| Introduction
to Dysbiosis
"Dys-symbiosis, or Dysbiosis," is a state of living
with intestinal flora where the delicate
balance of good and harmful bacteria and yeasts has been disturbed,
usually causing an
overgrowth of harmful flora, (including viruses and parasites).
These harmful bacteria and
yeast can have harmful effects. Toxic amines produced by bacterial
putrefaction of food are
the cause of degenerative diseases, and by ingesting fermented
foods containing Lactobacilli
we could prolong life by decreasing gut putrefaction. The
consideration of dysbiosis with
digestive flora as an influence in the development of inflammatory
diseases and cancer has
received considerable experimental support over the past two
decades.
Symptoms of Dysbiosis
Dysbiosis does more than interfere with digestion, it makes
you tired. It may also alter your
immune system and upsets your hormonal balance. Dysbiosis
can even make it difficult for
you to think clearly and is known to cause anxiety, depression
or mood swings. In fact,
dysbiosis can affect almost every aspect of health. If you
have dysbiosis, then you are likely
to suffer from fatigue, headaches, intestinal upsets, and
many of the symptoms normally
attributed to Candida.
What causes Dysbiosis?
You probably guessed that modern medical drugs have a large
roll to play…right. Antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs,
cortisones, hormonal medicines including contraception are
just some of the more common culprits. Acute or chronic worm
or parasite infestations will also give rise to dysbiosis.
Major intestinal trauma or surgery may also have an important
role in some individuals.
Altered ratios of the gut flora may produce disease. Bacterial
enzymes can alter the intestinal
environment in numerous ways, some of which can be easily
measured in a properly
collected sample of stool and evaluated by a Laboratory.
Bacterial antigens may cause dysfunctional immune responses
that contribute to autoimmune diseases of the bowel and of
connective tissue. The pathology surrounding dysbiosis is
very similar to that of candidiasis.
Effective treatment of dysbiosis is, as always, best achieved
by identifying and treating the
underlying cause. Broadly speaking, one needs to eliminate
allergic foodstuffs as well as food
chemicals such as preservatives, colorants and flavorants.
One needs to eliminate common “drugs” such as
alcohol, caffeine and sugar. A program of parasite elimination
must be undertaken, preferably with known anti-parasite herbs
like Taheebo, Artemisias, Grapefruit seed extract, Black Walnut
and Clove. Occasionally it may be necessary to use one of
the stronger medicines to help eliminate more potent bugs
like Giardia, or worms.
One can then start to re-inoculate the bowel using a good
quality probiotic supplement. For more difficult cases, this
is best done using the help of a specialist stool analysis
laboratory. When this approach is not helpful, a more specialized
diagnosis is required:
Based on available research and clinical data, there are four
general causes of intestinal
dysbiosis: putrefaction, fermentation, deficiency and sensitization.
Putrefaction
Putrefaction dysbiosis results from diets high in fat and
animal flesh and low in insoluble fiber.
Putrefaction dysbiosis is corrected by decreasing dietary
fat and flesh, increasing fiber
consumption and feeding Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus preparations.
As there is a decrease in friendly bacteria, the production
of short-chain fatty acids and other
beneficial nutrients is decreased.
There is also an increase in ammonia which can have negative
effects on many bodily
functions. Research suggests that this type of dysbiosis in
contributing towards colon cancer
and breast cancer.
Fermentation (Small Bowel Bacterial
Overgrowth)
This is a condition of overgrowth of bacteria in the stomach,
small intestine and beginning of
the large intestine and causes carbohydrate intolerance.
This may be the only symptom of bacterial overgrowth, making
it indistinguishable from
intestinal candidiasis.
Gastric bacterial overgrowth increases the risk of systemic
infection.
British physicians working with the gut-fermentation syndrome
have tentatively concluded,
based on treatment results, that the majority of cases are
due to yeast overgrowth and about
20% are bacterial in origin. The symptoms include abdominal
distension, carbohydrate
intolerance, fatigue and impaired mental function.
Bacterial overgrowth here is encouraged by
- hypochlorhydria
- sluggishness due to abnormal bowel motility
- immune deficiency or;
- by malnutrition.
Gastric bacterial overgrowth increases the risk of systemic
infection and can lead to
intolerance to carbohydrate.
Any carbohydrate ingested is fermented by bacteria and results
in production of toxic waste
products.
Dietary sugars can be fermented to produce ethanol.
Chronic exposure of the small bowel to ethanol may impair
intestinal permeability.
Deficiency
Exposure to antibiotics or a diet low in soluble fiber may
create a deficiency of normal friendly
flora, including Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus and E. Coli.
This condition has been described in patients with Irritable
Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and food
intolerance.
Deficiency and putrefaction dysbiosis are complementary conditions
which often occur at the
same time and call for the same treatment regimen.
Sensitization
Aggravation of abnormal immune responses to components of
the normal intestinal flora may
contribute to the development of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
(Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis), spinal arthritis,
other connective tissue disease and skin disorders such as
psoriasis or acne.
Dealing with Dysbiosis
Here, the trick is in getting the balance right. In the same
way you would have the timing set
in the engine of your car in order to make the ride smoother
and more efficient, so too do we
need to get the balance of fauna and flora right within the
bowel.
For a detailed approach to an excellent treatment program,
please contact us by clicking
here.
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