Antibiotics & Gut Health - How to Restore Gut Health After Antibiotic Use

Antibiotics are often necessary for treating bacterial infections and can be crucial for certain aspects of our health but they do come at the price of disrupting the balance of our gut microbiome and can lead to a range of side effects. If you’ve recently finished a round of antibiotics and are now dealing with symptoms like bloating, fatigue, or new food sensitivities, you’re not alone, so let’s break down what happens inside your gut when you take antibiotics and the best ways to support it. 

How Antibiotics Impact Your Gut Health

Antibiotics don’t just eliminate the harmful bacteria behind an infection, they also wipe out the beneficial microbes that support a healthy, balanced gut. This disruption can decrease microbial diversity, compromise the gut lining (leading to what's often called “leaky gut”), and create an environment where yeast or other opportunistic organisms can overgrow. This ripple effect can impact everything from digestion and immunity to your mood and energy levels.

How to Support Your Gut After Antibiotics

1. Focus on a Whole, Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Now more than ever, your gut needs nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods to help repair the lining of your intestines and support the regrowth of beneficial bacteria. In your diet, try to prioritize foods like;

• Colorful veggies and fruits for antioxidants and fiber

• Bone broth and collagen-rich foods to help soothe and rebuild the gut lining

• Omega-3s from wild-caught fish, chia, flax, and walnuts to combat inflammation

• Fermented foods (like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, and miso) to gently reintroduce probiotics—just go slow if your gut is sensitive

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2. Replenish with Probiotics (Strategically)

While probiotics can be incredibly helpful post-antibiotics, not all are created equal. After antibiotics, your gut is in a vulnerable state, many of the beneficial bacteria have been wiped out, and harmful microbes or yeast have more room to grow. That’s why it’s important to choose a high-quality, multi-strain probiotic that can help restore microbial diversity and rebalance your gut environment.

Look for a probiotic supplement that contains clinically studied strains known to support gut recovery after antibiotics. Two standout strains include Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, which has been shown to reduce the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and support immune function, and Saccharomyces boulardii, a beneficial yeast that can help inhibit the growth of Candida and other opportunistic pathogens while protecting the integrity of the gut lining.

When introducing probiotics, start slow and monitor how your body responds, especially if you’re dealing with gut sensitivity or ongoing symptoms. Click here to access my online dispensary & my favourite probiotic supplements.

3. Feed your Guts Good Bacteria with Prebiotics

Once probiotics are reintroduced, we need to feed them! Prebiotic fibers act as food for beneficial microbes to help them thrive. Here are some amazing prebiotic rich foods to include in your diet;

• Cooked and cooled potatoes or rice (rich in resistant starch)

• Green bananas or plantains

• Asparagus, leeks, onions, and garlic

• Chicory root and Jerusalem artichokes

If you’re prone to bloating or gas, introduce these into your diet slowly 

4. Support Your Gut Lining

As we know, antibiotics can increase gut permeability, leading to “leaky gut” so adding in gut-healing nutrients can be incredibly helpful:

• L-glutamine: an amino acid that helps repair the intestinal lining

• Zinc carnosine: supports mucosal integrity

• Aloe vera and deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL): calm inflammation and soothe irritation

5. Avoid Gut Disruptors

During this healing window, it's especially important to avoid things that can further disrupt your gut and slow the recovery process. After antibiotics, your gut is already in a delicate state—your beneficial bacteria have been reduced, your gut lining may be compromised, and your immune defenses are temporarily lowered. To give your gut the best chance at healing, try to minimize the following:

• Processed foods and refined sugars, which can feed the wrong microbes

• Alcohol, which increases gut permeability

• NSAIDs (like ibuprofen), which can be hard on the gut lining

• Excess caffeine, which can be irritating if the gut is inflamed

Consider Functional Stool Testing

If your symptoms persist beyond a few weeks, it may be time to dig deeper. A comprehensive stool test like the GI-MAP can show what’s really going on, whether it’s a lingering imbalance, yeast overgrowth, or inflammation, and provide you a clear picture into your gut microbiome. 

Antibiotics are sometimes necessary, but they don’t come without consequences. With the right support, your gut can bounce back, often even stronger than before. If

you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to begin, working with a practitioner that specializes in gut health (like myself) can make a world of difference. Your microbiome is resilient. Let’s give it the support it needs to thrive again. Book a free no obligation discovery call to learn mote and find the right program for you