Gut Dysbiosis…Don’t Let the “Bad Guys” Get You
Throughout our lives we have many different relationships; some are good and can foster growth, connection and balance, some are bad and can cause us stress, harsh feelings and imbalance, some we can choose like our friends and significant others and some we can’t choose like family. Relationships are all around us whether it is with people, with our environment, with pets or even with microbes.
One of the most, if not the most important relationships you are involved in constantly, knowing or unknowingly, is that with the microbes that are on, in and around your body. The microbes consist of bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungus/yeast.
This relationship begins when you are first born. Bacteria from your mother will be passed to you through the birthing process and through breast milk. As you are exposed to the environment different microbes will begin to colonize in your digestive tract, on your skin, in your nasal passages and in your mouth. As we grow older we will continue to be exposed to more and more microbes, both good and bad. In fact our body has more bacteria then human cells and has more bacterial genes present then human genes.
Our body relies on these microbes for protection, digestion, production of nutrients, and to be in harmony with one another and with our immune system. We are in a very intimate relationship with these microbes and as is with any relationship it can bring balance and connection or imbalance and stress.
Microbial Imbalance: Dysbiosis
A common term utilized for the imbalance of microbes is dysbiosis. Upon dissecting this term the prefix “dys-“ means bad or unbalanced and suffix “–biosis” means mode of life, combined to mean unbalanced life. Dysbiosis is an indication that the microbial population is unbalanced and therefore can be creating a disruptive relationship, with you the host and between your different microbes.
Dysbiosis can occur when we have “bad guys” present such as bad bacteria, yeast, parasite or virus. The microbes, which are meant to work in concert with one another and promote balance, when disrupted can promote imbalance and inflammation. This occurs when the protector of the body, the immune system, is stimulated due to the presences of bad guys and therefore triggers an inflammatory reaction geared to eradicate the offending infectious microbe. In some cases our immune system can handle the attack on its own and in other cases it may need some assistance from other microbes and/or medications or supplements. Either way this inflammatory reaction can contribute to numerous symptoms and disorders.
Immune System Dysfunction
Dysbiosis, unbalanced life, can be due to an infectious microbe but it can also be due to a dysfunctional immune system. If the immune system is dysfunctional it can contribute to dysbiosis by mistakenly attacking the “good guys” thinking they are “bad guys”. This dysbiosis secondary to immune system dysfunction can be a contributing factor in many different conditions including psoriasis, eczema, fibromyalgia, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid or reactive arthritis and more. This is certainly not an all-inclusive list but it is important to note that when the immune system is not being fueled or properly managed it can mistake not only our own tissue as bad (auto-immune disease) but it can also mistake good microbes as bad and trigger an inflammatory response.
Dysbiosis can occur because of an imbalance of bad guys to good guys or it can occur because our protecting system mistakenly attacks the good guys thinking they’re bad.
Where Can Dysbiosis Occur?
Dysbiosis can occur in many different locations in, on and around your body. The most discussed and probably the most researched up to this point has been dysbiosis occurring in the gastrointestinal tract. I want you, the reader, to not only understand that this can occur in the GI tract but also in other areas. I have provided a list of areas where dysbiosis can occur and in parenthesis I have supplied some potential examples of some conditions that dysbiosis may contribute to based specifically on the location. Dysbiosis can occur along any mucosal membrane (Numbers 1-5) or in our tissue and environment.
1. Mouth (Rheumatoid Arthritis)
2. Sinuses, Respiratory tract (Nasal Polyps)
3. Gastrointestinal tract (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
4. Genitals, Urinary tract (Reactive Arthritis)
5. Skin (Eczema)
6. Within tissue or organs (Hepatitis)
7. Our Environment (Migraines)
Symptoms of Dysbiosis
Symptoms or conditions that can occur from dysbiosis can be different from one person to the next. Symptoms are based off of: 1) The type of offending microbe, 2) the location of the dysbiosis, and 3) the severity of immune system dysfunction.
Some of the symptoms, findings and conditions that can be attributed to dysbiosis include:
• Fatigue/Fibromyalgia
• Joint pain
• Allergies
• Digestive disturbances (bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, heart burn)
• Yeast infections/thrush
• Mental fogginess
• Auto-immune conditions
• Eczema, Cystic Acne
• Vitamin B deficiency
• Sugar cravings
• Depression/anxiety
• And More…
Two Major Causes of Dysbiosis
1. Antibiotics
The causes of dysbiosis are numerous but some of the best known include medications such as antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Consumption of antibiotics through prescription medication and or through our food supply can contribute to dysbiosis in a few different ways. Antibiotics are not selective only to bad bacteria, but they can also damage or kill the good beneficial bacteria. When our beneficial bacteria are depleted it allows for other competing microbes to proliferate or grow in the location, most commonly seen in practice within the GI tract. Yeast/fungus is the most common microbe that can cause problems for individual’s post antibiotic treatment. The other tricky part is that bacteria can build up resistance to the antibiotic and therefore create additional trouble by making eradication more difficult. NSAIDs are a medication that many people take on a daily basis and can contribute to dysbiosis by preventing the growth of the “good guys”. Long term use can cause digestive disturbances or even contribute to the development of leaky gut and autoimmune disease.
2. Dietary Habits
The majority of the microbes that are present in our body actually reside in the digestive tract. Therefore anything that we eat, the microbes eat. By your everyday food choices you either choose to promote growth of the “good guys” or the “bad guys.” A diet high in sugar, carbohydrates and/or processed foods can be the most detrimental because it fuels the bad guys such as Candida, a type of yeast. By choosing foods such as vegetables, fiber, moderate protein, quality fats and limiting simple carbohydrates, sugar and starchy foods, you can help fuel the growth of beneficial bacteria within the gut.
Testing
To determine if you have dysbiosis there are some different tests available, however the testing is different based on the location of the potential dysbiosis. I will provide you with some of the types of testing available for microbes but a knowledgeable practitioner should be ordering these tests for you depending on your personal history, presenting signs and symptoms, and diagnosis.
Types of testing for microbes:
1. Testing the immune system (antibodies) to see if there is prior exposure to a bad guy or the microbe in question.
2. Checking to see if the microbe will grow from a sample taken from the location of dysbiosis.
3. Genetic testing (PCR Testing) of a sample taken from the body to search for and identify the presence of microbial DNA.
4. Metabolite testing of specific metabolic markers in the urine or breath that may be positive if microbial infection is present.
The most commonly ordered testing for dysbiosis in my office is of the GI tract, which can be completed with a CDSA (Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis). It uses some of the technologies listed above to determine what microbes are present within your stool, both good and bad. This test is a great start for looking into your balance or imbalance of gut microbes.
Treatment/Prevention Considerations
Treatment is two-fold. First identify the “bad guy(s)” and address their eradication if they are present as well as treat the immune dysfunction.
If “bad guys” are present then addressing their eradication is step one of the treatment. This treatment can include antimicrobial medication or herbs, dietary changes to stop fueling the “bad guys,” and repopulating the dysbiosis location with good microbes, such as occurs with the consumption of probiotics.
The understanding that these microbial populations need to live in harmony not only with one another but also with our immune system is an important piece to structuring an effective treatment plan. If our immune system is over or under active due to poor nutrition, poor gastrointestinal health, stress and/or exposure to environmental toxins then we must also address the immune system dysfunction.
Treatment goals to immune dysfunction are also two-fold:
1. Restore the immune system through nutrition and stress reduction.
2. Develop immune system tolerance: getting the immune system to be tolerant of the microbial populations so it is not constantly “attacking” the “good guys”.
This can be accomplished through specific nutrient supplementation, stress modification techniques and dietary changes that include reducing the consumption of sugars, fruit, processed foods, dried foods, starchy vegetables and alcohol while increasing the consumption of quality fats, vegetables, fiber, moderate protein and water.
Dysbiosis or imbalanced life is something that is commonly seen in practice. If you are experiencing some of the symptoms listed above, it is important to examine the relationship you have with your microbial “family” and find out if there are bad guys that are contributing to your symptoms as well as if your defense system is accurate and efficient in defending your body.
Your Health Detective,
Dr. Rudy Mueller DC
-Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner
Dr. Rudy Mueller offers chiropractic care that includes movement assessment, soft tissue techniques, chiropractic manipulation, and rehabilitation recommendations. Dr. Rudy also incorporates functional medicine into his practice in order to address the underlying cause to many chronic conditions. His understanding of the interconnectedness of the body’s systems allow Dr. Rudy to incorporate his functional and regenerative medicine knowledge with his chiropractic skills, helping address the underlying cause of many chronic conditions. For more information, visit: http://www.truenorthhealthcenter.org/rudy_mueller.asp
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