Probiotics

One of the worst examples of excess in modern medicine is the over-prescription of antibiotics. These admittedly remarkable drugs come with a price-tag few doctors take into their reckoning or even seem aware of: for every unfriendly bacterium killed there are also friendly ones destroyed. This can have far-reaching and unpleasant consequences for the host organism.

We need the bacteria that live in our intestines. They protect us from unwanted pathogenic micro-organisms that would otherwise take over and make us very sick. An analogy would be weeds and flowers in the garden: if the beds are crowded with healthy plants, these will choke off weeds before they can become established. In fact, we now understand precisely how important normal bowel 'flora' is: if it is disrupted with antibiotics, what might be called dysbiosis sometimes is the result (dysbiosis = abnormal bowel flora, especially pathogens).

Symptoms of dysbiosis usually include bloating, flatulence, abdominal distress and diarrhoea or constipation. Fatigue, feeling unwell and numerous non-specific symptoms may also be part of the picture. Dysbiosis can lead directly or indirectly to poor nutrition. Inflammation of the intestinal wall will result in poor digestive and absorptive performance. Dysbiosis may also be a key factor in 'leaky gut' syndrome.

The main friendly bacteria to be found in the intestine are anaerobic (don’t need oxygen): Bifidum and bacteroides bacteria. Lactobacillus acidophilus is more widely known but not present in such numbers.  There are of course many other organisms, some of which cause disease if they leave the intestine and travel, for instance, into the bladder. Probably as much as a third of faeces consists of the solid particulate matter of these dead bacteria, particularly Bifido and bacteroides bacteria.

The best-known offending pathogen to take over during dysbiosis is Candida albicans, although it is becoming clear that it may not be the only culprit (see Candida). It now seems quite probable that other fermenting mould-type pathogens proliferate as well, yet they simply have not been assessed fully to date. Candida gets all the blame, and the condition is labeled 'Candidiasis'.

TREATMENT
The main point of treatment is, so far as possible, to remove the cause. If the patient has been subjected to a regular barrage of antibiotics, this should be discontinued. By definition, repeated courses are simply not solving the real problem but only treating the end result – the infections.

Return to normal flora can be assisted by taking oral supplements containing suitable live bacteria. These are called probiotics. Lactobacillus acidophilus is a suitable example, but Lactobacilus bulgaricus is equally effective. Both are found in live yoghourt, which may be a satisfactory supply for those not troubled with dairy allergy.

It makes more sense to top up with Bifido bacteria and bacteroides. The best preparations therefore include large amounts of Bifidobacteria, as well as 'acidophilus'. A recent refinement has been to select Lactobacillus strains from human sources. Logic says that these are antigenically more suitable for the human host environment and therefore more likely to flourish. Dairy-free brands are readily available.

Eat a diet that avoids refined carbohydrate in the form of white flour and sugar, as found in most commercial food supplies.