The experiment was conducted on mouse models divided into two groups. The first consumed a high-fat, low-fiber diet (simulating a Western diet), while the second ate a high-fiber diet (simulating a Mediterranean diet). After some time, the rodents were given antibiotics, and various post-treatment recovery strategies were then evaluated. The findings are published on the New Atlas website.
After a course of antibiotics, the mice were transplanted with gut microbiota from healthy individuals, after which the rodents were divided into subgroups. The first and second groups continued their diet, while the third and fourth groups switched diets.
It turned out that gut microbiota restoration occurred only with a high-fiber diet. This effect was observed both in mice that had always consumed this diet and in those who changed their diet immediately after taking antibiotics. In contrast, beneficial bacterial populations did not recover on the Western diet, even after microbiota transplantation.
"Apparently, it doesn't matter what bacteria are introduced into the body. If the diet is improper, they don't differentiate and don't restore the microbiota," the scientists concluded.
Previously, other researchers discovered a new way to prevent bacterial resistance to antibiotics. They developed a drug that removes off-target antibiotics located far from the site of infection.
