The Dangers of Dysbiosis

by Greg Newson 0 Comments

Dysbiosis is an imbalance in the micro-organisms that reside within the intestinal tract. This occurs when there are excessive levels of detrimental organisms and lower levels of the beneficial ones. The word 'dysbiosis' originated from the Greek's and means; dys = bad, biosis = way of living or way of life. Detrimental organisms include; bacteria, parasites, worms, viruses, fungi, protozoa and amoeba's.

Whereas 'symbiosis', (also a Greek word meaning companionship) occurs when the beneficial organisms in the intestinal tract live together for their own mutual benefit, creating the seeds of exceptional health. Symbiosis has far reaching effects within the body and is essential for ideal digestive, cardiovascular, immune and cognitive vigor.

What causes Dysbiosis?

The causes of Dysbiosis are many and can vary from one person to the next. Below is a list of the more common causes that are associated with Dysbiosis.

Alcohol	Food allergies	Irritable bowel syndrome
Antibiotics	Food contamination	Leaky gut syndrome
Birth control pill	Gastrointestinal inflammation	Overseas travel
Candida	Heavy metals	NSAID's medication
Constipation	High fat diet	Pregnancy
Damp mouldy environment	High sugar diet	Stress
Elevated hormones	HRT	Suppressed immune function
Excessive carbohydrates	Immuno-suppressant medication	Water contamination
Food additives	Inflammation	White flour diet

Common detrimental organisms found in Dysbiosis

While there are potentially thousands of detrimental organisms that can cause or contribute to Dysbiosis, the list below highlights some of the more common varieties know to cause digestive discomfort, immune suppression and disease.

Aeromonas species	Entamoeba histolytica	Klebsellia pneumonia
Blastocystis species	Enterobacter cloacae	Pseudomonas
Campylobacter species	Escherichia coli	Salmonella species
Candida albicans	Giardia intestinalis	Streptococcus species
Cryptosporidium species	Geotrichum species	Shigella species
Dientamoeba fragilis	Helicobacter Pylori	Yersinia enterocolitica

Signs and symptoms of Dysbiosis

Not everybody with Dysbiosis suffers the same array of signs and symptoms. One person may have many symptoms whilst another only a few. The ones listed below are some of the more common conditions associated with Dysbiosis.

Abdominal pain	Cracked nails	Leaky gut syndrome
Abnormal blood clotting	Crohn's disease	Low stomach acid
Acne	Dementia	Migraines
ADD/ADHD	Depression	Mucus in stool
Adrenal Fatigue	Diarrhoea	Muscle pain
Alcohol cravings	Dysentery	Nausea
Allergies	Fatigue	Periodontal disease
Alzheimer's disease	Fibromyalgia	Prostatitis
Ankylosing spondylitis	Flatulence	Reflux/Heartburn
Atherosclerosis	Gastroenteritis	Rheumatoid arthritis
Autism	Gingivitis	Rosacea
Anxiety	Glaucoma	Sense of fullness
Bad breath	Graves' disease	Stress
Belching	Hashimoto's disease	Stroke
Boating	Heartburn	Sugar cravings
Burping	Hives	Thrush
Cancer	Indigestion	Undigested food in stool
Chronic fatigue syndrome	Inflammation/Inflammatory disease	Ulcers
Cognitive impairment	Irritable bowel syndrome	Vertigo
Colitis	Ischaemic heart disease	Vomiting
Constipation	Joint pain	Weight gain

Why is Dysbiosis bad for Health?

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, famously said over 2000 years ago that "all disease begins in the gut, heal thy gut". This makes sense as 70% of the body's immune system lies within the intestinal tract and is responsible for eliminating pathogens, antigens, reducing inflammation, cancer markers and tumors, while at the same time trying to maintain a healthy balance to avoid autoimmune diseases.

Many neurological disorders such as; anxiety, panic attacks, depression and bipolar disorder have a basis in impaired gut function and Dysbiosis. Did you know that the enteric nervous system, the largest gathering of nerves outside the brain, is located in the intestinal tract? Or that 90% of the body's happy brain chemical, serotonin, is stored in enterochromaffin cells which line the intestinal and respiratory tracts?

If the immune system is suppressed, the enteric nervous system irritated or the enterochromaffin cells damaged by dysbiotic organisms, then it is safe to say that any number of neurological or immunological health conditions can and will occur. The beneficial gut organisms have an astonishing relationship with us. They are what keeps us healthy and conversely when they are weak, in poor health or have reduced numbers, that is when disease and tissue degeneration occurs.

These beneficial organisms are responsible for producing a variety of essential vitamins including vitamin B2, B5, B6, B12, K2, folate, biotin, choline, insoitol and PABA. This is why ruling out Dysbiosis as a cause of disease is paramount to any successful long-term, health obtaining treatment strategy. It is the belief and practice of many natural health practitioners worldwide that to successfully improve a person's health, we must first start by reducing Dysbiosis and improving the beneficial gut organisms.

How to treat Dysbiosis

Even though a person may be suffering from many of the signs and symptoms associated with Dysbiosis it's always best to test and find out what type or strain of detrimental organism(s) are present. Testing for Dysbiosis allows for a more precise and effective treatment protocol where the offending organism(s) are targeted rather than a blanket herbal or antibiotic approach. We recommend the Dysbiosis Test, Helicobacter Pylori Test and Candida Test to accurately diagnose the full extent of Dysbiosis and to determine which detrimental pathogens are present, and what beneficial organisms are lacking.

Useful Dysbiosis links

• What is Candida
• What is Leaky Gut Syndrome
• What Causes Allergies
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Digestive Detox

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