As a kid and young adult, I spent years on antibiotics for my skin. I took course after course for month after month and didn’t think anything of it. That was, until I started to pay the consequences. My body was messed up.
When you’re taking antibiotics, you’re often not feeling well. So the last thing you think when getting that prescription from you doctor is that you need to stock up on probiotics. But it’s hella important – let me explain.
Antibiotics and your gut
One of the first thing any antibiotic does is destroy that mean awful invader bacteria in your gut that is making you sick. This is good. Unfortunately, it also completely wipes out the good bacteria protecting your gut. This is very bad.
Because your good bacteria is one of your body’s primary defense systems. Without this good bacteria, the bad bacteria can come back and run freely throughout your body. This is like offensive football players running down a field while the whole defensive team is on stretchers.
And it’s not like your good bacteria just comes back. Once the bad bacteria “gets the ball”, they just keep running over anything in their way. This can lead to things like candida or recurrent yeast intfections, which both come with a myriad of life-disrupting side effects.
So, it’s best to take probiotics while taking your antibiotics. These probiotics give you a fresh supply of good bacteria as the old ones are being destroyed so you’re never without a defense. And while you can grab a probiotic supplement from the drugstore while you’re picking up your prescription, you may opt to just get these beneficial bacteria from food.
So today I want to go over some of the best foods with natural probiotics to eat while you’re on antibiotics. I chose these foods because they’ll likely be comforting while you’re sick. And even if you’re not sick, they’re just generally good. And these probiotic foods are great for supplying those beneficial bacteria your body needs.
Miso
If you’ve never made your own miso soup, now is the time to get started. It’s so easy to make. And miso is a fermented food so it’s chock full of healthy bacteria for your gut.
Keep in mind, miso is made from soybeans. As with any other type of soy, organic is best. That’s because so much of the non-organic soybean crops have been genetically modified. And obviously stay away if you’re allergic.
Miso soup is so easy to make from miso paste. And even if you don’t want to make a traditional soup, you can always make an easy broth. Or if soup isn’t your thing, use it in any of your Asian food recipes. As far as probiotic foods go, this is a great one for sick days.
Hikari Organic Miso Paste, White
Almond Milk Yogurt
Yogurt’s the first thing people often turn to when they’re looking to bulk up on probiotics. But what happens if you’re on antibiotics due to something like a sinus infection? You don’t want to eat dairy – that’ll be a mucus nightmare.
But there is an easy way to get the fermented goodness of yogurt without the dairy. That’s by choosing non-dairy yogurt. The tastes are somewhat similar. Plain almond milk yogurt is just a little bit sweeter and less tart tasting. But definitely a great fermented substitute.
Just a note: I for sure recommend plain over sweetened yogurt if you’re battling any kind of illness or infection. Sugar depresses your immune system. Add fresh fruit to plain yogurt instead or throw it in a fruit and vegetable smoothie.
365 Everyday Value Almondmilk Unsweetened Non-Dairy Yogurt
Kefir
Sometimes when you’re feeling under the weather, you can’t think of eating. And so probiotic foods might seem out of the question. But not so fast.
Kefir is great because it’s all the goodness of yogurt, but in a drinkable format. This is great for those days when you can’t stomach eating. Choose low-fat dairy options when you’re needing some protein. But choose vegan kefir options when you’re congested or otherwise avoiding dairy.
Wallaby Organic, Low Fat Kefir, Plain
Kombucha
While we’re on the topic of probiotic foods that are drinkable, let’s talk about kombucha. The good thing is that you can find it anywhere. Kombucha is super trendy right now.
The downside to kombucha is that it is so often sweetened. Again, you don’t want sugar while fighting any infection. My favorite fermented beverage is Kevita. This isn’t technically kombucha. But it’s similar style fermented drink with most of the options sweetened by stevia alone.
But here’s the good news. Kombucha is a satisfying drink that’s full of good, healthy bacteria. So it’s one of those probiotics foods that is perfect for when you’re taking antibiotics.
KeVita Sparkling Probiotic Drink
So these are my favorite probiotic foods to take with antibiotics. They’re most likely to appeal to you when under the weather. They’re great sources of fermented foods and healthy bacteria. And they’re really easy to eat.
But don’t forget, if these four aren’t your cup of tea, there are many other fermented foods from which to choose. Think tempeh, kimchi, sauerkraut, and natto. These are all overflowing with healthy bacteria that will do your gut good.
It honestly does matter which probiotics foods you choose. Or whether you choose probiotic foods or a supplement. The most important thing is that you build your reserves of these beneficial bacteria when taking antibiotics.
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There you go again, Erica, teaching me about something I never would have thought I needed to know! I have a great doctor, but am still surprised by the things that I think maybe she ought to be telling me. This is on the list, although I hope it is a long time before I need antibiotics again.