What happens if the bacterial balance in the digestive tract is disrupted?

Many forces can throw off the delicate balance of intestinal bacteria, among them aging, alcohol, poor diet, stress, chronic illness, and particularly antibiotics, which kill many of the beneficial intestinal bacteria on the way to killing the pathogenic bacteria they’re prescribed to treat. When the bacterial balance in the digestive tract is disrupted, some of the harmful intestinal bacteria may grow too numerous, like weeds taking over a lawn, and cause intestinal distress, diarrhea, or worse. Adding probiotic bacteria to your diet (or taking supplements) may help restore the normal balance of intestinal bacteria.

For example, you may have had diarrhea after taking a course of antibiotics. Two randomized controlled trials showed that probiotics such as Lactobacillus may shorten the course of infectious diarrhea by 60 percent by restoring the balance of good bacteria to your gut. In another study, 180 people who were hospitalized and suffering antibiotic-related diarrhea were given a placebo or a probiotic supplement. In the placebo group, 22 percent continued to experience significant diarrhea, but in the probiotic group the figure was just 9 percent. Other studies confirm that probiotic supplements reduce the risk of diarrhea while taking antibiotics.

Find out more about this book: The Spectrum: A Scientifically Proven Program to Feel Better, Live Longer,...

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