[nerdponx]

Yeah but obliterating your gut flora without even making an attempt at remediation is madness to me. It's like saying that people who quit smoking shouldn't bother going to the gym because their lungs are already busted.

I haven't looked at the literature in a while, but several years ago I saw some research which concluded that probiotics generally do not directly recolonize the gut; instead, they temporarily prevent colonization by "bad" things and help maintain a healthy environment until diverse recolonization happens gradually over time.

I also saw some evidence (backed by personal experience) that "complex" naturally fermented foods (sauerkraut, kimchi, etc) were more effective than single-culture probiotics.