The microbiologist Elie Metchnikoff won a Nobel Prize for his work when he said, dysbiosis is the reason why our guts is out of balance. For that, he coined the expression “Death begins in the GUT!” When Socrates long before it said “All disease begins in the gut.” And the Arab physician Al Harith Ibn Khaladah said as well, ” guts are the roots of all ailments, and diet is the source of healing”. It is absolutely correct because, our digestive system is our second brain and it is called “enteric nervous system” and it is the second largest part of our neurological system. In addition, 80% of our entire immune system is located in our digestive tract.
It is estimated that more than 1200 species of bacteria, yeast and other organisms numbering 100,000,000,000,000 trillion bacteria in each drop of fluid in the colon; to make up the “gut flora”. In an average adult the bacteria weigh about 2kg and the number of individual organisms outnumbers the total number of cells in the human body by a factor of 100 to 1.
Luckily for us a vast number of these bacteria are “good” or beneficial, to “bad” or potentially harmful, species in the microbiome. Bacteria is crucial for over all health and effective digestion (check life after healing plan). However, the bacteria maintain a harmonious balance in a healthy digestive tract to makes the “gut flora”or gut microbiota which perform many functions that contribute to our health by keeping each other in check so no specific colony can dominate. Hence in a disturbed system, one colony becoming dominant and one becoming weaker creates a chronic imbalance, and debilitates the good guys compromising our system as a whole. So it is very crucial to maintain a healthy clean digestive system.
The cause of Dysbiosis and Bacteria
Illness can occur when the amount of friendly bacteria is reduced and organisms like Dysbiosis and other harmful bacteria, i.e candida or Ecoli, are able to increase their numbers and become the majority. There are a lot of factors that can disrupt the balance of organisms in the intestines (for example stress, medication, food and drinks). These factors lead to overgrowth of the less desirable species.
Below is a list of some medications and conditions that can disrupt your intestinal balance and cause bacteria overgrowth:
- Anti Acid pills
- Sugar over-consumption
- Stress
- Imbalanced diets that are quite poor and lacking nutritional supplementation; i.e extreme consumption of carbohydrates, unhealthy fat, animal products and processed food.
- Antibiotics use: there are certainly times when antibiotics are absolutely necessary for your health but, antibiotics kill off the bad guys, and they kill off all the good guys too.
- Artificial sweeteners
- Cancer treatments
- Birth control pills and hormone therapy and steroids
- Bowel obstruction
- Constipation
- Crohn’s disease
- Decreased mobility
- Diabetes
- Diverticulosis
- Fistulas
- Gastric bypass surgery
- Hormone therapy
- Hypothyroidism
- Immune deficiency
- Infections
- Low fibre
- NSAIDs ( anti depressants)
- Pancreatic enzyme deficiency
- Parasites
- Post-operative changes
- Scleroderm
- Alcohol
Home and self testing for Candida
For a simple at home test try the following before you visit your practitioner to have conclusive means of testing for candida. First thing in the morning, before you put anything in your mouth, fill a clear glass with room temperature bottled water. Work up some saliva in your mouth, and spit into the filed glass of water. During a period of one hour keep checking the glass.
If you see strings of fibres going down into the water from the saliva on the top, and some cloudy specks (particles suspended in the water) or cloudy saliva that sinks to the bottom of the glass you have a candida problem. Healthy saliva will simply float on the top!
Symptoms of Bacteria Overgrowth
Imagine if your body is absorbing a level of alcohol a lot higher than normal, constantly, and over a number of years. This is clearly going to lead to a less than desirable state of health and wellness. Nutrients and liver enzymes will become depleted, resulting in direct damage to multiple body systems. The bacteria and Dysbiosis (check the double-duty detox and healing plan) overgrowth will basically make the body in a “poisoned” state, and the number of symptoms it can produce are vast and affect every bodily function.
If you experience 5 or more of those symptoms you are more likely to suffer from bacteria overgrowth:
- Digestive issues common as IBS, bloating, belching, constipation, diarrhoea, heartburn, abdominal pain, indigestion
- Poor memory
- Sleeping problems
- Lactose intolerance
- A white coat on the tongue.
- Autistic behaviour
- Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, lack of focus, ADD, ADHD, and brain fog
- Chronic fatigue
- Joint pain
- Fibromylagia
- Yeast infections
- Thrush
- Lowered libidos
- Difficulty losing weight
- Skin problems such as acne or hives
- Nail fungi
- Hyperactivity; learning and behavioural disorders
- Depression and or anxiety
- Strong sugar and refined carbohydrate cravings
- Inflammatory joint disease / Rheumatoid arthritis
- Eczema, rosacea
- Allergies and chronic food sensitivities
- Bad breath and gum disease
- Bloating foul smelling gas
- Candida overgrowth or chronic yeast problems.
- Frequent colds, flu or sinus infections
- Mucus in stool
- Itchy ears
- Burning sensation in the mouth
- Poor digestion including acid reflex
- Stomach bugs or episodes of food poisoning
- Unexplained diarrhoea or constipation.
- Vaginal itching and/or discharge
- Anal itching
More Connected Conditions
Below are conditions often experts associate them with individuals with dysbiosis and candidas:
- Bloating and weight gain
- Breast cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Autism
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Celiac disease / Gluten sensitivity
- Crohn’s disease
- Inflammatory bowel and joint disease / Rheumatoid arthritis
- Pancreatic insufficiency
- Ulcerative colitis
- Psoriasis
- Liver dysfunction
- Autoimmune disease
- Bacterial vaginosis (BV)
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Food cravings
- Multiple sclerosis
- Obesity
- Parasites
- Sinusitis
- Thyroid disease
- Yeast infection and over growth
How do you test for candida overgrowth?
A certified nutritionist can order some tests that help determine the presence of Candida and Dysbiosis. This a list of some of the tests available such as:
Breath hydrogen tests:
Used to test for dysbiosis in the small intestines, or SIBO; glucose is consumed and levels of hydrogen in the breath are tested; bacteria breaks down glucose and release hydrogen gases and therefore levels of hydrogen infer to possible dysbiosis.
Blood test:
It is called IgG, IgA, and IgM to check your levels for candida antibodies. This can easily be done through most medical labs, and high levels can clue you in to an overgrowth of candida. Blood tests can often come back negative even when a stool or urine test are positive.
Stool testing:
Ask your doctor to orders a comprehensive stool test rather than the standard. It is the most accurate test out there. The lab will check for candida in your colon or lower intestines, and can usually determine the species of yeast — as well as which treatment will be most effective. Multiple stool tests may be necessary (and it’s good to have them done by more than one Parasitology center because a patient may have several negative tests and still have parasites.
Urine Organix Dysbiosis Test:
This test looks for a waste product of candida yeast overgrowth that’s called D-arabinitol. Elevated results indicate an overgrowth of candida, and the test can help you determine if there is candida in your upper gut or small intestines.
Medical Approach to Candidas and Dysbiosis
Most doctors and mainstream medicine is only beginning to recognise it as a real condition and admit that candida can cause illness due to intestinal overgrowth. Therefore, dysbiosis and Candidas can be a challenging diagnosis to make.
Finally, the link between intestinal health and mental health is starting to be investigated. Research is showing that nutritional influences on depression can be profound and currently under estimated.
Many doctors prescribe antibiotics for dysbiosis as well as for dysbiosis-related symptoms, including bacterial vaginosis (BV), cystic acne, recurrent sinus infections, and rosacea but this approach is part of the problem, not the solution. Antibiotics can only mask the symptoms and may temporarily improve it, but for most people it’s a shortsighted fix, making things worse in the long term as antibiotics kill off large amounts of essential good bacteria. Your symptoms may initially get better, but most likely a vicious cycle of recurring symptoms/more antibiotics occurs as your bacterial balance is disrupted.
Integrative Approach to Candidas and Dybiosis
The integrative approach is to treat the root of problems and create an environment where the yeast have a hard time growing and then use supplements of good bacteria (also known as probiotics) to create
a more balanced gut flora by following a gut healing and cleansing diet between 3 to 6 months to establish a balance alongside with other supplements. Please check (check the double-duty detox and healing plan) and (check life after healing plan)
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