Antibiotics and Weight Gain: Is There a Link?

It is a common fact that farmers use antibiotics to bulk up their livestock, so it is not a stretch to theorize that antibiotics may cause us to gain a little weight when we take them. While it may be purely coincidence, the states with the highest rate of antibiotic use also seem to have the highest incidence of obesity. Here we will examine the reasons why it is believed that antibiotics could possibly cause weight gain.

Kills Off Heliobacter Pylori

This dominant stomach microbe, more commonly known as H. pylori, is a bug that when killed off alters how the stomach works in a significant way. These changes may "trick" the body into eating too much.

Increasing Hunger Hormones

Under normal circumstances, leptin and ghrelin - the hunger hormones - let us know that we are full. However, when H. pylori is killed off by antibiotics, studies have shown that both ghrelin and leptin rise. This means that a person will not have any good indicator of when he or she is full so he or she will overeat unintentionally.

Taking Antibiotics Responsibly

First, antibiotics are for bacterial infections. This means that taking them for anything viral, like the flu, will be of no benefit to you. You should avoid taking antibiotics unless you actually need them. Taking antibiotics when you do not actually have a bacterial infection may lead to the issues above as well as drug resistance which can lead to further and possible serious issues.

Does This Mean I Should Not Takes Antibiotics?

Of course not. However, it does mean that you should question when and what you take and make sure to be an advocate in your own healthcare. For example, if your doctor seems to want to prescribe an antibiotic every time you have sniffle, it is definitely time to question him or her and probably time to get a new doctor.

So, to prevent gaining weight due to antibiotics, simply take them only when needed. If for some reason you need to be on antibiotics long-term - such as for a condition like Lyme disease - talk to your doctor about ways to help prevent weight gain. Of course, healthy eating and exercise will be beneficial, but your doctor may also be able to recommend ways to help slow down how much healthy bacteria in your digestive tract is harmed, such as eating foods that promote healthy bacteria.

Resources

Huffington Post: Do Antibiotics Make People Fat?