Increase fermented food intake during and after the course

What to Do

Add 2-3 servings of fermented foods daily during your antibiotic course and for 2-4 weeks afterward. Prioritize kefir, yogurt with live cultures, and unpasteurized sauerkraut.

Why It Works

Fermented foods provide live microorganisms in a food matrix that may support gut function during antibiotic disruption. Unlike concentrated probiotic supplements (which the Weizmann Institute found can delay recolonization), fermented foods deliver organisms alongside prebiotics, organic acids, and other metabolites that support a broader recovery environment.

Tips

• Space fermented food intake at least 2 hours away from your antibiotic dose when possible
• Kefir's 30+ strain diversity makes it a particularly good choice during recovery
• Continue for several weeks after the course ends — full microbiome recovery can take months
• This approach has fewer concerns about delayed recovery than concentrated probiotic supplements