are supplements which, when taken in sufficient amounts, can increase the amounts of these microorganisms and benefit your health. Most probiotic supplements contain bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria strains. Probiotics can be found in some foods, such as tempeh, yogurt and some dairy products. They can also be consumed separately as supplements.
Benefits of Probiotics and Antibiotics
Probiotics can actually be beneficial for people taking antibiotics. Antibiotics kill bacteria indiscriminately, which means that the healthy bacteria already living in your intestines are also killed. This can disrupt your digestive tract and lead to diarrhea. Taking probiotics when you are also taking antibiotics can effectively prevent this antibiotic-related diarrhea, Science Daily reports. Patients taking antibiotics are also susceptible to intestinal infections after the antibiotics are stopped, as there are no "healthy" bacteria to crowd out the infectious strains. Probiotics can also aid the prevention of these post-antibiotic infections.
Interaction of Probiotics and Antibiotics
While probiotics, however, do not decrease the effectiveness of antibiotics, antibiotics can kill the bacteria found in probiotic supplements. As a result, if you are taking antibiotics and probiotics, you should take your probiotic supplement two to three hours after taking your antibiotics, the University of Maryland Medical Center explains. This will encourage the survival of beneficial bacteria.
Dosage
Probiotics are usually measured in terms of colony-forming units, or CFUs for short. If you are trying to treat or prevent diarrhea, consuming one to two billion CFUs per day is recommended by the University of Maryland Medical Center, though some experts recommend doses as high as 10 to 15 billion CFUs each day. These supplements are considered as safe for most people, though you should talk to your doctor before using a probiotic supplement, particularly if you have a weakened immune system or artificial heart valves.
