Professor Tim Spector, Consultant Physician & Author of The Diet Myth
For years I would develop sinusitis every time I got a cold and take antibiotics. I was an antibiotic junkie – taking four or five courses a year. Then, eight years ago, I went to a lecture by Professor Martin Blaser and it changed everything for me. He warned that regular courses of antibiotics adversely affect your immune system and could lead to weight gain because of their impact on your gut bacteria. It was the best piece of advice I’ve ever received. I stopped taking antibiotics for sinus infections – they only reduced the symptoms by a day or so, anyway – and have never looked back. From having six colds a year, I now have one every couple of years, I don’t get sinusitis and I’ve stayed a healthy weight. I became concerned about antibiotics in food as well, and now try to eat organic and only eat meat once or twice a month.
