Scott Keatley MPPD | RD | CDN | FAND

Antibiotics can temporarily thin out the gut ecosystem. I explained how, during that vulnerable period, simple sugars may give some surviving bacteria an advantage and reduce microbial diversity.

The study involved hospitalized cancer patients, so the size and duration of the effect in otherwise healthy people remain uncertain. A practical approach is to be mindful of added sugars during antibiotic treatment without cutting out whole fruit, plain dairy, or carbohydrates that still provide useful nutrition.