How Do You Restore Intestinal Flora After a Colonoscopy?
Following a colonoscopy, intestinal flora can be restored by taking both prebiotics and probiotics to re-establish a healthy level of gut flora, according to Gut Sense. By taking these oral supplements, a patient is effectively re-inoculating the large intestine with a new supply of bacteria to ease digestion and elimination.
Considered to be oral bacteria therapy, prebiotics and probiotics are an inexpensive means to restore gut health following a colonoscopy, according to Gut Sense. These supplements can be taken regularly or on an as-needed basis to promote the better digestion of food. Depending on the type of prebiotics and probiotics used, they may need to be taken with or without a meal.
While many foods such as yogurt are advertised to restore regularity, in reality, these do not, according to Gut Sense. To maintain the shelf life and quality of these products, most commercially available products undergo pasteurization, which kills live bacteria. In the case of yogurt or other probiotic foods that are not pasteurized, much of the bacteria in them is killed in the stomach, never making it to the large intestine. Supplements are designed to remain inactive in the stomach and activate in the large intestine where they can repopulate the intestines with healthy bacteria.
