Time to Banish the Bad Gut Hitchhikers

When the microbiome is balanced, you're able to create and absorb all those beautiful and important vitamins, your immune system functions well and you poop with ease. However, if your gut ecosystem needs a little extra TLC,  then life and your jeans may be feeling uncomfortable.

BUG BALANCE

An imbalance in your gut microbiome is known as ‘dysbiosis’, which is a reduction in both the number and/or diversity of the beneficial microorganisms within your gut, with an increase in less beneficial bacteria as a result. Yeah, not a good mix!

Dysbiosis disrupts the healthy functioning of your gut, leading to uncomfortable symptoms, including digestive pain, bloating, nutritional deficiencies, or even a compromised immune system.

So what causes it? Well, poor dietary choices, frequent antibiotic use, a lack of exercise or unmanaged stress all contribute to Dysbiosis.

Dysbiosis and bloating have also been linked with digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

SIBO is a type of chronic infection where bacteria that should usually reside in the large bowel reproduce in large numbers and sneakily migrate to the small intestine, somewhere they just shouldn't hang out. This migration causes excessive bloating, flatulence and digestive discomfort.

EXCESS METHANOGENS

If you have dysbiosis, ‘methanogens’ may be lurking in your gut. These bacteria release methane gas as they break down fibre from your food, which can cause bloating, sluggish digestion, slow transit time (the amount of time food takes to travel from your mouth, through your gut, and out the other end), constipation, bloating, flatulence and gut discomfort. As excess methane production is connected with chronic constipation, it may be worth finding out if methanogens are making you feel stopped up.

BAD GUT HITCHHIKERS

By disrupting your internal gut microbiome, dysbiosis can create an environment where disease-causing organisms have the opportunity to flourish. We pick up little gut hitchhikers in the way of potentially harmful bacteria and stubborn yeasts in our daily activities. If our gut microbiome is fighting fit, it is able to kill off and dispose of these critters very effectively, however, if our gut microbiome is struggling, disease-causing bugs can take over.

Can you perhaps trace your gut issues back to a nasty bout of gastro, an overload of antibiotics or even Bali belly? Lingering symptoms can include bouts of nausea, gut pain, loose bowels, constipation (or both), brain fog and severe bloating.

IT'S TIME TO TEST

There are multiple reasons why you could be chronically bloated, so how do you find out what’s going on in your gut? The best way is with a microbiome test.

If your favourite jeans haven't seen the light of day for a while and your microbiome is screaming at you with symptoms of bloating or discomfort, dysbiosis may be the cause. The results of the Metabiome™ test can help you bring balance back to your gut microbiome and reduce those uncomfortable gut symptoms. Make an appointment with your Naturopath to access this simple test and get some answers to bring you back to good health free from pain and discomfort.