Best Probiotic Yogurts to Eat While Taking Antibiotics

Choosing the Best Yogurts for Your Gut Health While Taking Antibiotics

Antibiotics are powerful medications that fight bacterial infections. However, they can also damage the healthy bacteria in your gut, leading to diarrhea and other digestive issues. Eating yogurt with live cultures may help prevent these side effects and support your microbiome.

Not all yogurts are created equal when it comes to probiotics. The amount and types of cultures can vary widely. By choosing yogurts wisely and adding other gut-healthy foods to your diet, you can maintain your digestive health while taking a course of antibiotics.

How Antibiotics Disrupt Your Gut Bacteria

Your intestines contain trillions of bacteria that play important roles in digestion, nutrient absorption, and immunity. The types of bacteria in your gut are finely balanced. Antibiotics kill off infection-causing bacteria but also reduce the beneficial microbes.

This can allow harmful gut bacteria like Clostridioides difficile to overgrow, causing diarrhea and inflammation. Antibiotics may also change gut permeability, allowing substances to leak from your intestines into your bloodstream and trigger immune reactions.

Eating fermented yogurts containing live probiotic cultures can help counteract these effects by replenishing your gut's bacterial populations. This may prevent or shorten antibiotic-related diarrhea.

Choosing the Most Effective Probiotic Yogurt

With so many yogurt options lining supermarket shelves, how do you know which ones to choose while on antibiotics? Here are some tips for finding the most effective probiotic yogurt for your needs:

1. Check the Live and Active Cultures List

Make sure the yogurt packaging says it contains live and active cultures, not just generic probiotics. The National Yogurt Association seal verifies a yogurt has at least 100 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture.

2. Look for Specific Strains

Yogurts with well-studied probiotic strains like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium offer proven digestive and immune benefits. Saccharomyces boulardii is a yeast strain that may be particularly useful when taking antibiotics.

3. Pick Unflavored Varieties

Added sugars, artificial sweeteners, and fruit flavors could negatively interact with the live cultures. Choose plain or lightly sweetened yogurts.

4. Check the Expiration Date

The probiotic bacteria need to be alive when you consume them. Only buy yogurts that have not expired so the cultures can still provide benefits.

5. Go for Higher Fat Content

Full-fat yogurts allow for better probiotic survival and may boost absorption. Low-fat and non-fat yogurts often have more added sugars too.

The Best Yogurt Brands To Try

Here are some top recommended yogurt brands that are packed with probiotics to help maintain your digestive health during antibiotic treatment:

1. Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt

Chobani checks all the boxes for probiotic yogurt. It's thick and creamy Greek-style, made with just milk and live cultures. No artificial additives are used. It delivers a solid serving of cultures like L. acidophilus, L. casei, and Bifidus.

2. Fage Total Greek Yogurt

Fage Total offers an excellent source of probiotics, with billions of live active cultures per cup. It's exceptionally thick and rich. The whole milk variety provides 5g of gut-healthy fats. Fage is also low in lactose, making it easier to digest.

3. Siggi's Plain Skyr Yogurt

Siggi's skyr has a mild tart flavor and smooth, thick texture. A single serving delivers 40% of your daily calcium needs. It contains the probiotic strains L. acidophilus and Bifidus. The whole milk plain variety has a whopping 11g of protein per serving.

4. Maple Hill Plain Greek Yogurt

Maple Hill's Greek yogurt is made from organic whole milk and contains six live active cultures. It has a rich, indulgent taste and texture. Maple Hill yogurts are certified gluten-free, kosher, and non-GMO. The company uses milk from pasture-raised cows not treated with hormones or antibiotics.

5. Brown Cow Plain Yogurt

Brown Cow offers a budget-friendly option packed with probiotics. Their classic plain yogurt provides a variety of cultures including L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. lactis, and S. thermophilus. It's made from low-fat milk without thickeners or preservatives.

Tips for Adding Probiotic Yogurt to Your Diet

Here are some simple ways to eat probiotic yogurt while taking antibiotics:

• Stir in fresh fruit, almonds, granola, or chia seeds for added nutrition.
• Blend plain yogurt with frozen berries and milk for a smoothie.
• Swirl in a bit of honey or jam for sweetness.
• Use thick Greek yogurt instead of sour cream on baked potatoes.
• Mix yogurt with fresh herbs and spices to make a veggie dip.
• Substitute yogurt for milk when making oatmeal, overnight oats, or pancakes.

Aim for at least one serving of yogurt with live cultures per day while taking antibiotics. Just be sure to space your doses of yogurt and antibiotics a few hours apart for best results.

Complementing Yogurt with Other Gut-Friendly Foods

While yogurt with live probiotic cultures should be your number one food priority, adding some other gut-healthy ingredients to your diet can provide further support:

Fermented Foods

Beyond yogurt, other fermented foods contain beneficial bacteria and yeasts. Try kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh, kombucha, and pickled vegetables.

Prebiotic Foods

Prebiotics provide fuel for probiotic growth. Load up on foods like oats, apples, legumes, asparagus, garlic, onions, bran, and flaxseeds.

Bone Broth

Sipping bone broth provides electrolytes, amino acids, and collagen to heal your gut lining. Opt for organic, pasture-raised varieties whenever possible.

Polyphenol-Rich Foods

Fruits, vegetables, green tea, coffee, and dark chocolate containing polyphenols may help nurture your microbiome. Just don't overdo the chocolate.

Healthy Fats

Omega-3 fats from fatty fish, olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds can help reduce gut inflammation and promote probiotic growth.

Probiotic Yogurt FAQs

How much probiotic yogurt should I eat when taking antibiotics?

Aim for at least 1 serving (5-8oz) of yogurt with active cultures daily. You may benefit from eating yogurt both before you start antibiotics and all throughout your antibiotic course.

Are probiotics safe with antibiotics?

Yes, probiotics from yogurt and other foods are safe to consume with antibiotics. Just make sure to space them out by 2-3 hours to prevent the antibiotics from killing the probiotic bacteria before they can benefit you.

When is the best time to eat yogurt while on antibiotics?

The optimal time is 1-2 hours after taking your dose of antibiotics. This allows the antibiotics to start working while leaving time for the probiotics to boost your gut health.

Are there any risks from eating yogurt with probiotics?

Yogurt is very safe for most people. Those with severe immune deficiency or critically ill patients in hospitals should exercise caution with probiotics. Otherwise, yogurt side effects are rare but can include mild bloating or gas.

The Takeaway

Taking antibiotics can disrupt the natural balance of bacteria in your gut. Eating yogurt with live active cultures may help counteract antibiotic-related diarrhea and support your microbiome. Look for yogurts that list specific probiotic strains like Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. Pair your yogurt with other gut-healthy foods like fermented vegetables, bone broth, and omega-3s for added benefits.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.