While antibiotics help rid us of infections, they do not distinguish between beneficial and pathogenic bacteria and their use significantly alters the intestinal flora. By reducing the population of pro-digestive bacteria and disrupting normal digestive processes, antibiotic treatments can cause diarrhea even without the presence of a secondary infection. Studies show that over 30% of the cases of adult-onset diarrhea are caused by infections and antibiotics¹.

When the intestinal flora is reduced, an important first line of defence against infection is compromised, increasing the body’s vulnerability to secondary infections that can cause antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD), a potentially life-threatening condition. Antibiotic-associated diarrhea is the most prevalent secondary effect of hospital treatment, afflicting up to 39% of hospital patients on antibiotics. The most serious incidences of AAD are due to an overgrowth of C. difficile: a bacterium that flourishes when the intestinal flora is eradicated and is also highly resistant to most antibiotics. The resulting illness is known as C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD). The elderly, as well as those with compromised immune systems, are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of contracting antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and it has a high rate of recurrence.

While antibiotic-associated diarrhea includes depletion of the microflora, consuming probiotics contributes to its maintenance and renewal. Probiotic bacteria also reinforce the mucosal barrier lining the intestine and deter pathogenic bacteria from multiplying by adhering temporarily to the walls of the intestine to compete for space and the nutrients found there. In addition, lactic bacteria, particularly L. acidophilus and L. casei, produce hydrogen peroxide, lactic and organic acids, and natural antimicrobial substances called bacteriocins, all of which can inhibit the growth of infectious agents² and may also alter bacterial production of toxins.

Probiotics have been shown in some studies to reduce the duration period of acute diarrhea. A lot of hospitals are frequently use Bio-K+^® products to promote digestive health of their patients. Bio-K+^® is the No1 probiotic recommended by physicians³.

• 1. Gerding DN. Clindamycin, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, and Clostridium difficle-associated diarrhea: this is an antimicrobial resistance problem. Clin Infect Dis. 2004;38:646-648.
• 2. Penna, FJ et al. Up to date clinical and experimental basis for the use of probiotics. J Pediatr. 2000:76 (suppl): 209-217.
• 3. Medical Post., May 2010