A new study shows that antibiotics aren’t the only ones affecting gut health. Led by the Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infectious Medicine in Tübingen and the Center of Excellence for Microbial Control for Infection Control at the University of Tübingen, the study is published in the journal Nature.

The researchers tested 53 common medications, including allergy medications, antidepressants, and hormonal drugs, for their effects on the microbiome in both synthetic and real-life human gut microbial communities.

The results showed that about a third of these drugs contributed to the growth of salmonella, a bacteria that causes severe diarrhea.

A similar effect has been observed in mice: certain drugs cause increased growth of Salmonella, leading to severe salmonellosis with rapid onset and severe inflammation