The first data review suggests that taking probiotics along with prescription antibiotics can reduce damage to the gut microbiome

Millions of antibiotics are prescribed
every year.
Although antibiotics are very effective in treating infections, they usually don't just target the bacteria
that cause them.
They also kill the harmless bacteria that live in our gut and help us stay healthy
.
There is evidence that this disruption of the composition of the gut microbiome can last up to 2 years
after antibiotic treatment.
Gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and bloating are also common side effects of
antibiotic use.

Dr.
Elisa Marroquin, an assistant professor at Texas Christian University and co-author of the paper, explains: "Just like in human society, we need people in different professions, because we don't all know how to do every job
well.
The same goes for
bacteria.
We need a lot of different gut bacteria that know how to do different things
.
Although we haven't come up with a single definition of what constitutes a healthy gut microbiome, one constant thing we've observed in healthy people is that they have higher levels of diversity and a greater variety of bacteria
in their guts.
”

Previous studies have shown that taking probiotics can reduce antibiotic-induced gastrointestinal side effects, but there has been controversy
over whether taking probiotics alongside antibiotics also maintains the diversity and composition of gut microbes.
Some healthcare professionals are reluctant to use probiotics alongside antibiotics because they fear it will further alter the delicate balance
of microbes in the patient's gut.

A newly published paper reveals the first systematic review
to assess the effects of probiotics and antibiotics on the diversity and composition of the human gut microbiota.
The review, written by researchers from the Tecnológico de Monterrey School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the University of Texas and Texas Christian University, assessed trends
in 29 studies published over the past seven years.

The authors found that taking probiotics at the same time as antibiotics prevented or reduced antibiotic-induced changes
in the composition of the gut microbiome.
Probiotics can also help protect species diversity and even restore the number of some friendly bacteria, such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, which reduces inflammation and promotes a healthy gut barrier
.

Dr Elisa Marroquin said: "When participants were given antibiotics, we saw some consistent changes
in some bacterial species.
But when the treatment was combined with probiotics, these changes were mostly less noticeable, and some were stopped altogether
.
Given the currently available human data, there seems to be no reason to refuse the use of probiotics when prescribing antibiotics
.
”

Effect of adding probiotics to an antibiotic intervention on the human gut microbial diversity and composition: A systematic review