Dysbiosis

What is Dysbiosis?

The term dysbiosis identifies a generic alteration of the human bacterial flora; for this reason it is normally followed by an adjective that specifies the body district concerned (vaginal dysbiosis, skin dysbiosis, oral dysbiosis, etc.).

When we simply speak of dysbiosis, we generally refer to an alteration of the microflora, mainly bacterial, which dwells in the human intestine, especially in the large intestine (intestinal dysbiosis). At this level an extraordinary quantity and variety of microorganisms is present; just think that in one gram of feces, about 100 billion bacteria are found.

Intestinal Bacterial Flora

Every day, advertising reminds us how important the normal balance of this bacterial flora is, in which the so-called symbionts should prevail, friendly organism bacteria that hinder the proliferation of pathogens, improving the functionality of the intestinal mucosa and, consequently, the whole body health.

Despite the importance of intestinal bacterial flora, dysbiosis is often not considered a real disease, at least by official medicine; on the other hand, among the advocates of alternative approaches to human health, there is an obsessive attention to it, since it is often called into question as a trigger for various disorders and pathologies. Among these, a major role is played by food intolerances, imbalances in the immune system and their consequences (increased susceptibility to infections, allergies, autoimmune diseases, etc.), fungal diseases (especially candida), disorders of the alve (diarrhea, constipation, meteorism, flatulence, abdominal cramps etc.), genital and urinary infections, nutritional deficiencies (especially of vitamins and minerals), predisposition to colorectal cancers, and low physical efficiency with a sense of weakness.

Causes

The intestinal bacterial flora is a sort of digital imprint, since it varies in a more or less sensitive way from individual to individual. We ourselves, in fact, unknowingly select the bacterial species housed in the intestine, based above all on the characteristics of our diet. The intestinal bacterial flora, in fact, lives mostly on unassorbed food residues, and each bacterial strain has specific nutritional requirements. In the healthy individual, the origin of a possible dysbiosis must therefore be sought above all in the diet: monothematic diets, food excesses, such as sugar, alcohol or meat, together with the lack of plant foods, are undoubtedly the most common causes . Often, some food additives and hormonal or pesticide residues are also involved, which can be found, respectively, in meat or vegetable foods. The official medicine, however, gives little importance to the alimentary etiopathogenesis of the dysbiosis, attributing to it causes of origin mostly iatrogenic (drugs), or pathological.

Other possible causes of dysbiosis must therefore be sought in drugs, especially in the case of antibiotic therapies, antacids with proton pump inhibitors, abuse of laxatives or hormonal treatments. Finally, among the possible pathological components, which negatively affect the functionality of the digestive system, we mention liver, pancreatic, gastric (hypochloridria) and biliary tract diseases, malabsorption disorders (celiac disease, various intolerances such as lactose) and the various enteric diseases (infections, parasitosis, diverticula, fistulas etc.). However, the possible contribution of neurogenic causes (stress, depression, anxiety, etc.) should not be underestimated, given the close and well-documented connection between brain and intestine.

Symptoms

Dysbiosis lurks behind a whole series of symptoms with predominantly gastrointestinal localization: swelling, maldigestion, meteorism, nausea, vomiting, flatulence (excessive production of intestinal gas), and problems with the ligament (constipation alternating with diarrhea, steatorrhea, etc.). Above all in women, dysbiosis can also be responsible for recurrent genital infections, such as vaginal candidiasis. Those listed are the most obvious and common symptoms, but in theory - due to the aforementioned protective role of a friendly bacterial flora - aspecific symptoms may also arise, such as sleep disturbances, mood changes, increased susceptibility to infections and reduced efficiency physics.

Treatment and treatment of dysbiosis "