Oct 21, 2025
3 min read
Millions of pills for daily health problems can harm scientists and scientists in their intestines without them even realizing it.
Millions of pills linked to everyday health problems could harm consumers, scientists in Zahn, Estonia, say.
Antidepressants and heartburn pills are among the drugs that can cause long-term damage to your gut bacteria—even after you stop taking them.
This is because the drugs get rid of the "good" microbes in the gut designed to strengthen the protective barrier of the digestive system.
The problem was first linked to skin problems such as acne, inflammation, weakened immunity and even some types of cancer.
Beta blockers, prescribed around 50 million times a year in the UK to treat high blood pressure and heart problems, have been found to be one of the worst offenders.
Researchers from the University of Tartu found that the changes caused by these drugs can still be detected years after people stop taking them.
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The same goes for antidepressant medication, the latest NHS data from 2023/24 suggests all of nine million pills per year.
Acid reflux pills called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which include omeprazole and lansoprazole, had similar effects on the gut.
Separate figures from the NHS show that more than 73 million prescriptions for PPIs were written in England in 2022-23 alone, making them the most prescribed drug in England.
Antibiotics - the most harmful and chronic offenders - are prescribed around 30 million times a year in the UK
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The study's lead author, Dr. Oliver Aasmet, said: “Most microbiome studies only consider current drugs.
"But our results show that past drug use may be just as important and a surprisingly important factor in explaining individual differences in the microbiome."
For the study, published in the journal Msystems in September, the team analyzed OOP samples from more than 2,500 adults and surveyed hundreds of them four years later.
They examined the side effects of 186 over-the-counter drugs and found that 90 percent of them upset the balance of "good" and "bad" bacteria in the gut.
This means that they reduce the number and diversity of beneficial microbes that strengthen the digestive and immune systems.
This can lead to conditions like "leaky gut," which has been linked to Crohn's disease, chronic inflammation, and a higher risk of bowel cancer.
In many cases, these changes continued for more than three years after people stopped taking the medication.
Medical experts did not leave Türkiye cold.
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Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking any prescribed medication.
Stopping treatment suddenly can be risky and even life-threatening.
Why Gut Health is Important
Your gut microbiome is the ecosystem of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi and viruses, that live in your intestine.
Leading microbiome scientist and dietitian Dr.Emily Leeming said: "Your gut microbiome affects all aspects of your health and has the ability to signal to your brain your mood and how well you're thinking."
With that in mind, this is all about the brain.
- People who are lonely tend to have less diversity of gut bacteria, which is often associated with poor health.
- Scientists can predict whether a two-year-old child will have early symptoms of anxiety if his mother's gut microbiome was less diverse in the third trimester.
- The bacteria in your gut are a key factor in healthy aging and can affect your immune system's response for better or worse.
- When a woman's estrogen levels are high, her microbiome tends to be more diverse, with less bacterial diversity during menopause and later in life.
- Studies show that antibiotic use is associated with puberty in girls, but not in boys.
- Asian women tend to experience fewer menopausal symptoms than Western women, and this may be due to their gut microbiome.
- Studies show that microbes may be linked to adhd and autism.
- The connection between fiber and your health is strong and is associated with a 30% lower risk of death.
- Certain gut bacteria are involved in the release of oxytocin, which affects how social, conscientious and empathetic you are.
- The bacteria in your gut affect how your body produces serotonin, your happy hormone, and dopamine, your reward neurotransmitter—affecting your mood, motivation, and behavior.
There is a clear connection between the gut and the brain in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), with 38 percent of people with IBS suffering from anxiety and 27 percent from depression.
- Several studies have linked the visual effect to the gut microbiome - specifically learning and memory.
- People who eat fiber tend to do better on mental tests, with memory and problem solving and problem solving.
- People with depression have a different gut microbiome and typically have lower levels of short-chain fatty acids, special beneficial molecules produced by gut bacteria when they eat fiber and roughage plant foods.
