Drug protects your gut bacteria from antibiotics

摘要

ANTIBIOTICS can save your life, but they can also mess up your microbiome. A formulation of activated charcoal could help, protecting your body from the downsides of antibiotics. Stomach pains and diarrhoea are familiar side effects for many people who take antibiotics. But by messing with the balance of microorganisms in the body, antibiotics may also cause longer-term changes, potentially leading to obesity and allergies. And by killing too many of the good bacteria in your gut, they can make way for harmful and even drug-resistant bacteria, such as C. difficile, which is responsible for around 30,000 deaths a year in the US.