Obesity is caused by this??

The overuse and misuse of antibiotics has been a problem for years now. A serious problem is that bacteria that were previously effectively treated by the use of antibiotics can develop antibiotic resistance with repeated doses, leading to more serious infections and complications。Overprescribing antibiotics also increases the risk of side effects. For example, antibiotics increase the risk of developing allergic reactions and Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infections. This increases the frequency of re-visits to the hospital, and it is said that in many cases, patients are admitted to the hospital because of incompatibility with other medications, even though the disease could have been easily treated. However, when a doctor prescribes an antibiotic, you would believe that it is a common practice to continue taking it as prescribed without question. But did you know that antibiotics can make you obese?

The first true antibiotic, penicillin, was discovered in 1928 by Alexander Fleming, professor of bacteriology at St. Mary’s Hospital in London. Later, the first recorded farming use of antibiotics, in the form of intramammary penicillin preparations to treat bovine mastitis, was at the end of World War II.

Then, in the late 1940s, studies examining the supplementation of B12 in chicks’ diets found that B12 produced from the fermentation of Streptomyces aureofaciens, an antibiotic for use in human medicine, produced a better weight gain for chicks than B12 supplied from other sources, and a reduced amount of feed to bring the birds to market weight.

Thus, antibiotics have continued to be administered to healthy animals not only to prevent them from contracting bacterial infections, but also to promote growth.

Since it is found that antibiotic contributes weight gain in animals, various studies have been conducted to determine whether weight gain affects humans as well. The relationship between antibiotic use and the development of obesity is becoming increasingly clear in humans, with some authors clearly establishing a relationship between the heavy use of antibiotics over the past 70 years and the “epidemic” of obesity that has occurred alongside it, almost as an epidemiological adverse effect.

It is worth noting that several studies have examined the relationship between antibiotic exposure before age 2 and childhood obesity, the most recent of which was published on the 25th of this month. Researchers at the University of Oulu in Finland found that children exposed to antibiotics during the first two years of life had a 9% higher risk of being overweight and a 20% higher risk of being obese than those who were not.

Last November, it was reported that a 12-year-old Chinese girl suffering from extreme obesity due to an overdose of antibiotics in her infancy.

Lanlan, a resident of Henan Province, is 150 cm (4 feet 11 inch) tall and weighs 194.4 kg (428lbs). Her condition is attributed to a large dose of antibiotics given to her when she was 6 months old because she was treated for high fever.

Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain how antibiotics might lead to weight gain. One hypothesis is that antibiotics can increase the ability of gut bacteria to extract energy from indigestible polysaccharides, thereby enhancing calorie absorption. Another mechanism involves the reduction in the number of bacteria that are metabolically protective against obesity, which can alter the gut microbiome’s composition and function. Additionally, antibiotics may decrease intestinal defense and beneficial metabolic and immunity pathways, potentially contributing to weight gain.

Research has shown that antibiotics can significantly alter the gut microbiome, leading to a dysbiotic state that may contribute to obesity.

Of course, the relationship between antibiotic use and weight gain is complex and influenced by various factors such as the type of antibiotic, its route of administration, and the subject’s age at the time of administration. Diet, lifestyle, other medications, and the use of probiotics further complicate this relationship.

However, it is necessary to be careful not to take antibiotics immediately after birth or before the age of about 3 years. Babies get bacterial infections such as skin infections, ear infections, and throat infections, and strep throat is the most heard of.

Ear infections do not always require antibiotics. Many ear infections, especially those caused by viruses, may resolve spontaneously without antibiotics. Bacterial infections are said to be less likely to occur if you always eat a proper diet, get good nutrition, and keep your immune system strong, so please aim to make your body less susceptible to such infections. The same is true for adults. Antibiotics tend to be prescribed even for the common cold to prevent complications such as pneumonia, but I think it is important to provide nutritional support to prevent complications that could lead to pneumonia.

Reference:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4232501/

https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/flemingpenicillin.html