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I’m a dietitian, not a gardener. Instead of tending to flower beds, I take great pride in cultivating a rich and diverse gut microbiome. So when I received the news that a round of antibiotics was the best path forward for a recent health concern, I knew it was time to double down on tactics to protect my microbiome from the impending storm. 

Because while necessary and life-saving in some cases, antibiotics can wreak havoc on gut health by killing off both bad and good bacteria. Luckily, several science-backed dietary changes can help support gut health during and after a round of them. Here are the steps I’m taking to (hopefully) minimize the damage to my gut over the next several weeks. 

I admittedly fell off my probiotic routine in the last year, so these antibiotics were truly the motivation I needed to add that healthful habit back. And fortunately, I found a new favorite. 

A trick with taking probiotics alongside antibiotics is that you don’t want the antibiotic to immediately kill off all the good bacteria you are ingesting. 

So I followed gut health expert Vincent Pedre, M.D. recommendation and now take my probiotic (featuring a variety of bacteria strains) separate from my antibiotics. For me, that means taking it on an empty stomach before lunch.

This probiotic has definitely found a permanent home in my daily routine, but it’s especially important now and in the coming weeks and months as my gut recovers. 

Fermented foods also contain a bevy of beneficial microorganisms. They are a great complement to probiotics (which deliver targeted strains in science-backed doses) because they can also help broaden the diversity of good bugs1 in my gut. 

The fermented foods I reach for most frequently are yogurt and kefir. They’re super easy to incorporate into breakfasts (like my go-to yogurt bowl) or smoothies, which I now eat daily. 

I’ve also added tempeh (a fermented soy product), into my weekly rotation. I’ll use it in place of animal proteins in stir-fries or mixed in salads. It does double duty not only offering probiotics but also a healthy amount of plant-based protein in each three-ounce serving (16 grams2!). 

Probiotics and fermented foods help add good bacteria to the gut, and prebiotic fibers are essential for nourishing the good bacteria already in your gut and producing short-chain fatty acids.

Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and lentils have fiber in them, but they don’t all have prebiotic capabilities.   

Chia seeds and oats do though, so I’ve been making this oats recipe that boasts almost 20 grams of fiber!

And for the first time ever, I also turned to a specialized fiber supplement (chock-full of prebiotics) for further support. Bonus points because it also helps keep me full. So this is another addition that will be sticking around for the long haul.  

Polyphenols are a class of phytonutrients (beneficial compounds found in plants) that are especially important for gut health. 

These polyphenols not only act as antioxidants in the body (helping to quell inflammation), but they also promote the growth of good bacteria3 in the gut and interact with microbes to produce short-chain fatty acids. 

Foods especially rich in polyphenols include berries, olive oil, chia seeds (what can’t these tiny seeds do?), and walnuts.

The takeaway

Antibiotics aren’t the end-all-be-all for gut health. Adding more probiotics, fermented foods, prebiotics, and polyphenol-rich foods to your routine can all help restore the integrity of your gut microbiome following medication. 

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