DYSBIOSIS UNDERSTANDING THE BASIC COMPOSITIONS OF THE MICROFLORA

TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT DYSBIOSIS IS AND WHY IT MATTERS

FOR OUR OVERALL HEALTH, LETS LOOK AT THE GUT FLORA FROM

A FEW PERSPECTIVES.

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON

MICROORGANISMS FOUND IN THE MICROBIOTA OF THE

LARGE AND SMALL INTESTINES?

THERE IS A WIDE VARIETY OF INTESTINAL

MICROFLORA FOUND

THROUGHOUT THE

GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT.

Image take from http://missinghumanmanual.com/?tag=gut-flora

SOME MICROORGANISMS ARE GOOD AND OTHERS CAN BE BAD

EXAMPLES OF GOOD MICROORGANISMS• Bifidobacterium• Lactobacilli

EXAMPLES OF BAD MICROORGANISMS

• Clostridium difficile• Campylobacter• Enterococcus faecalis

Some yeasts and bacteria like candida and e-coli are ok in small amounts. But can cause harmful effects once they multiply and become overabundant. (Vasquez, 2004)

WHAT IS MEANT BYNORMAL MICROBIOTA?

When looking at what normal microbiota is, it can be described as the healthy, balanced ratio of

the microorganisms withinthe small intestines.

SOME BENEFITS OF A HEALTHY MICROBIOTA INCLUDE:

• INABILITY OF PATHOGENS TO THRIVE AND SURVIVE.

• SUPPORTS HEALTHY IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTION

• INCREASED ANTI-INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE

THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WAYS THE MICROBIOTA

CAN GET OUT OF BALANCE

You can get too much good bacteria, which might seem like a good thing.

Though we like to have an abundance of good bacteria, to much good bacteria can raise pH and can

manifest in uncomfortable symptoms of gas, bloating and/or diarrhea.

(Lehrer, 2014)

OVERABUNDANCE OF GOOD BACTERIA

TOO MUCH BAD BACTERIA

• As good bacteria are diminished, the abundance of bad bacteria can manifest as they multiply and wreak havoc on our health through depressed immune responses and increased widespread inflammatory responses throughout the body.

• Good bacteria gets crowded out by the bad bacteria and bad bacteria feed upon and can destroy healthy microorganisms and tissues/structures in the body.

• Pathogens can develop causing widespread health concerns. (Peterson & Round, 2014)

CERTAIN STRAINS OF BACTERIA CAN BECOME OBSOLETE

As this happens:• Good microorganisms get outnumbered or

destroyed, leading to a reduction in the variety of organisms or loss of entire species that were once present.

• Bad microorganisms continue to multiply• Pathogens such as parasites can manifest as

immune systems is depressed and unable to respond appropiately. (Peterson & Round, 2014)

SYMPTOMS FROM TO MUCH BAD BACTERIA CAN APPEAR IN THE FORM OF?

• Diarrhea (with or without blood) • Vomiting• Muscle cramps• Dehydration• Death (Jandhyala, Talukdar,

Subramanyam, Vuyyuru, H., Sasikala, & Reddy, 2015)

DIAGNOSTIC TESTS FOR DIAGNOSIS

TESTING FOR THIS CONDITION CAN BE DONE WITH THE FOLLOWING:

• BLOOD TESTS (CBC)• SALIVA SAMPLES• VITAMIN LEVELS IN THE BLOOD OR HAIR• INTESTINAL CULTURES SUCH AS STOOL SAMPLES• BREATH TESTS (LEHRER, 2014)

AS CHANGES CAN RESULT IN HOW THE VARIOUS TYPES OF MICROORGANISMS LIVE AND ARE DISTRIBUTED

IN OUR LARGE AND SMALL INTESTINES, THIS CAN LEAD TO DYSBIOSIS.

THIS CAN RESULT IN AN INABILITY FOR THEM TO SUPPORT OUR OVERALL HEALTH, CAUSING

WIDESPREADDISEASE THROUGHOUT THE BODY.

(HAWRELAK, CATTLEY, & MYERS, 2009).

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

REFERENCESHawrelak,J. A., Cattley, T., & Myers, S. P. (2009). Essential Oils in the Treatment of Intestinal Dysbiosis: A Preliminary in vitro Study. Medicine Review, 14(4), 380-384. http://69.164.208.4/files/Essential%20in%20the%20treatment% 20ofintestinal20dysbiosis--%20A%20Preliminary%20in%20vitro%20Study.pdfHawrelak, J. A. & Myers, S. P. (2004). The causes of intestinal dysbiosis: a review. Altern Med Rev, 9(2), 180-197. http://69.164.208.4/files/Intestinal Microflora. Retrieved from http://missinghumanmanual.com/wp- content/uploads/2013/02/intestinal-microflora-4101.jpgJandhyala, S. M., Talukdar, R., Subramanyam, C., Vuyyuru, H., Sasikala, M., & Reddy, D. N. (2015). Role of

the normal gut microbiota. World journal of gastroenterology: WJG, 21(29), 8787.Lehrer, J.K. (2014, May 15). Small Bacterial Over Growth. Retrieved from Medline on 25 August 2015 from https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000222.htmPetersen, C., & Round, J. L. (2014). Defining dysbiosis and its influence on host immunity and disease. Cellular microbiology, 16(7), 1024-1033. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cmi.12308/pdfSchippa, S., & Conte, M. P. (2014). Dysbiotic Events in Gut Microbiota: Impact on Human Health. Nutrients,

6(12), 5786-5805. doi:10.3390/nu6125786