We have grown up hearing about the accidental discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming. The discovery of the first natural antibiotic has transformed the course of medicine. Following the discovery of penicillin hundreds of antibiotics were widely used to treat infections for hundreds of years.
Antibiotic resistance- end of the antibiotic era
Antibiotic markets witnessed an exponential expansion in a shorter time span and resulted in unforeseen consequences. This unregulated growth gave rise to the biggest problem of the medical world known as antibiotic resistance. The term “antibiotic resistance” refers to the state when an antibiotic no longer remains effective against the targeted microbial agents.
What will you do if an antibiotic will fail to relieve your throat infection? The problem initially went unrecognized however, several clinical observations lead to the conclusion that antibiotic resistance was a thing. Unfortunately, prevailing resistance put the antibiotic era to an end!
What resulted in antibiotic resistance?
Antibiotic resistance sounds like a nightmare and it’s no less than truth. I remember this case when a doctor friend of mine was telling me about one of the patients. A diabetic patient was suffering seemingly incurable feet ulceration. She went to some of the best doctors in Karachi and was diagnosed with a severe multidrug-resistant bacterial infection.
While talking about the causes, some of the common reasons behind antibiotic resistance are;
1- Over usage of antibiotics
2- Lack of new researches on the discovery of new antibiotic
3- Poor infection control
4- Poor hygiene and sanitation facilities
Probiotics- a solution to antibiotic resistance
Once known as the miracle drugs, the antibiotics are no longer effective against the infections. While the problem of antibiotic resistance is massively growing, health experts are looking for alternatives to these antibiotics. Scientists started looking for other types of antimicrobial agents active against infectious bacterial or fungal strain. Among all other agents, probiotics seemed like the light at the end of the tunnel.
Probiotics are basically the living microorganisms that help to combat the harmful microbes. These natural microbes can help to boost your immunity in general. Despite all the benefits of probiotics, there are few things everyone should know before starting probiotics. These include;
1- Probiotics can affect your natural microbiome
Millions of bacteria reside in our bodies naturally that account for our natural microbiome. These gut bacteria are just as unique as our fingerprints and play a key role in determining our immune health as well as are responsible for normal functioning of our digestive system. Probiotic supplements can help to improve our gut microbiome and ensure a healthier digestive system.
2- You don’t really need probiotics
This is one of the commonly said things we all hear that if you are healthy you do need probiotics. However, this isn’t true because several factors can affect the performance of our natural gut microbes. So, a high-quality probiotic supplement can help our body to restore the lost gut microbes and improve its efficiency.
3- You can get enough probiotics from food
No doubts that several foods, particularly fermented dairy products are good sources of natural probiotics. But there are several problems with these probiotics. The bacteria present in these products might not be fully functional or are of animal origin that isn’t beneficial for the human body. Therefore, you can’t just rely on dietary sources of probiotics and depending upon your health you may need a probiotic supplement.
4- All probiotics are not the same
Let me tell you that once my physician at Ali medical center Karachi asked me to take probiotics. So, I just went to the store and I randomly picked one from them. But as I happened to consume them on a routine basis my symptoms were not vanishing. I went to the physician who revealed that all the actual problems that all probiotics are not the same.
Yes, you hear it right, every probiotic contains a particular bacterial strain bound to perform a specific function. So, we can’t generalize the probiotics for different issues and the efficacy of a particular product depends upon several factors.
5- More CFU means better probiotic
CFU count basically refers to the viable bacteria present in a probiotic. But it doesn’t mean that more bacteria in a probiotic means it will perform better. The right amount of bacteria and the right combination is more important than the number of bacteria.
Conclusion
Probiotics are an alternative to antimicrobial resistance and offer numerous health benefits. However, seeking your physician recommendation is important for making an informed decision regarding the choice of prebiotics.