Dysbiosis: Overview and Treatment

Gut dysbiosis is a state in which there is an imbalance of microorganisms within our gastrointestinal tract. When in balance, these colonies of microorganisms tend to have a favorable effect on our bodies. When there is an imbalance, we may experience unwanted symptoms.

In this article, learn about what gut dysbiosis is, its causes, and the symptoms it can cause. It also covers how to diagnose it and ways to improve gut health.

What Is Dysbiosis?

Gut dysbiosis means there is an imbalance of microorganisms in the intestines. Dysbiosis is also known as intestinal or gastrointestinal dysbiosis.

Gut microorganisms, collectively known as gut flora, consist predominantly of various strains of bacteria and, to a lesser extent, include fungi and protozoa. The gut flora are essential for digestion and immune functioning. A state of dysbiosis, therefore, will result in digestive and other systemic symptoms.

Types of Dysbiosis

There is more than one type of gut dysbiosis. Some people have too much harmful bacteria in their digestive system, while others don't have enough good bacteria. Gut dysbiosis may also describe an imbalance in the microbe community in your gut or a lack of microbe diversity. There are three main types of gut dysbiosis:

1. Loss of beneficial bacteria
2. Overgrowth of harmful bacteria
3. Loss of bacterial diversity

More than one of these types of dysbiosis can co-occur.

Health Problems Stemming From Gut Dysbiosis

Dysbiosis has been identified as playing a possible role in a variety of health problems. What this role might be is not always clear. It is theorized that the balance of gut bacteria can affect the immune system and the health of the lining of the gut (increased intestinal permeability). Health conditions in which dysbiosis might play a part are not exclusively related to digestion and can include:

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Obesity
• Metabolic syndrome
• Type 2 diabetes
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Atopic eczema
• Rheumatoid arthritis

Gut dysbiosis and weight gain may be related as well. Some studies, for example, have found a link between obesity and certain gut microorganisms.

Causes of Dysbiosis

Dysbiosis is caused by a change in the population of the various microbes, in that unhelpful microbes overpower those that are more beneficial. Unfortunately, this tends to snowball as the fewer helpful microbes become less and less able to keep the "unfriendly" microbes from multiplying.

Dysbiosis may also be caused by changes in the location of the various types of microorganisms throughout the intestines or how they operate.

Some factors that appear to contribute to a state of dysbiosis include:

• Antibiotic use (from medications or the consumption of antibiotic-treated animal products)
• Unhealthy diet (lacking in nutrients and fiber or containing harmful substances)
• Alcohol abuse
• Secondary to medical illness, such as chemotherapy for cancer
• High life stress levels

Symptoms of Dysbiosis

The symptoms of gut dysbiosis may include:

• Gas and bloating
• Bad breath
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Mucus in the stool
• Abdominal pain

Diagnosing Dysbiosis

Because there are a lot of individual differences between the gut microbiotas of healthy people, there's no standard way to arrive at a dysbiosis diagnosis. Some healthcare providers may order the following tests:

• A comprehensive digestive stool analysis (CDSA) is a laboratory analysis of a stool sample.
• A hydrogen breath test measures the amount of hydrogen in your breath. Unusual levels of hydrogen can point to a bacterial imbalance.
• An organic acid test is a simple urine test that looks for the acids that some bacteria may produce.

Because certain conditions like IBS and long-term use of antibiotics are associated with dysbiosis, your healthcare provider will also ask you about your medical history.

Improving Gut Health

In theory, dysbiosis can be cured through improved dietary and lifestyle habits. Adopting a dysbiosis diet might mean eating high-quality proteins from sources like lean meat and fish, increasing your fiber intake, and avoiding sugar, saturated fat, and refined flour.

Lifestyle changes might include engaging in mind/body techniques for stress management. Some alternative health practitioners recommend the use of bone broth, but there is no clinical research to back up this recommendation.

The research on the relationship between gut dysbiosis and our health is still in preliminary stages, although it is rapidly expanding. As of now, there are a few dysbiosis treatment options that have received some research support for improving a state of dysbiosis:

• Probiotics
• Prebiotics
• Fecal microbiota transplantation

When dysbiosis is caused by too little good bacteria in the gut, probiotics may help. Some studies have shown that certain probiotics may cure this type of dysbiosis.

For people with irritable bowel syndrome, a specific antibiotic, Xifaxan (rifaximin), targets dysbiosis in the intestines.

This area of medicine is still in its preliminary stages. Clear information about improving dysbiosis and its effect on health disorders is not yet available. However, this area of inquiry appears to be a promising one.

Summary

Gut dysbiosis occurs when the balance of bacteria in the gut becomes imbalanced because there is not the ideal number of good or bad bacteria or a combination of the two. It can happen for a variety of reasons, including due to diet, stress, antibiotic use, or as a result of illnesses. Gut dysbiosis presents differently depending on the type and the individual but can include gas, bloating, nausea, bad breath, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and/or constipation.

Gut health can improve with attention to managing stress, diet, and interventions like prebiotics and probiotics in your diet and as supplements. More research is needed to understand how to address gut dysbiosis best.