Replenish Gut Flora: Options Beyond Fecal Transplant

[wywong]

Antibiotics often killed off good bacteria species in our guts. Are there any ways to replenish them, other than the unpleasant fecal transplant procedure?

A search on this topic mostly return recommendations on healthy diet and probiotics. I reckon these can only help surviving species, and those species that have been eradicated are gone for good. Or could their kin somehow re-colonize our guts?

Some suggest soil-based organisms, but I am unable to find any supporting scientific evidence.

 

[Evo]

You can take capsules of bacteria, which in the US can be obtained from your pharmacist without a prescription. But, as always, ask your doctor before self treating since they know your history.

 

[wywong]

Do you mean those sold as probiotics? My understanding is that those bacteria strains are transient in our gut; they don't colonize. For example

The investigators showed that the probiotic product did not change the gut's overall bacterial composition, but instead altered gene expression patterns relevant to carbohydrate metabolism in the host's resident gut microbes.[14] These changes in the human fecal "metatranscriptome" were transient, confined only to the time of the probiotic consumption. Thus, if sustained benefit from a probiotic is desired, continued consumption is likely required.

from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/770468_3

Also those probiotics often contain only a few strains, which do not seem enough to make up the loss of the microbiome.

 

[Evo]

Your link doesn't work for me.

The type I took worked for me and the antibiotic I was on was meant to completely wipe out my bacteria, because I had an infection that would not go away, so I had to take the capsules daily, it was a 30 day course, like I said, talk to your doctor. This thread is closed as we cannot go into anything more specific.

Here is an explanation of when fecal transplantation would be considered.

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/gast...advanced_endoscopy/fecal_transplantation.html