Supporting your gut’s comeback with prebiotic power from the sea 🌊
Antibiotics save lives — but they don’t discriminate. While they eliminate harmful bacteria causing infection, they also wipe out some of the good bacteria that live in your gut. That’s why many people experience digestive upset, bloating, or sluggishness during or after a course of antibiotics.
So, what can you do to help your good bacteria bounce back? Feed them. And that’s where SeaFibre® — our clinically tested seaweed-derived prebiotic — can play an important role.
Why antibiotics disturb your microbiome
Your gut is home to trillions of microbes that digest food, make vitamins, and keep your immune system balanced. Antibiotics disrupt that ecosystem, lowering diversity and allowing opportunistic bacteria or yeasts to take hold.
Studies show that even a short antibiotic course can reduce beneficial Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli by more than 90%, and it may take weeks to recover. During that recovery time, your gut needs both new beneficial bacteria (from fermented foods or probiotics) and fuel for them to thrive — known as prebiotic fibres.
What makes SeaFibre different from other fibres
Not all fibres are created equal. SeaFibre isn’t your typical plant fibre like inulin or psyllium. It’s a marine-derived sulphated polysaccharide, extracted from our sustainably cultivated Ulva sp. 84 seaweed. This unique molecule is rich in rhamnose, glucuronic acid, and sulphate groups, which act as selective substrates for beneficial gut bacteria, especially those linked to mucosal health and immune regulation.
In short — SeaFibre is food for the bacteria you want to keep around.
Our clinical research: gut, cholesterol, and inflammation
In our human clinical trial (Roach et al., 2023, Marine Drugs), participants taking SeaFibre capsules daily for 8 weeks showed:
-
Significant improvements in gut health markers
-
Lowered systemic inflammation, with reductions in cytokines including TNF-α
-
Healthier lipid metabolism, reflected in cholesterol balance
-
Improved skin outcomes, with 23 % of participants showing visible recovery from psoriasis symptoms
Importantly, these results correlated with microbiome modulation — SeaFibre supported beneficial bacterial species that regulate inflammation through the gut–skin axis. This is the same mechanism that helps your microbiome recover after antibiotic use.
“We found that people with lower fermented food intake had both reduced microbiome diversity and more inflammation — and that adding the seaweed fibre helped rebalance that ecosystem.” Dr. Pia Winberg
Rebuilding your microbiome after antibiotics
When you finish a course of antibiotics, your microbiome is in a regrowth phase — like a garden after a storm. What you feed it next determines which species grow back.
In our earlier blog, Embracing the ’omes – Part VI: The microbiome; your own personal ecosystem, we explored how every person’s microbiome is unique but guided by the nutrients it receives. Supplying the right prebiotic fibre encourages beneficial microbes to repopulate and stabilise the gut lining.
SeaFibre provides:
-
A marine source of soluble fibre that ferments gently in the large intestine
-
Selective support for beneficial bacteria linked to gut resilience
-
Sulphated glycans that may modulate inflammation through gut–immune signalling
-
A low-FODMAP alternative for those sensitive to common plant fibres
Together, these factors make SeaFibre a powerful ally during or after antibiotic use — helping beneficial bacteria find their footing again.
How to take SeaFibre with antibiotics
-
✅ During your course: You can take SeaFibre alongside antibiotics. If you want to be extra cautious, separate the timing by about one hour to avoid any minor interaction in the stomach.
-
✅ After your course: Continue for several weeks to help rebuild the gut ecosystem and strengthen mucosal immunity.
-
🍶 Pair it with fermented foods like yoghurt, kefir, or sauerkraut, which reintroduce beneficial bacteria. SeaFibre provides the substrate for those microbes to thrive.
-
💧 Hydrate well, and maintain a diverse diet rich in natural fibres and antioxidants.
The science behind the recovery
Our research supports the principle that feeding your microbes can improve more than just your digestion — it can influence inflammation, metabolism, skin, and immune resilience.
In our clinical study, participants taking SeaFibre showed:
-
A reduction in inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6 (average reduction > 15%)
-
Increased microbiome diversity, including beneficial Faecalibacterium prausnitzii species (measured via 16S rRNA sequencing)
-
Improved stool regularity and comfort (self-reported > 70 % of participants)
These findings illustrate that SeaFibre supports not just the gut lining but also the broader immune network — an essential part of recovery after antibiotics.
In summary
Taking SeaFibre or Phybre capsules during or after antibiotics provides your microbiome with the essential nutrition it needs to rebound. It’s not a replacement for probiotics or medical treatment — but it’s one of the most effective, science-backed ways to help your good bacteria return stronger than ever.
“Think of it as compost for your inner garden — feed it, and it will grow back beautifully.” 🌿
References & further reading
-
Roach L.A., Meyer B.J., Fitton J.H., Winberg P. (2023). Marine Sulphated Polysaccharide Extract and Inflammatory Modulation in Psoriasis: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Marine Drugs.
-
PhycoHealth Blog: I can tell if you are eating your yoghurt →