Diet has a crucial role in recovery after antibiotic treatment
FacebookTwitterPintrest
Read Also
The modern Western-style diet, which is high in processed foods, red meat, dairy products, and sugar, has a lasting impact on your gut microbiome. This diet, which is low in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, reduces the variety of microbes in the digestive system and the metabolites they produce. As a result, the risk of immune system-related conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease is on the rise more than ever. A new study has now found how this diet can shape the gut microbiome.A study from the University of Chicago looked at the powerful role diet plays in shaping gut microbiome health. The research published in Nature shows how a typical Western diet prevents the gut microbiome from recovering after antibiotic treatment and leaves it susceptible to infection.To understand this, the researchers fed mice a Western-style diet and found that they were not able to rebuild a 'healthy,' diverse gut microbiome following antibiotic treatment. These mice were also more susceptible to infection by pathogens like Salmonella. However, the mice that were fed a diet mimicking a Mediterranean diet, high in plant-based fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, were able to quickly restore a healthy and resilient gut microbiome after antibiotics.'We were really surprised by how dramatically different the recovery process is in the mice on the Western-style diet versus the healthier one,' Megan Kennedy, a student in the Medical Scientist Training Program at UChicago and lead author of the study, said in a statement.Though antibiotics are lifesavers, they wreak havoc in the microbiome of your gut by eliminating both harmful and beneficial bacteria.'The mammalian gut microbiome is like a forest, and when you damage it, it must have a succession of events that occur in a specific order to restore itself to its former health,' Chang said. 'When you are on a Western diet, this does not happen because it doesn't provide the nutrients for the right microbes at the right time to recover. Instead, you end up with a few species that monopolize these resources, and don't set the stage for other organisms that are required for recovery,' Eugene B. Chang, MD, the author, said.They started with mice that were fed with food mimicking a typical Western-style diet (WD) or a diet of regular mouse chow (RC) with diverse sources of plant fiber and low fat. Both groups were then treated with antibiotics. Later, some mice continued the same diet, while some were switched to the other diet. They found that only the mice on the healthy RC diet, either before or after antibiotics, were able to restore a balanced gut microbiome.The study further stresses the fact that eating fruits and vegetables is crucial for your gut health . It demonstrated how diet builds the crucial foundation for a diverse, robust, and resilient gut microbiome. The study also emphasizes how diet can be used as a treatment. Besides promoting overall good health, one potential clinical application is using diet to treat infections in patients following cancer treatment or organ transplants. These patients are often placed on powerful antibiotics and immunosuppressant drugs, which can lead to infections with multidrug-resistant bacteria. Adding more antibiotics would only compound the situation. 'Maybe we can use diet to rebuild the commensal microbes that have been suppressed under these therapies. We can restore the healthy microbiome much quicker and prevent the emergence of more multidrug-resistant organisms,' Chang said.Kennedy suggests that those who have an upcoming surgery should add healthy foods to their diet. 'I've become a believer that food can be medicinal. In fact, I think that food can be prescriptive, because we can ultimately decide what food components are affecting which populations and functions of the gut microbiome,' Chang said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Bobcat takes down 13-foot Burmese python in Florida, experts shocked
Wildlife just threw us a plot twist straight out of National Geographic (or honestly, a Florida-style action movie). In a rare and wild encounter deep in the Everglades, a bobcat took down a massive 13-foot Burmese python, and we're all here for this unexpected comeback story. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It happened near Naples, Florida, in December 2022. Wildlife biologist Ian Bartoszek and his team from the Conservancy of Southwest Florida were tracking a tagged python named Loki—a 52-pound, 13-foot-long "scout snake" used to find breeding female pythons. These snakes are part of a broader effort to control the invasive Burmese python population that's wreaking havoc in Florida's delicate ecosystem. But instead of finding Loki snuggled up with a lady python, Bartoszek stumbled upon a murder scene straight out of CSI: Wildlife Edition. Loki was dead—head gone, neck chewed, and the severed part was buried under pine needles like some kind of ritual. 'We've been following Loki through six breeding seasons. It was kind of sad and exciting at the same time,' Bartoszek said. So what creature could take down a monster snake like that? Bartoszek suspected a bobcat or maybe even a Florida panther. To get answers, he reached out to wild cat expert David Shindle from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and they set up a trail cam. Sure enough, the very next morning, the killer returned—on camera. An adult bobcat casually strolled in to sniff around the scene, probably checking if its midnight snack was still there. And just like that, the mystery was solved. Now here's the cool part: normally, Burmese pythons eat bobcats, not the other way around. But this time, Mother Nature had other plans. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A cold snap had hit the area, which might've left the cold-blooded python too sluggish to defend itself. It was a golden opportunity for the bobcat, and it took it. Bartoszek described it as a win for native predators. 'Score one for the home team,' he said. And honestly, we love to see it. This isn't a one-time fluke either. Bartoszek's team later found another python killed during a cold snap—this time, probably by a black bear. So it looks like native predators are finally figuring out how to fight back against the python invasion. Over time, this could be a game-changer. As Florida's ecosystem fights to rebalance itself, bobcats, bears, and other native animals are learning that pythons can be dinner—not just danger.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Why did Albert Einstein drop out of school at the age of 15? The powerful lesson every student can learn from his exit
Why did Albert Einstein drop out of school at the age of 15? Albert Einstein did not merely drift away from school; he broke from it with the quiet force of a mind unwilling to be shackled. At fifteen, he walked out of Munich's Luitpold Gymnasium–a prestigious secondary school—not in rebellion, but in refusal, a refusal to conform to the rigid, authoritarian machinery of an education system that prized obedience over understanding. It was, in hindsight, the first bold rupture in a life that would come to be defined by its elegant resistance to convention. The boy who would one day upend the known universe with his theory of relativity began by rejecting a far smaller—but no less suffocating—universe, the narrow classroom in which curiosity was subordinate to command. The School That Stifled Genius Luitpold Gymnasium (now Albert-Einstein-Gymnasium) was no ordinary school. It was a bastion of classical Prussian-style education — heavily focussed on rote memorization, strict discipline, and unbending obedience to authority. For the young Einstein, this was not just uninspiring — it was suffocating. Einstein's sister, Maja, later wrote about his inner turmoil. 'The military tone of the school, the systematic training in the worship of authority that was supposed to accustom pupils at an early age to military discipline, was also particularly unpleasant for the boy. He contemplated with dread that not-too-distant moment when he will have to don a soldier's uniform in order to fulfill his military obligations. ' The dread wasn't unfounded. Under German citizenship laws at the time, a male citizen was not allowed to emigrate after age 16 unless he fulfilled his military duty. Failing to do so meant being labeled a deserter. The Smile That Infuriated Authority Einstein's resistance to this environment went beyond quiet discontent — it became a visible defiance. In Subtle is the Lord: The Science and Life of Albert Einstein , author Abraham Pais recounted a striking story from Einstein's classroom days. 'At the Gymnasium a teacher once said to him that he, the teacher, would be much happier if the boy were not in his class. Einstein replied that he had done nothing wrong. The teacher answered, 'Yes, that is true. But you sit there in the back row and smile, and that violates the feeling of respect that a teacher needs from his class,'' he wrote. This wasn't just a matter of behaviour; it was a cultural collision. Einstein's quiet smile, a subtle protest against blind authority, was seen as insubordination in a system where questioning was equated with rebellion. The same teacher had later declared, infamously, that Einstein 'would never get anywhere in life.' A Strategic Escape Einstein, unhappy and increasingly anxious about being conscripted into the military, devised an unusual exit strategy. With help from a sympathetic doctor, he obtained a certificate stating he was suffering from 'mental exhaustion'. Using this as grounds for withdrawal, he left the Gymnasium without a diploma — and without informing most of his teachers. He fled to Italy to rejoin his family, who had moved to Milan months earlier after the collapse of his father's electrical business. He was now, technically, a dropout — but far from defeated. Einstein used his time in Italy to continue self-study, especially in advanced mathematics and physics. Within a year, he applied to the Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich. Although he initially failed the general section of the entrance exam, his exceptional performance in math and physics earned him admission — after completing a year of preparatory schooling in Aarau, Switzerland. A Dropout From Obedience, Not School Einstein's withdrawal from the Luitpold Gymnasium has often been portrayed as an early stumble—a boy disillusioned, a student who could not adjust. But to read it that way is to miss the deeper current shaping his life. This was not retreat; it was realignment. In choosing to walk away from the regimented corridors of a system designed to mold rather than awaken, Einstein took his first deliberate step toward the intellectual independence that would define him. The very atmosphere that sought to contain him—the rote drills, the deference to authority, the absence of curiosity—became the crucible in which his lifelong resistance to conformity was forged. He did not abandon learning. He simply refused to accept that learning must come with submission. In that moment, quietly and without ceremony, Einstein affirmed a principle that would echo through his science and his life: that truth is not handed down by authority—it is discovered by questioning it. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Indian Express
Indie dogs have been around since…
They're everywhere — lounging in the sun, following schoolchildren, tailing street vendors, or curled up by a tea stall. The Indian street dog, affectionately known as the Indie, is one of the most overlooked animals, yet a much intricate part of our history than any Western breeds, having been found in Mohenjo-daro, too. But recently, a unique initiative set out to change that. The Rotary Club of Bombay launched a two-minute awareness film on the plight of Indies, with actor Pooja Bhatt lending her voice to the project. Produced by Nabeel Abbas, Founder and CEO of Epigram, and scripted by Anushree Kandalkar, the short film was a heartfelt appeal to acknowledge the Indie as more than just a street survivor. Ramesh Narayan, who conceived the project, shares: 'Looking around, you will see the Indie on every street. They are as hardy and caring as any breed dog, but they face the daily challenges of scrounging for food and facing extreme heat and the monsoons. It is heart-rending. So I thought we must begin building the Indie brand. More so at a time when everything Indian is now being looked up to. Let's take pride in our homegrown breed… Indies are old, have been around since Mohenjo-daro.' Indeed, a pariah-type dog skull was found at the ancient site of Mohenjo-daro, and similar canines appear in Bhimbetka's prehistoric rock art. The Indie dog was also featured in National Geographic's Search for the First Dog, standing proudly alongside ancient breeds like Israel's Canaan Dog and Australia's Dingo. Don't shop! Adopt an Indie. — Ramesh Narayan (@rameshnarayan) June 4, 2025 Dr Milind Hatekar, Veterinary Surgeon at Pet Aid Pune and Founder of the Asian Foundation of Veterinary Orthopedics and Neurology (AFVON), explained that 'it's a myth that Indie dogs are better than other breeds.' He says: 'In real sense, they have problems of allergies due to a lot of inbreeding. And they may have temperament issues since these dogs like to move and run around freely — and once restricted in flats and confined places, they will have temperament issues.' This doesn't mean Indies shouldn't be adopted — just that they require the same level of care, love and understanding as any other breed. 'They need equal care as compared to non-hairy breeds of dogs. Since they have a genetic pool supporting the weather in India, they do well in summers,' adds Dr Hatekar.
