Title: Intestinal Dysbiosis
Key words: malabsorption,
bacterial, fungal, leaky gut syndrome, susceptibility, fermentation
Date: Oct 2000
Category: 8. The Gut
Type: Article
Author: Dr C Forsyth
Intestinal Dysbiosis
Dysbiosis is the term given
to imbalance of the normal gastrointestinal flora and may be either bacterial
or fungal.
Dysbiosis may cause:
·
Malabsorption -
nutritional deficiencies
·
Leaky gut syndrome
·
Increased
susceptibility to intestinal pathogens
·
Local symptoms of
increased fermentation
Major Causes of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
|
·
Poor diet/nutritional
status (esp. high fat and simple carbohydrates) ·
Stress ·
Antibiotics ·
Diabetes mellitus ·
Immunodeficiency
syndromes, esp. sIgA deficiency ·
Abnormal gut motility ·
Hypochlorhydria,
achlorhydria, drug-induced hypoacidity ·
Pancreatic exocrine
insufficiency - chronic pancreatitis etc. |
·
Intestinal parasites
e.g. Giardiasis ·
Intestinal adhesions ·
Stasis due to
structural changes - diverticular disease, blind loops, radiation damage ·
Other drug therapies ·
Presence of
xenobiotics ·
Increased small
intestinal pH ·
Mercury from amalgam
restorations |
Commonly associated with Small Intestinal Bacterial
Overgrowth:
Crohn's disease
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Scleroderma
Investigations:
Hydrogen breath test (more
sensitive than GFP for bacterial overgrowth) – Biolab recommended.
Gut fermentation profile
(GFP) (measurement of bacterial and yeast fermentation products- short chain
fatty acids and alcohols in blood 1 hour after an oral glucose load) – Biolab.
Treatment of Bacterial Overgrowth:
Identification and treatment
of predisposing factors
Identification and treatment
of secondary effects
Natural anti-bacterial
agents -citrus seed extract, berberis concentrate, etc.
Probiotics (Lactobacillus
acidophilus & L. bifidus)
Prebiotics
(fructo-oligosaccharides, Inulin)
Conventional antibiotics