What Is Gut Flora?

The gut flora, or microbiota, is a complex mix of one hundred trillion (100x10) microorganisms such as bacteria and yeast living in the digestive tract. This mix includes about 1000 species; less than half have been identified. The role of the gut flora is to aid digestion, absorption, and immune function. The gut flora is similar in everybody, but not the same.

The similarity is based on genes and diet. Up to 60% of people's daily intake of calories comes from carbohydrates fermented by the gut microbiota. However, changes to diet can alter this number quickly. The gut flora is considered part of the body's overall ecosystem. A disturbance of this ecosystem, called dysbiosis, can contribute to disease.

Recently, research shows that poor gut ecology may lead to obesity, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

Obesity is a complex disease involving many factors. Researchers have found that the gut flora in obese people differs from those of normal-weight people and those who are either overweight or underweight. Some believe this may be due to changes over time rather than obesity. A change in the gut flora may lead to obesity, but it may be more likely that obesity changes the gut flora.

How does Gut Flora Imbalance occur?

The majority of the cells in the gut flora are anaerobic bacteria (meaning they do not require oxygen to survive). An imbalance, called dysbiosis, occurs when less good and bad bacteria take over. Dysbiosis can be caused by many things: antibiotics, poor diet, stress, infections, toxins, and foreign travel.

Antibiotics kill bacteria, including both bad and good types of gut flora. The overgrowth of bad bacteria after antibiotics is called antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD).

Causes of Gut Flora Imbalance

1. Antibiotic use. Antibiotics are widely used in medicine, especially for children. They kill most bacteria they encounter, including good and bad gut flora types. Doctors usually suggest taking probiotics after taking antibiotics to help balance the gut flora again. Probiotics contain beneficial bacteria that can recolonize the digestive tract after clearing bad bacteria.
2. Poor diet. Different types of food go through different amounts of fermentation in the gut, depending on their composition. Carbohydrates rich in fiber ferment completely to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). This produces an acidic environment where bad bacteria cannot live.
3. Stress. Stress can alter the gut flora by causing a temporary inflammation known as stress-induced bowel dysfunction.
4. Infections. Yeast infections, parasites, and other infectious diseases can cause dysbiosis. The immune system reacts to these infections by causing an inflammatory response in the intestine, which changes the environment for future gut bacteria.
5. Toxins and foreign travel. Many types of chemicals can change the gut flora, including chlorine, fluoride, and other components in tap water. Chemicals in cigarette smoke also probably harm the gut flora.

How to Improve Gut Flora Imbalance

Probiotics should be taken to recolonize the gut with good bacteria. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are types of good bacteria that have been found to improve dysbiosis in mice.

A diet high in fiber may prevent obesity by stabilizing the gut flora.

Avoiding stress is essential to balance the gut flora because stress can cause an inflammatory response in the intestine.

Prevent infections by practicing good hygiene and keeping medical appointments. Staying healthy can keep dysbiosis from getting worse.

Avoid toxins and foreign travel to avoid any unexpected changes in the gut flora.

Antibiotics should be taken only when necessary because antibiotics are a common cause of dysbiosis. If necessary, taking probiotics after antibiotic use can help recolonize the gut with good bacteria faster.