Antibiotics, Probiotics, Obesity, and Allergies
A recent article on ABC News, Antibiotics Could be Driving Up Obesity discusses a topic highlighted by Dr. Greg Sharon in our latest allergist interview.
We've discussed the hygiene hypothesis before: the theory, simply stated, that posits that the cleaner we become as a society, the more we're prone to react to "invaders" that aren't actually threats to our bodies – specifically allergens.
This cleanliness to the point that it actually hurts us is at play in the case of the overuse of antibiotics, which wipe out not only harmful bacteria, but also the helpful or "good" bacteria as well. As the ABC News article puts it, "Sure, the pills can wipe out bad bacteria. But they also kill the good stuff. On top of fueling a rise in antibiotic-resistant superbugs, they could be permanently changing the gut environment — a feat some experts fear might be making us fat."
Dr. Martin Blaser of New York University Langone Medical Center studies the effects of antibiotics on Helicobacter pylori, the very bacteria mentioned by Dr. Sharon in the Allergy Consumer Report this month. This bacterium lives without harming most individuals, but does cause ulcers in some. Doctors treat with antibiotics frequently – and this changes the way the stomach works.
Specifically, "antibiotics for H. pylori trick the body into eating more by disrupting hunger hormone levels. Indeed, mice given antibiotics get fatter than their untreated counterparts despite having the same diet."
As we've discussed in the past, these kinds of changes in gut bacteria may also contribute to the rise in asthma, allergies, and related conditions. Avoiding antibiotics unless absolutely necessary and taking probiotics supplements (especially when antibiotics are taken but even if they aren't) are two ways to avoid the problems caused by not enough good bacteria.
We've discussed the hygiene hypothesis before: the theory, simply stated, that posits that the cleaner we become as a society, the more we're prone to react to "invaders" that aren't actually threats to our bodies – specifically allergens.
This cleanliness to the point that it actually hurts us is at play in the case of the overuse of antibiotics, which wipe out not only harmful bacteria, but also the helpful or "good" bacteria as well. As the ABC News article puts it, "Sure, the pills can wipe out bad bacteria. But they also kill the good stuff. On top of fueling a rise in antibiotic-resistant superbugs, they could be permanently changing the gut environment — a feat some experts fear might be making us fat."
Dr. Martin Blaser of New York University Langone Medical Center studies the effects of antibiotics on Helicobacter pylori, the very bacteria mentioned by Dr. Sharon in the Allergy Consumer Report this month. This bacterium lives without harming most individuals, but does cause ulcers in some. Doctors treat with antibiotics frequently – and this changes the way the stomach works.
Specifically, "antibiotics for H. pylori trick the body into eating more by disrupting hunger hormone levels. Indeed, mice given antibiotics get fatter than their untreated counterparts despite having the same diet."
As we've discussed in the past, these kinds of changes in gut bacteria may also contribute to the rise in asthma, allergies, and related conditions. Avoiding antibiotics unless absolutely necessary and taking probiotics supplements (especially when antibiotics are taken but even if they aren't) are two ways to avoid the problems caused by not enough good bacteria.
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