Many commonly prescribed drugs can affect the health of the Gut microbiome for years after completion of the prescription, a recent study from the University of Tartu Institute of Genomics in Estonia of 2,509 patients, shows.
The study shows…
For many years now we have known that antibiotics have a long-term effect on the health of the gut bacteria, however this study uses real-world medical health records to assess the effect of many other medications. The study looks at blood, buccal swabs (cheek lining swab) and stool samples with the latest metagenomic stool testing methods and with statistical analysis against previous studies, shows very interesting observations. They also note that the more a medication was used the greater the effect, which is an expected result, however less expected is the length of time this effect lasted. Years later there still appears a significant effect. This is an extract from their results ‘our unique data set allowed us to demonstrate that the effect on the microbiome can still be seen years after the last usage of a drug.’
Medications can be an essential part of health treatments, however supporting a return to a healthy microbiome is also essential for all areas of health and can be done alongside prescription drugs.
This study showed that Daizepam or the common brand name Valium and other drugs in this category, which have a calming effect on the central nervous system, can have a similar impact on the microbiome as broad-spectrum antibiotics. They also note that different brands in a group of medications, differed in the extent of their effect on the Gut bacteria.
Other drugs studied were steroids, proton pump inhibitors, beta blockers and anti-depressants with varying effects on the microbiome
Why does this matter
Many, many studies on the microbiome (the collection of all microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and their genes, that naturally live on our bodies and inside us) show we need a rich and diverse array of these clever microbes which interact with our immune system, digestive system and nervous system to influence the health of all areas and functions of our bodies.
As a Nutritionist, I see the impact of medications on the health of these microbial communities and alongside making changes to the diet and nutrient intake, I also use probiotics selectively to help restore a healthy functioning microbiome. These amazing microscopic creatures can make a profound difference, however just like the differences noted above in the effects of medications, so are the nutrient and food requirements and type of probiotic requirements different – no one size fits all people. Probiotic effect vary by strain, dose and health condition. All people have a different life story, genetic blueprint, health history and therefore their individual needs are so variable.
For individualised help for a specific area of health contact :jane@nutritioninnorfolk.co.uk or www.nutritioninnorfolk.co.uk – Phone:07740287458
Reference
Aasmets O, Taba N, Krigul KL, Andreson R, , Org E.2025.A hidden confounder for microbiome studies: medications used years before sample collection. mSystems10:e00541-25.https://doi.org/10.1128/msystems.00541-25
