Antibiotics cause metabolic changes in mice primarily through microbiome modulation rather than behavioral changes.

While oral antibiotics cause profound effects on food and water consumption, antibiotic effects on organismal metabolism are primarily mediated by microbiome modulation. We demonstrate that tissue-specific weight loss following antibiotic administration is due primarily to microbiome effects rather than food and water aversion, and identify antibiotic regimens that effectively modulate gut microbiota while minimizing off-target behavioral effects.