In an article related to yesterday’s post, a correlation between antibiotic use and Inflammatory Bowel Disease has been shown to exist.  It is not believed that Antibiotics generally cause these diseases, however, it does support the hypothesis that altering the natural flora of the digestive tract is not a good idea.

There is growing evidence that alterations in the balance of normal intestinal bacteria could lead to the development of IBD … It’s not that we should stop using antibiotics, we get through a lot of important infections by using them. But we have to make sure that when we use them, it’s for the right reasons.

What is interesting about all of these reports concerning IBD and changing the gut flora being a bad idea is that a lot of the treatments for Crohn’s and Colitis revolve around, well, altering the flora in the gut.  For instance, the whole marketing scheme for Activia® yogurt is that it uses bacteria to “restore the balance” of your gut.  Often times a doctor will treat a flare by using an antibiotic to completely wipe out the bacteria in your intestine.  Yesterday’s post was about a treatment using parasites to alter the gut.

Is it a bad idea to constantly engage in a battle one-upping the negative side-effects of antibiotics by devising new treatments that alter our GI system?  Would it be a better idea to do what some Scandinavian countries have done and simply stop using antibiotics unless it is absolutely necessary?