What is Dysbiosis?

The microbiological composition of our gut has been long identified as a source for health. The health human intestine is colonised by 100 billion bacteria, with 10.000 different species spread over the whole gastrointestinal tract, which the largest amount of variety in the large intestine 400-500 different species. This puts into perspective how they can influence our health so much. On average, we have about 100 bacteria in our gut per each cell in our body. A well balanced gut flora helps to maintain the importance homeostasis of many physiological processes in our body.

How do they do that? Though a constant exchange between our bacterial floras with our body.

The functions of beneficial gut bacteria are manifold:

• Compete with space, food to prevent colonisation through pathogenic species.
• They are maintaining our gut wall and prevent permeability and therefore reduce the ability of pathogenic species or large antigen molecules to enter our body.
• Produces antimicrobial substances which prevent colonisation though pathogenic microbes.
• Influence and maintance the PH in the gut, which is important for may physiologically processes, many only working well in the right pH range.
• Trains the immune system via the Gut associated Immune system encourages reaction and recognition of pathogenic microbes and reduces responses to food particles. When immune answer is imbalanced it leads to food intolerances or allergies.
• Produces short chain fatty acids (SCAFs) which provide nourishment and energy to our gut epithel cells for maintaining the gut wall integrity and increases the colon circulation and influences the motility.
• Produces Vitamins of the B group , such as Biotin, folic acid, Niacin and pantothenic acid.
• Produces and regulates uptake of the neurotransmitter (GABA, Histamine, Serotonin and Tryptophan) in the gut.
• Communication via the but brain axis and influences mood and emotional well being.
• Break down of food and nutrient uptake.
• Down regulate inflammatory processes.
• Affect our hormone balance.
• Affect weight.

When out of balance, our health starts to deteriorate, and we lose their beneficial effects of microbiome. Additional pathogenic species can rise to higher numbers and cause the increased amount of endotoxic bacterial end products inflammation, interference with the hormone excretion, bloating, discomfort, cramping, diarrhea, skin or asthma flare ups just to name a few. Having a health balance gut flora is the corner stone of good health and often can prevent the onset of inherited conditions and strengthen our health. Research on gut bacteria has gathered in the last number of years more and more interest. And continuously new aspects of the benefits of a gut microbiome particular the therapy and preventive aspect are discovered. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense to check out your gut bacteria composition to identify imbalances in the key bacteria species. Once identified, they can be rebalanced again through therapeutic changes .

References:

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