Table of contents:
- The best food to eat while taking antibiotics
- 1. Food sources of probiotics
- 2. Food sources of prebiotics
- 3. Foods rich in vitamin K
- Keep eating well after the medicine runs out
Perhaps you have been thinking that taking antibiotics alone is enough to make a speedy recovery. In fact, this is not the case. What you eat while on treatment can help speed up the healing process. Moreover, antibiotics are also risky for causing various side effects of digestive problems, such as diarrhea, nausea, to flatulence which makes activities uncomfortable.
Well, below are the best food choices to speed up recovery while reducing the side effects of drugs, which you can eat during and after taking antibiotics until they run out.
The best food to eat while taking antibiotics
Antibiotics work against bacteria in the body. However, antibiotic drug substances cannot distinguish between good and bad bacteria (disease-causing). All will be eradicated indiscriminately.
In fact, there are millions of good bacteria in our intestines whose job it is to maintain the body's immune system to fight infection. The good bacteria work to protect the lining of the intestine and help improve the performance of the intestines in absorbing nutrients from food, which in turn helps strengthen the immune system.
Unfortunately, antibiotics will also kill most of the good bacteria in our body. That's why the body's stamina can quickly decrease during and after taking antibiotics. Well, some of these foods can help you increase the levels of good bacteria in your intestines naturally.
1. Food sources of probiotics
Probiotics are good bacteria that are usually found in fermented foods. For example, yogurt, tempeh, kefir milk, and kimchi.
Apart from increasing endurance, probiotics can also help reduce some of the side effects of antibiotics such as flatulence and diarrhea. Several studies have shown that taking probiotics is very effective at reducing the risk of diarrhea due to the side effects of antibiotics.
But remember: because antibiotics can kill good bacteria, don't eat probiotic sources immediately after taking antibiotics. Give a break of at least two hours after taking antibiotics to eat probiotics.
2. Food sources of prebiotics
Prebiotics are a type of fiber that is not easily digested, which is widely found in your daily diet. Prebiotics are food for probiotics so that they can continue to reproduce in the body. The more good bacteria there are in your intestines, the easier it is for the body to fight disease.
Some examples of foods high in prebiotics are onions, garlic, and bananas. Some processed foods such as yogurt, baby formula, cereals, and bread have also been added (fortified) prebiotics in the process of making them.
On food packaging labels, prebiotics usually appear with the names:
- Galactooligosaccharides (GOS)
- fructooligosaccharides (FOS)
- Oligofructose (OF)
- Chicory fiber
- Inulin
But remember: prebiotics are fiber. If you eat too much, you can experience bloating. So, add the prebiotic food slowly and in small increments while you are taking antibiotics.
3. Foods rich in vitamin K
Vitamin K deficiency can be a side effect of taking antibiotics. The reason is, several types of good bacteria produce vitamin K which the body needs to help the blood clotting process.
To reduce the side effects of this antibiotic, you can eat more cabbage, spinach, green radish, and mustard greens during and after treatment.
Keep eating well after the medicine runs out
Even though the antibiotics have run out, it's a good idea to keep on routine the foods above to balance the levels of good bacteria in the intestines as before.
Also add fibrous food afterwards. Fiber can stimulate the growth of good bacteria in the intestine to restore its balance to normal. Fiber-rich foods include bananas, berries, peas, broccoli, nuts and whole grains.
