Rebuilding the gut microbiome after antibiotics: what is and isn’t supported by evidence
ca. 28 Minuten
The key points
What changes in the gut after antibiotic treatment has been described. What to do about it has barely been studied. In a study by Palleja and colleagues, the gut microbiome composition was close to its original state again after about six weeks, without any intervention. Nine species were still missing in most participants after 180 days.
This article separates three things that tend to merge into a promise online: what has been observed, what institutions recommend, and what is simply claimed. Every figure is accompanied by an author or institution and a year. Where there is no evidence, that is stated too.
First, you’ll read what the search term actually describes, followed by the signs that mean you should make an appointment before considering any dietary changes. Next come the observed timeline, the question of the treatment itself, three common claims fact-checked, the evidence for probiotics, the chapter on fiber and fermented foods, a comparison of approaches, and the limits.
What to expect in this article
1. What “rebuilding the gut microbiome” describes and what the term promises
2. When symptoms after antibiotics warrant a visit to a doctor
3. What has been observed in the gut after antibiotic treatment
4. Over what period the composition changes
5. Why not to change the prescribed dosage
6. Three common claims and what is actually supported by evidence
7. Probiotics: two questions that are constantly confused
8. Fiber and fermented foods fact-checked
9. What is practically possible in the weeks after antibiotics
10. Three approaches, all called “rebuilding the gut microbiome”
11. What a description of the gut microbiome shows in this situation
12. Who can benefit from a test result now and who cannot
13. Limits: what no one can deliver on this topic
14. What matters in the weeks after antibiotics
Frequently asked questions
Sources
What “rebuilding the gut microbiome” describes and what the term promises
“Rebuilding the gut microbiome after antibiotics” is a search term, not a described process. It assumes two things at once: that something has been damaged and that there is a blueprint for putting it back together. There is no solid basis for either assumption.
What can be described is the composition: which bacterial groups occur in a stool sample, how often they occur, and how diverse the overall picture is. This composition changes during antibiotic treatment, and then changes again afterward. Both have been measured multiple times.
What cannot be described is a target state. There is no recognized target value for the gut microbiome like there is for a blood test. There is no reference range against which a result could be checked, and therefore there is no point at which rebuilding would be complete.
Key takeaway
The composition of the gut flora can be described. There is no defined target state against which it could be assessed.
Why the symptoms after taking antibiotics are still real
If you have bloating, loose stools, or abdominal pressure after taking antibiotics, you’re not imagining it. Diarrhea and nausea are known adverse effects of antibiotic treatment; the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care explicitly lists them in its patient information on antibiotic use (IQWiG, as of 2025).
These symptoms are a reason to take a closer look. They are not proof that a particular measure will make them go away. Several steps lie between “my stomach feels unsettled” and “this capsule will settle it,” and advice articles regularly skip them.
The role this article plays in the gut cluster
This article reviews the evidence surrounding the period after taking antibiotics. If you’re instead interested in which test answers which question about abdominal symptoms, At-home gut test explains this. Microbiome test and health insurance covers the question of cost, Diet for irritable bowel syndrome covers diet for IBS, and Test for leaky gut syndrome covers methods for measuring the intestinal barrier.
When symptoms after antibiotics warrant a visit to a doctor
This chapter deliberately comes first. Some cases of diarrhea after taking antibiotics are caused by a Clostridioides difficile infection, and diet cannot address this infection.
In its guide, the Robert Koch Institute describes the symptoms of this type of infection. It lists watery diarrhea with a characteristically foul odor, as well as pain in the lower abdominal quadrants, often accompanied by fever (Robert Koch Institute, as of 22.01.2025). According to the same guide, blood in the stool is usually found only in very severe cases.
The timing is close. The Robert Koch Institute notes that the interval between prior antibiotic treatment and the onset of symptoms is usually only a few days (Robert Koch Institute, as of 22.01.2025). The guide lists treatments with clindamycin, ampicillin, or cephalosporins as possible triggers, among others.
The four signs you should not wait on
Persistent diarrhea after antibiotic treatment should be assessed by a doctor. Bloody diarrhea should be assessed by a doctor. Fever should be assessed by a doctor. Severe abdominal pain should be assessed by a doctor.
These four signs are no reason to change your diet, no reason to take a supplement, and no reason to place an order. They are a reason to make an appointment. If you notice them, don’t take a test; make an appointment.
Nothing in this article downplays that. Not even the chapters that follow, nor the fact that most abdominal symptoms after antibiotic treatment are harmless.
What was observed in the gut after antibiotic treatment
The most precise description of this process comes from a study of twelve healthy men. A team led by Albert Palleja gave them a combination of three reserve antibiotics for four days and then tracked the composition of their gut microbiota for six months (Palleja et al., Nature Microbiology, 2018).
Two opposing changes were described. First, Enterobacteriaceae and some other groups increased, while Bifidobacteria and butyrate-producing bacteria became less common. Then the picture moved back toward baseline, without the participants taking anything.
Cited source
“The gut microbiota of the subjects recovered to near-baseline composition within 1.5 months, although 9 common species, which were present in all subjects before the treatment, remained undetectable in most of the subjects after 180 days.”
Albert Palleja, Kristian H. Mikkelsen, Sofia K. Forslund, and colleagues
Recovery of gut microbiota of healthy adults following antibiotic exposure, Nature Microbiology, volume 3, pages 1255–1265, 2018
Why “close to baseline” is not the same as “back to normal”
The quoted sentence contains both halves, and the second is often left out when it is quoted. After about a month and a half, the overall composition was once again close to the baseline. Nine species that had been present in all participants beforehand remained below the detection limit in most of them after 180 days.
The study does not say what these nine species mean for an individual person. It describes a change, not a consequence. Anyone who infers a need to act from this is reading something into the findings that the authors did not write.
Four limitations that come with this study
First, there were twelve participants. Twelve healthy young men are not representative of the people searching for this topic after tonsillitis or a urinary tract infection.
Secondly, the treatment was exceptional. Meropenem, gentamicin, and vancomycin are reserve antibiotics and are not prescribed as tablets to take at home. The study describes an intensive intervention, not a typical course of treatment.
Third, the results were compared with each participant’s own baseline. Each participant had a measurement from before, and that was the benchmark. Without it, no one could say whether a later result was close to the starting point or far from it.
Fourth, no one received treatment. The participants were given no medication and no diet plan. What is described there is what happened without intervention.
How long the composition changes
The most common question about this topic is how long it takes. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer because the medication, duration, age, and starting point vary. What we do have are timeframes from individual studies, and the following three all come from the same one.
Three timeframes from a single study
4 days
The twelve participants received a combination of three reserve antibiotics for this long.
1.5 months
After this time, the overall composition was again close to each participant’s baseline.
180 days
By that point, nine species that had previously been present in everyone were no longer detectable in most participants.
Source: Palleja et al., Nature Microbiology, 2018—twelve healthy male participants, not a typical course of treatment
Why these figures aren’t a prediction for you
Three figures from a study of twelve people don’t provide a roadmap. They give an indication of the timeframe: the period observed was weeks to months, not days or years.
This timeframe is still useful because it corrects a common expectation. If you check for changes three days after your last pill, it’s too soon. And if you give up after two weeks without any change, you’re giving up too soon.
Why you shouldn’t change the prescribed medication regimen
One point needs to be stated unequivocally here, because it is the only point in this article where a false statement could cause immediate harm. The prescribing practice—not an advice article or your own gut feeling—decides how long antibiotic treatment lasts.
The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care puts it this way in its patient information on antibiotic use: “Antibiotics should be taken for as long as the doctor has prescribed them.” (IQWiG, as of 03.09.2025)
Anyone who wants to stop taking the medication because of stomach problems should discuss it with the practice that prescribed it. They will decide whether to stop it, switch medications, or continue. That decision does not belong in a blog post, and this article does not make it.
What remains useful while taking the medication
There is still something to do during treatment, but it’s simple: write things down. Which medication, for how long, and what symptoms started on which day. These notes form the basis of every later conversation, and they cost nothing.
Drinking enough fluids and eating easily digestible foods is common advice for diarrhea in general and carries no risk. However, it is not a measure proven to affect the composition of the gut microbiome, and this article makes no recommendations about taking supplements or their dosage.
Three common claims and what the evidence actually shows
Three claims appear in almost every text on this topic. All three sound plausible, and none matches what the cited studies show.
Common claims versus evidence
Common claim
“Without a course of treatment, the gut microbiome remains permanently damaged.”
Supported by evidence
In twelve healthy participants, after about six weeks with no intervention at all, the composition was once again close to baseline; nine species were still missing in most participants after 180 days (Palleja et al., Nature Microbiology, 2018).
Common claim
“Probiotics restore the gut microbiome after antibiotics.”
Supported by evidence
In a study using mucosal samples, recovery to the individual’s original composition was significantly delayed and remained incomplete with a multistrain supplement, compared with recovery without intervention (Suez et al., Cell, 2018).
Common claim
“Eating plenty of fiber reliably increases gut microbiome diversity.”
Supported by evidence
In a randomized study of 36 healthy adults over ten weeks, diversity increased in the fermented-food group; on average, it remained unchanged in the high-fiber group (Wastyk et al., Cell, 2021).
What the three comparisons do not say
None of these three statements gives a free pass in the opposite direction. Suez and colleagues’ study does not show that probiotics are harmful. Wastyk and colleagues’ study does not show that fiber is useless.
What follows is more modest, but still useful: the three common claims say more than the data support. That is the whole point of this chapter.
Probiotics: two questions that are constantly confused
There are two entirely different questions about probiotics, with two entirely different bodies of evidence. Conflating them leads to a conclusion that neither supports. That distinction is therefore the most important paragraph in this chapter.
The first question is whether probiotics can make diarrhea less common during or after antibiotic treatment. The second is whether probiotics restore the composition of the gut microbiome to what it was before. These are two questions, not two ways of phrasing the same question.
Question one: Preventing diarrhea during antibiotic treatment
A large systematic review addresses this question. The Cochrane review by Esmaeilinezhad and colleagues evaluated 47 studies involving a total of 15,260 adults and children who received antibiotics; 38 of these studies, with 13,179 participants, concerned the prevention of Clostridioides difficile diarrhea (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2025).
The review’s main conclusion is phrased tentatively, and that’s not carelessness but a reflection of the evidence. Probiotics may prevent this diarrhea in people taking antibiotics. The authors describe their confidence in the evidence as moderate to low and point out that the two largest included studies found no clear benefit.
For people without weakened immune systems, the review describes short-term use as potentially offering a small benefit. A small potential benefit for a clearly defined question is different from a promise of efficacy, and this article makes no such promise.
Question two: Return to the original composition
The evidence on this question points in a different direction, one that runs counter to expectations. A team led by Jotham Suez studied people and mice to see how mucosal colonization developed after antibiotics when a multi-strain probiotic was also given (Suez et al., Cell, volume 174, pages 1406–1423, 2018).
It describes how the return to each person’s own original composition was significantly delayed and remained incomplete over time with the probiotic, compared with the natural course without intervention. The authors conclude that any potential benefit of probiotics after antibiotics could be offset by impaired recolonization.
This is a study, not a guideline. It isn’t enough to advise against probiotics, and that’s not how it’s used here. But it is more than enough to label the claim “Probiotics restore the gut flora” as unsupported.
Key takeaway
The evidence on probiotics concerns preventing diarrhea while taking antibiotics. It does not concern the gut flora returning to its original composition.
Why no products, strains, or dosages are listed here
This article names no product, strain, or dosage. That’s not an oversight. The effects of a probiotic apply to the specific strain and dosage studied, and extending them to another product is a conclusion the data don’t support.
Discuss whether and what to take with your doctor, pharmacist, or pharmacy team. They know which antibiotic you were given and which pre-existing conditions are relevant. A general information article doesn’t know either.
Fiber and fermented foods: a fact check
When it comes to food, two things get mixed together that can be cleanly separated: what institutions recommend and what individual studies have observed. Mixing them creates a third claim that appears in neither source. This chapter examines all three separately.
What is recommended: fiber intake
There is a reference value for fiber, and it has nothing to do with antibiotics. The European Food Safety Authority considers an intake of 25 grams of fiber per day adequate for adults to support normal bowel function (EFSA, EFSA Journal, 2010). The same opinion describes evidence of health benefits from high-fiber diets at higher intakes.
This value applies to all adults, on an ongoing basis. It is not a measure for the weeks after a course of antibiotics, nor does antibiotic treatment increase it. If you don't meet it already, that's a good reason to work on it - just not one that comes from this topic.
What was observed: fermented foods versus fiber
A team led by Hannah Wastyk assigned 36 healthy adults to one of two diets for ten weeks: one featuring fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and kombucha, and one high in fiber (Wastyk et al., Cell, 2021).
In the fermented-food group, gut microbiome diversity increased, with a greater increase among those eating larger portions. In addition, 19 inflammatory proteins measured in the blood decreased. In the high-fiber group, diversity remained unchanged on average, and none of the 19 proteins decreased.
The authors themselves note that a longer study might have allowed the gut microbiome to adapt to the higher fiber intake. Ten weeks is a short time for answering this question.
One more caveat: The participants were healthy and had not undergone antibiotic treatment. The study describes what fermented foods did for healthy adults. It does not describe what they do after a course of antibiotics.
What is being claimed
These two building blocks regularly give rise to a third claim that appears in neither: that a particular combination of fiber and fermented foods rebuilds the gut microbiome after antibiotics. None of the sources cited here supports that claim. The problem isn't the observation, but the promise made from it.
The problem isn't the observation, but the promise made from it.
Still, what remains is no small thing. A diet rich in plant foods and regular fermented foods is worthwhile regardless of antibiotics, well tolerated by most people, and costs nothing extra. It just shouldn't come with a promise it can't deliver.
What is practically possible in the weeks after antibiotics
If no method can rebuild it, the question remains: what can? The honest answer consists of four steps, none of which promises results and each of which can be checked.
Check for warning signs first
Persistent or bloody diarrhea, fever, severe abdominal pain: make an appointment, don’t make a diet plan. Everything else comes after that.
Keep notes for four weeks
Meals, bowel movements, symptoms. A journal is the only way to track how things progress for you personally.
Adjust your expectations about timing
The period described is weeks to months. After three days, no conclusion is possible, and the same is true after two weeks.
Take questions to the right place
Supplements, dosages, and treatment duration should be discussed with the prescribing practice or pharmacy, not a text online.
Four weeks is a good period for the journal because it also captures fluctuations that have nothing to do with food. You can look up what different types of bacteria in a test result actually mean in the Gut Encyclopedia, without having to order anything.
Why the journal is the most honest way to measure
A lab result describes the composition of your gut flora. It doesn’t describe how you feel. That second piece of information is what you actually care about, and it’s not in any report, but in your journal.
There is also a practical advantage. Someone who goes to a doctor’s office with notes has a different conversation from someone who says things have somehow gotten worse. The journal is preparation for that conversation, not a substitute for it.
Three approaches, all called “building up gut flora”
Three different approaches go by the same term. The overview below compares them across the same four criteria and notes what has and has not actually been proven for each.
| Criterion | Wait and observe | Change your diet | Take a supplement |
|---|---|---|---|
| What has actually been described | In twelve participants, the composition approached the baseline after about six weeks, without intervention (Palleja et al., Nature Microbiology, 2018) | Among 36 healthy adults, diversity increased over ten weeks in the fermented-food arm, but not in the high-fiber arm (Wastyk et al., Cell, 2021) | Possible small benefit in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea; confidence in the evidence is moderate to low (Cochrane, 2025) |
| What has not been proven | That the course will be the same for you; the study included twelve healthy men and reserve antibiotics | That the result applies to the period after taking antibiotics; the participants had not taken any | That a supplement restores the original composition; one study even describes a delayed course (Suez et al., Cell, 2018) |
| Time and cost | No effort, no cost; requires patience over several weeks | Shopping and planning; costs as part of a normal household budget | Ongoing cost per pack; choice and duration should be discussed with a doctor or pharmacist |
| How to notice a change | Your own well-being over several weeks, recorded in the booklet | Tolerance and bowel movements; you cannot see the diversity itself | Whether or not diarrhea occurs during treatment |
The table deliberately has no recommendation column. Which of the three options might suit you depends on why you were given the antibiotic and how you feel now—and neither is covered in this text.
What a description of gut flora shows in this situation
mybody®x (MYBODY Lab GmbH) offers a description of gut flora based on a stool sample. Before the card is added, the most important limitation needs to come first, not at the end of this chapter.
Such a result is a snapshot. It describes which groups of bacteria are present, and in what proportions, at the time the sample is taken. It does not say whether anything has recovered, because there is no recognized target state to compare it against.
This is exactly why the study by Palleja and colleagues was able to draw a conclusion: each participant had a measurement from before taking antibiotics. Without your own earlier test result, a later test can only describe what things look like—not whether they have changed.
Gut test using a stool sample
Gut microbiome test | Complete
Uses DNA sequencing to detect more than 1,500 types of gut bacteria and describes their composition at the time the sample is taken. What the test does not do in this situation: it does not determine whether your gut flora has recovered after taking antibiotics, because there is no recognized target state and, without your own earlier test result, no point of comparison. It does not diagnose a Clostridioides difficile infection and is not a substitute for a medical examination. The product page lists diet, digestion, and everyday routines as areas of application and explicitly states that it does not provide a medical assessment.
Lab analysis 5–10 business days after sample receipt
Product page information without location, accessed 28.08.2026
When a test result becomes a point of comparison
A single test result describes a state. Two results taken months apart describe a change. This is the only way a description of the gut flora can say anything at all about a trend.
For gut tests, follow-up testing after six to twelve months is therefore common, because the composition changes within weeks. DNA analysis follows a different logic: it remains the same throughout your life and is done once.
Even with two test results, the limitation mentioned above still applies. A change in composition says nothing about whether your symptoms have eased. Your journal can answer that question, not your lab report.
Who can benefit from a test result now, and who cannot
Whether a description of the gut flora is worthwhile in this situation depends less on the antibiotic than on the question you want answered. The following comparison sets out both sides.
Useful for you if …
you are planning a dietary change and want to record a starting point so you can track changes in a few months.
your symptoms have persisted for months, have been medically assessed, and you want to prepare for a discussion with additional information.
you are interested in which bacterial groups are present in your sample and in what proportions—as a description, not an evaluation.
Probably not, if …
one of the warning signs from chapter two applies to you. In that case, you should make a doctor's appointment before placing any order.
you want to know whether your gut flora is “back to normal.” The test cannot answer this question because no target state has been defined.
you expect the results to tell you which product to take. A finding is not a prescription and does not replace professional advice.
Boundaries: what no one can promise on this topic
The first boundary is that of the term itself. Restoration assumes a target state, and none has been defined for the gut flora. As long as that remains the case, no one can say when it would be complete.
The second boundary lies in the data. The most precise timing information on this topic comes from a study of twelve healthy men taking three reserve antibiotics. Applying it to a pack of tablets from a pharmacy is an assumption, not a deduction.
The third boundary concerns the products. There is evidence of a possible small benefit for preventing diarrhea while taking antibiotics; there is no evidence for restoring the composition. Conflating the two turns a study into evidence for a different question.
The fourth limitation concerns the test results. A description of gut flora is not a diagnostic test. It can’t detect inflammatory bowel disease, a tumor, an infection, or celiac disease - and it can’t detect recovery, either.
Key takeaway
A description of gut flora shows a snapshot. It can’t tell whether anything has recovered after taking antibiotics.
What matters in the weeks after antibiotics
The cited studies suggest a simple order of steps, and it’s nothing remarkable. Warning signs before diet. Observation before supplements. Your own baseline before test results. And the prescribing doctor before anything you read online.
What stands out isn’t stated in any single source, yet it follows from them all: research describes a course of events; it doesn’t prescribe an intervention. Any intervention that appears in advice articles is something added by someone who has something to offer.
So the specific next step is smaller than the topic might suggest. Take a notebook and write down how you feel for four weeks. After that, you’ll know more about your own progress than any figure from a study of twelve strangers.
It started with the question of how to rebuild gut flora after antibiotics. That was exactly the mistake: the question assumes there’s a problem to fix where there should simply be an observation.
If you’re not sure whether a description of your gut flora answers your question, the consultation is free, and we won’t try to sell you anything.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take for gut flora to change after antibiotics?
The observed period ranges from weeks to months. In the study by Palleja and colleagues, the overall composition in twelve healthy men was close to their own baseline again after around six weeks; nine species previously found in everyone were no longer detectable in most participants after 180 days (Nature Microbiology, 2018). There is no universal timeframe, because the active ingredient, treatment duration, age, and starting point differ. The figures also come from a four-day course of three reserve antibiotics, not from a typical course of treatment.
When should diarrhea after antibiotics be assessed by a doctor?
Persistent or bloody diarrhea after taking antibiotics, fever, and severe abdominal pain warrant a visit to a doctor. These symptoms may indicate an infection with Clostridioides difficile. The Robert Koch Institute describes watery diarrhea with a characteristic foul smell and pain in the lower abdominal quadrants, often accompanied by fever; blood in the stool is usually found only in very severe cases (as of 22.01.2025). According to the same guidance, the time between the preceding antibiotic treatment and symptom onset is usually only a few days. If you notice these signs, don’t take a test or change your diet; make an appointment.
Do probiotics help rebuild gut flora after antibiotics?
There is no evidence on this question. The available evidence concerns a different question, namely preventing diarrhea during antibiotic treatment: a Cochrane review of 47 studies involving 15,260 adults and children describes a possible small benefit, with moderate to low confidence in the evidence (Esmaeilinezhad et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2025). This does not apply to a return to your own original composition: a study in humans and mice even describes a delayed and incomplete course with a multi-strain preparation compared with no intervention (Suez et al., Cell, 2018). Discuss whether and what to take with your doctor or pharmacist.
Can a microbiome test show whether my gut flora has recovered?
No. A microbiome test describes a snapshot: which groups of bacteria are present, and in what proportions, at the time the sample is taken. It could only determine whether recovery has taken place if there were a recognized ideal state to compare against - and there is no such state for the gut flora. There is no reference range like there is for a blood test. What a test result can provide is a point of comparison: if you test before making a change and then again months later, you can see a change in composition. No lab report can tell you whether you feel better.
Can I stop taking the antibiotic if my stomach is acting up?
That decision is made by the practice that prescribed the medication. The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care puts it this way: “Antibiotics should be taken for as long as your doctor has prescribed them.” (As of 03.09.2025) If you want to stop or interrupt treatment because of symptoms, call the practice and discuss it. They know what the medication is being used to treat and what alternatives are available. According to the same patient information, nausea and diarrhea are among the known adverse effects - a reason to talk to your doctor, not to stop on your own.
Next step
If you want to record your current status
The gut microbiome test | Complete describes the composition of your gut flora from a stool sample. It does not determine whether anything has recovered after antibiotic treatment, and it does not replace a medical evaluation. If you just want to look up what individual bacterial species mean, you can do that without a test.
Gut microbiome test | Complete Gut encyclopedia without a testRead more
You might also be interested in
In case the question of which test is right comes before the question of how to rebuild.
The cost page: who pays for a gut flora test and under what conditions.
For looking up which bacterial species and markers appear in a report and what they mean.
Sources
- Albert Palleja, Kristian H. Mikkelsen, Sofia K. Forslund et al.: Recovery of gut microbiota of healthy adults following antibiotic exposure, Nature Microbiology, volume 3, pages 1255–1265, 2018 – nature.com
- Robert Koch Institute: RKI guide to Clostridioides (formerly Clostridium) difficile, as of 22.01.2025 – rki.de
- Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG): Using antibiotics correctly and avoiding resistance, gesundheitsinformation.de, updated on 03.09.2025 – gesundheitsinformation.de
- Zahra Esmaeilinezhad, Nirjhar R. Ghosh, Bradley C. Johnston et al.: Probiotics for the prevention of Clostridioides difficile-associated diarrhea in adults and children, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2025, Issue 9, CD006095 – cochrane.org
The literal quotation about the course after antibiotic administration, as well as the details about four days of administration, one and a half months, 180 days, nine types and twelve participants, come from [1]; it is also the source for the descriptions of the increase in Enterobacteria and the decrease in bifidobacteria and butyrate producers. The details about the symptoms of a Clostridioides difficile infection, blood in the stool, the time interval and the triggering groups of active substances come from [2]. The literal quotation about the duration of use and the mention of nausea and diarrhea as adverse effects come from [3]. The figures of 47 studies, 15,260 participants, 38 studies and 13,179 participants, as well as the assessment of the benefits and certainty of the evidence, come from [4]. The delayed and incomplete course with a multi-strain preparation is attributed in the main text to Suez et al., Cell, volume 174, pages 1406–1423, 2018. The details about 36 participants, ten weeks, 19 inflammatory proteins and diversity in both dietary groups are attributed in the main text to Wastyk et al., Cell, 2021. The reference value of 25 grams of fiber per day comes from the European Food Safety Authority’s opinion on reference values for carbohydrates and dietary fiber, EFSA Journal, 2010. Details about the price, scope of testing, sample type and laboratory come from the mybody®x product page, accessed on 28.08.2026; processing times follow the central guideline for gut tests. All sources were accessed and checked on 28.08.2026.
mybody®x Editorial & Expert Team
Microbiome and gut science Nutritional science Research and evidence assessment Laboratory diagnostics
This article was created by the mybody®x editorial and expert team. The team brings together microbiome and gut science, nutritional science, and the interpretation of findings. You can find out who is involved on the authors' page.
Published on November 21, 2025 · Last updated on August 27, 2026
The content is for general information and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The prescribing medical practice alone decides on the choice, dosage, and duration of antibiotic therapy. If diarrhea persists or is bloody, or if fever or severe abdominal pain occurs after taking an antibiotic, medical evaluation is required.
