Breaking myths – it's quick and easy to fully rebuild your gut microbiome after taking antibiotcs

Your gut will bounce back after antibiotics . Just take some probiotics.

Clients often tell me this is what their doctors, including some functional ones, are telling them. Sometimes before definitive testing is done or results returned.

Studies show it can take 6 months to 2 years to restore microbiome diversity — and in some cases, key species may never return.

Even more surprising? Taking generic probiotics straight after antibiotics can delay recovery, crowding out your native microbes rather than helping them grow back.

Keystone species like Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Akkermansia, Roseburia and Bacteroidites — which protect your gut lining, promote immunity and regulate inflammation — are especially vulnerable. Lose them, and your gut’s whole ecosystem suffers . Some never return.

True recovery takes strategy, nourishment, and time — not just popping a probiotic.