Category: Dysbiosis

Hippocrates once said “all disease begins in the gut”. This may not be entirely true of all diseases, but many diseases begin in the gut. Conditions that have been linked to dysbiosis include:

This is truly an extensive list of conditions caused by dysbiosis, some of them very serious. It’s remarkable to think that many of the illnesses on this list are linked to an imbalanced digestive system, but all of these diseases have been scientifically proven to be linked to a state of dysbiosis in the gut.

My illnesses

If you have read my story in the about me section then you will know that my own dybiosis started during childhood, and since then I’ve suffered from many diseases caused by dysbiosis throughout my life. From the above list I’ve suffered from IBS, candida overgrowth, acid reflux, oral thrush, bloating, both depression & anxiety at various points of my life, constipation, excessive flatulence, and chronic haemorrhoids. My 21 year old daughter has been hit the hardest due to excessive antibiotic use from when she was a baby up until the age of 20 when they finally removed her tonsils. She has many more illnesses listed above, but I’ll explain her story in more detail in another post. Suffice to say she is now on the road to recovery by following the principles laid down in the Dysbiosis Diet.

The benefits of hindsight would indeed be invaluable from an early age. Unfortunately it isn’t until we contract one or more of these horrible diseases that we are truly motivated to take action. So what exactly is dysbiosis?

What is dysbiosis of the gut?

The definition of dysbiosis is ‘an imbalance between the types of organism present in a person’s natural microflora, especially that of the gut, thought to contribute to a range of conditions of ill health’.

Your body is full of harmless colonies of bacteria, yeasts, and other organisms. At present there are over 1000 different species of bacteria that reside in your gut (but only 150 to 160 different species are predominant), and scientists are constantly discovering new species every day. All of these bacteria make up what is known as our microbiome, and together they form a mini eco-system.

Remarkably our colonic bacteria can weigh a staggering two kilogrammes. They all have their own little niche with some bacteria feeding on whatever is left from the digestive process such as fibre and amino acids.

How do our bacteria feed?

Some of the bacteria in our colon feed on soluble fibre, whilst other bacteria feed on protein or more specifically amino acids. Some of the by-products produced by these bacteria may be consumed by other bacteria residing in the colon, a process known as cross-feeding.

We also have colonies of yeast which reside in the lower portion of the colon. These yeasts, such as Candida Albicans and Saccharomyces Boulardii, feed on any sugar that has escaped digestion and also not been metabolised by the bacteria further up the colon (it’s estimated that about 5% of digested sugars reach the colon).

The sizes of these groups of specific bacteria and yeast are dependent on a number of things including the mobility of the bacteria (some have a tail called a flagella which allows them to move). Also, their ability to produce substances which are harmful to other bacteria, for instance the Lactobacillus family produces lactic acid which kills some of the other bacteria and yeasts. In addition the cross feeding bacteria will be in close proximity to the bacteria that provide them with a food source. There are many different reasons why bacteria and yeasts are located in certain parts of the colon and this mini ecosystem is finely balanced.

An unbalanaced microbiome

The by-products that are produced by our colonic microbiome keep us in good health. Short chain fatty acids help to nourish the cells that line the digestive tract (epithelial cells). Some bacteria produce vitamins which are then absorbed into the bloodstream. Other bacteria help to regulate the muscular wave like contractions that propel food and waste through the digestive system (known as peristalsis).

If the microbiome is unbalanced then colonies of bacteria that were harmless will suddenly increase in numbers. In turn the volume of their by-products increases and causes harm to our digestive system which leads to a state of dysbiosis. In particular, yeasts such as Candida Albicans can spread rapidly throughout the digestive tract and they produce some very harmful by-products.

Causes of dysbiosis

A disruption to the balance of our microbiome can be caused by the following:

• Antibiotics

• Excessive alcohol consumption

• The use of steroids

• Chronic stress

• Artificial sweetener

• Over consumption of any one particular macro nutrient

• A diet too low in fibre

Of all the causes listed above the prolonged use of antibiotics is the most insidious cause of dysbiosis. In the right circumstances antibiotics can save your life, but often a course of antibiotics is unnecessary. They do not discriminate between good or bad bacteria and can wipe out your microbiome in an instant. This is exactly what happened to me and I had to learn how to completely re-build my microbiome.  Right up until my late 20’s my dysbiosis was caused by a lack of dietary soluble fibre. I ate plenty of fruit, but barely touched vegetables, and that lack of such a rich source of soluble fibre had major implications on my microbiome. More recently, two heavy courses of antibiotics all but wiped out my microbiome and caused me to suffer from a chronic candida overgrowth.

Symptoms of dysbiosis

Some of the symptoms of dysbiosis are the same as the illnesses listed above. This is because both symptoms and illnesses are conditions of dysbiosis. Take constipation as an example, it can be caused by a reduction in certain bacteria such as Lactobacillus, and an increase in other bacteria such as Clostridium(1). Clearly it is an illness caused by an imbalance of gut bacteria as well as a symptom of an imbalance in gut bacteria.

These are just a few symptoms of dysbiosis, as there are specific symptoms for each condition caused by dysbiosis. In addition, different people can experience different symptoms for the same condition. For instance, when suffering from acid reflux I could experience back pain between my shoulder blades, pain in my stomach area, chest pain, difficulty swallowing and a feeling of fullness in my throat, a bitter taste in my mouth, and coughing during the night due to breathing in acidic vapour. I never had these symptoms all at the same time, maybe a couple of symptoms at different times of the day. And different symptoms during different bouts of reflux.

What should I do if I’m experiencing any of the symptoms

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms on this list then the bottom line is: go and see your doctor. Implementing the Dysbiosis diet in conjuction with a visit to your doctor is a great head start. If your symptoms are caused by dysbiosis then the Dysbiosis Diet will soon have you on the road to recovery. I’ve had endoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, barium enema, many ultrasound scans, and more digital rectal examinations than I care to mention. All of them ruled out the serious conditions that shared the same symptoms as dysbiosis.

Herein lies the problem, many different conditions share the same, or similar, symptoms. Trust me when I tell you that Google isn’t going to tell you what condition you have from a set of (shared) symptoms. Google is going to scare you to death! I’ve been down that road too many times. You wouldn’t believe the amount of terminal illnesses I’ve self diagnosed with a bit of help from Google, and the anxiety and worry that have followed.

I can also tell you that your doctor won’t be able to tell you what condition you have from an initial examination. They will have a list of possible causes in mind and will rule these causes out with one or more tests.

Non-diagnosis

It’s when the tests come back negative that the Dysbiosis Diet can be a real help. You see, dybiosis is still relatively new, its an emerging science. It still belongs in the domain of the scientists and research is slow to cascade down to the doctors. Often tests will show up as negative and the doctors have no more avenues to go down. They’re just a puzzled as us. When your tests come back negative it’s a very positive indication that your symptoms are caused by dysbiosis of the gut. This is one of many scenarios where following the principles of the Dysbiosis Diet will provide the cure.