Probiotics may reduce our antibiotic use

Good news for kefir, kombucha and kraut consumers – researchers have concluded that using probiotics is linked to a reduced need for antibiotic treatment.

After reviewing the results of numerous studies, researchers found that infants and children were 29% less likely to have been prescribed antibiotics if they had received probiotics as a daily health supplement. After repeating this analysis using only the highest-quality studies, this figure rose to 53%.

Although the findings were from studies on children, the researchers believe using probiotics on a regular basis may be a solution to reducing antibiotic use. The study’s lead author, Sarah King, PhD, says: “More studies are needed in all ages […] to see if sustained probiotic use is connected to an overall reduction in antibiotic prescriptions. If so, this could potentially have a huge impact on the use of probiotics in general medicine.”

The probiotics used in the reviewed studies were strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium which we can acquire from probiotic foods and supplements – they’re certainly worth a try!

Loved this? Read on here:

• How to make your own kefir at home
• How our gut health is linked to our immunity