Antibiotics and Bowel Flora
The word Antibiotic is constructed from Greek words anti, which
means "against" and bios, meaning "life", is a phrase used to
describe an antibacterial substance made from micro-organisms,
all though nowadays most are made synthetically. Antibiotics
inhibit the growth or destroy other micro-organisms; penicillin,
cephalosporin, amino-glycosides, streptomycin and tetracycline
are all examples of common antibiotics. Penicillin is the
largest group of antibiotics to be used in modern clinical
medicine. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics has caused a lot of
bacteria to become immune to them. This is why nowadays many
hospitals are having problems in combating strains of bacteria
such as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, other wise
known as MRSA.
There is estimated to be around three hundred different strains
of bacteria in the gut, a large number of these are vital for a
healthy gut and therefore a healthy body. These bacteria shield
the human body from dangerous organisms, harmful bacteria and
viruses. Antibiotics being "against life" wipe out all bacteria
in the gut, whether they are bad or good. Different forms of
antibiotics are more toxic to bowel flora than others;
penicillin is not as toxic as the other broad spectrum of
antibiotics which seem to upset the ecology of the gut in a
major way. When the antibiotics kill the bacteria within the gut
it leaves the intestinal wall exposed to unprocessed food
components and irritants that inflame and leave the intestinal
wall raw. The raw and irritated bowel then expels its content
quickly as diarrhoea, the diarrhoea is produced because the
irritated bowel moves its contents through quickly and jerkily
which results in the water contents not being removed properly
thus causing watery stools - diarrhoea. In research, it has been
found that if antibiotics are used for a long time and at a high
dosage, then unfriendly bacteria such as candida albicans has a
chance to grow and colonise the bowel. Candida albicans is a
yeast like organism whose growth is speeded up by eating sugary
foods, including fruit. Candida albicans can cause many health
problems over time. This damage of the bowel flora by
antibiotics can be severe in people who already have compromised
health. Recent research has shown that individuals who have
taken a course of antibiotics had lower serum concentrations of
enterolactone up to 16 months post-antibiotic use. This is
particularly interesting because high serum enterlactone
concentrations have been clinically shown to protect against
cardiovascular mortality and breast cancer. This research has
shown that antibiotic use has more damaging effects than first
thought.
In the case of colitis, antibiotics can be of help. Sulphur
antibiotics seem to destroy the bacteria which cause the bowel
inflammation in colitis which will temporally slow down the
diarrhoea. However, there are more natural ways to relieve the
symptoms of colitis and by taking antibiotics it will probably
cause more problems than it solves.
Antibiotic use has shown to promote the growth of
already-present micro-organisms such as fungi and Clostridium
difficile, it decrease short-chain fatty acids that play a
essential part in the electrolyte and water absorption in the
large intestine, it increases the susceptibility to intestinal
pathogens caused by the weakening in colonization resistance and
it decreases the effect of phytoestrogen-rich foods and some
medical herbs as they are reliant on the presents of bacterial
enzymes produced by intestinal flora.
Hence, antibiotics should be used sparingly and in small doses
as not to upset the delicate bowel flora.
Bowel flora represents an ecosystem of the highest complexity,
the micro flora is thought to be made up of over fifty genera of
bacteria which accounts for over five hundred different species.
The human gastrointestinal tract is believed to contain 10
micro-organisms; this is estimated to weigh 1-1.5kg. Bowel flora
is important because it keeps the colon clean and keeps the
"unfriendly" bacteria in check. It helps to create a balance
that reduces fermentation and putrefaction which create gas and
bad odours. It is estimated that the correct balance of bacteria
in the gut is fifteen percent bad bacteria and eighty five per
cent friendly bacteria to create a healthy colon.
If an individual's bowel flora is compromised in any way then
their health will drastically change as the bowel flora plays
numerous special roles within the body. The bowel flora is
involved in the synthesis of vitamins especially the B group of
vitamins and vitamin K which is absorbed by the body, in the
stimulation of the immune system, enhancement of the
gastrointestinal tract function and motality, the absorption of
nutrients and digestion, the stopping of pathogens (colonization
resistance), plant compounds and drug metabolism and the
production of polyamines and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
Bowel flora can stop the infection of intestinal parasites such
as intestinal worms. Intestinal parasites thrive in unclean
condition in the colon by lodging themselves in the old
encrusted matter that sticks to the intestinal wall in a filthy
bowel. Without having this stagnant material parasites would
have no place to colonize and would expelled straight out.
Having friendly bowel flora would keep the bowel clean which in
tern would keep parasites at bay.
The condition of autointoxication, which is were the body
literally poisons itself by having decaying matter that gives of
poisons within the bowel, can be averted by having friendly
bowel flora which as mentioned before would keep the bowel clean
and prevent autointoxication from beginning in the first place.
In conclusion, many chronic degenerative diseases are
contributed to by the changes in bowel flora and its processes.
Taking a high dosage of antibiotics for a long period of time
will have a profound effect on the healthy functioning of the
bowel flora, limiting its ability to keep a healthy large
intestine and thus a healthy body. To keep a healthy bowel and
thus a healthy body it is wise to use antibiotics sparingly and
for a short period of time, take probiotics, eat plenty of fibre
preferably in raw plant form and drink lots of mineral water.