Balancing the Bacteria – Some easy hints

Our gastrointestinal tract (otherwise known as the bowel, colon or gut) is the longest chain of connected organs in the body. Collectively it can measure up to 8 or 9m long and contains more than six main organs with a number of accessory organs. The gastrointestinal tract serves an important role in the body, namely the breakdown and absorption of vitamins, minerals and nutrients from our food. In addition, it has been said that 80% of our immune system lives in our gut. Making this very important to those of us that want to live long, healthy lives.

Some writers have suggested that humans cannot be referred to as a single organism, but rather as a collection of symbiotic organisms we must be referred to as a “community”. It is in the gastrointestinal tract that many of these symbiotic, and sometimes parasitic, organisms can be found.

In a healthy gastrointestinal tract, just like a healthy ecosystem, there are all kinds of bacteria that help to break down food, produce energy and improve absorption of nutrients. The large intestine alone, provides the home for over 700 different species of bacteria…. you thought your fridge might have harboured a few bacteria! Two of these species, lactobacillus acidophilus and lactobacillus bifidus, are regularly used in probiotic formulas and spoken about quite regularly.

These beneficial, or good bacteria, live in a defined ratio with less than helpful organisms known, funnily enough as bad bacteria. Some examples include bacteria such as candida albicans or helicobacter pylori. While the levels of good bacteria remain sufficiently high, the growth of these bad bacteria are kept in check. When the ratio tilts in the favour of the bad bacteria however symptoms ranging from thrush, ulcers and gastritis through to cancer may result.

How do we correct the balance?

One of the important things we can do in maintaining optimum health is to restore, rebuild and maintain this ecosystem. In our nutrition clinic we undertake a urine test that quantifies the level of bacterial overgrowth and allows specific strategies to be implemented to fix it. In broad terms however these incorporate the below steps:

Firstly it is important to remove foods from the diet that are known to feed non-friendly bacteria. This includes foods like yeast, sugars and simple carbohydrates. In the early stages it can be helpful to remove most forms of fruit as well, these will be re-introduced as the intestine re-colonises. This will result in a general die off of the bad bacteria. During this period it is not uncommon to feel lethargic, slightly ill and headaches.

The next step is to plug any holes and repair the mucous membrane using a combination of slippery elm, golden seal and L Glutamine. These products work to block up holes and soothe the lining of the stomach and intestine while promoting the regrowth of mucous membranes. One of the more common results of an overrun of bad bacteria, parasites or worms, is damage, holes and inflammation to the gastrointestinal tract lining. Helicobacter pylori, for example, burrows into the mucous membrane of the stomach to escape the acidic environment.

Once the bad guys have been taken out it is important to re-colonise the intestine using a combination of probiotics and cultured foods such as: yogurt, sauerkraut and kefir. These foods are produced by introducing a quantity of good bacteria, typically of the lactobacillus variety, to ferment the food and in turn grow and multiply. In addition to making the food rich in good bacteria it increases the nutrient content and makes the food far easier to digest by partially digesting the carbohydrates.

What is the benefit?

Keeping the bacterial balance tipped in favour of the good guys is one of the best things we can to ensuring long term health and wellness. Good bacteria have been shown to be beneficial countless processes in the body including:

  • Reducing or preventing the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and other inflammatory bowel conditions by keeping the damaging bacteria under control;
  • Production of B vitamins from dietary sources to help in the digestion of carbohydrates and protect our body from stress;
  • Aid in the absorption of magnesium an important mineral for more than 300 reactions in the body including muscular relaxation, immune function and nervous system support.

In many cases we can often see a correlation between the damage caused by bad bacteria and conditions such as autoimmune diseases, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

How do we prevent overgrowth?

There are a number of simple strategies we can implement to prevent the growth of bad bacteria in the body:

  • Use sweeteners like agave syrup or maple syrup in place of simple sugars like honey or refined sugar;
  • Eat complex carbohydrates from vegetables, whole grains and seeds rather than simple refined carbohydrates like pasta, white bread, flour and starchy vegetables;
  • Reduce of eliminate the use of alcohol and coffee in the diet;
  • Where antibiotic use is absolutely necessary increase the use of cultured foods and take a good probiotic;

By following the rules regular use of a probiotic supplement should not be necessary; the diet should provide the foods necessary for the good bacteria to grow and thrive. Where there is a need for a probiotic supplement, whether due to dietary decisions or prolonged antibiotic use we recommend the following options:

  • Ultraflora Immune
  • Grainfields Wholegrain Liquid