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We often hear people talk about avoiding antibiotics. Doctors, too, usually prescribe them only when you genuinely need them. There's a reason why they caution us. Dr Vishal Gabale shares a video on Instagram, explaining more about antibiotics and why they need to be used carefully. According to the Navi Mumbai-based physician, one wrong course of antibiotics can alter the gut microbiome for seven to eight years, potentially affecting metabolism.
Dr Vishal says, “Many patients ask me that why I am so against the antibiotics. Let me tell you, take an antibiotic for sore throat, which was not even a bacterial, Azithromycin, I am talking about for three days.”
He mentions that just because of one antibiotic course, your gut bacteria change for up to eight years. “Let me tell you about this landmark trial. It was published in Nature Medicine in 2026. Nearly 15,000 participants were studied, and they found that after a single course of antibiotics, it can alter the gut microbiome for up to eight years. The worst offenders were the fluoroquinolones.”
But apart from this alteration in the gut microbiome, he says, there are four key changes that can occur in your body because of this good gut bacteria.
As per his video, the first effect is on insulin resistance. “If you reduce the good gut bacteria, your insulin resistance may worsen because these good gut bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids that improve insulin sensitivity. And in various published data, they found that antibiotics can reduce short-chain fatty acid production by 86 to 90 per cent, worsening insulin resistance.”
The second effect is on your mood. This is because 90 per cent of your body's serotonin is produced in the gut and not in the brain. He continues, “So, your serotonin will decide your mood. But if you kill the good gut bacteria involved in serotonin synthesis, your sleep can be disturbed and even anxiety can increase.”
The third effect, he lists, is on your weight. Your weight might increase because of this alteration in the gut microbiota, because these altered bacteria can extract more energy from the same amount of food, causing you to become obese.
Dr Vishal says, “The fourth effect is on your immune system. You know, 70 per cent of your immunity sits in the gut. If you disrupt the ecosystem, you become more susceptible to new infections.”
Apart from this, what concerns him is India specifically. “We consume 25 per cent of the world's antibiotics with 17 per cent of the world's total population. We are the largest consumers of antibiotics on the planet. They are most commonly bought over the counter without a prescription for viral sore throats, where antibiotics do absolutely nothing.”
He concludes by saying he is worried about the world heading towards a new pandemic in the future — antimicrobial resistance. “Please make sure you take antibiotics only when they are recommended,” he adds.
Also Read: Antimicrobial Resistance: These Are India's Most Overused Antibiotics
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.