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If you are eating a perfectly balanced diet without a lot of processed products and have a stress-free life, you may not need probiotics as a supplementary aid to maintain your general health and immunity. However, nowadays in the modern world, we encounter daily stress from our environment and from the foods we eat. In addition, we tend to consume many forms of chemicals such as antacids, antibiotics, food additives, alcohol and other foods and drugs that lead to a disturbance and reduction in the concentration of beneficial bacteria within our gastrointestinal tract.
By the age of 2 or 3 most children have developed some degree of intestinal balance and a fairly effective immune system. However, as we age, environmental and nutritional factors very often disturb this balance and create the need for probiotic supplementation. The result is Dysbiosis, a disruption of the microflora and an increased susceptibility to potentially pathogenic bacteria. Dysbiosis may be caused when we are subjected to stressors such as the following:
Antibiotic therapy, anti-inflammatory steroids or chemotherapy
The use of antibiotics, steroids or chemotherapy can adversely affect the gut flora. For instance, when antibiotics are used, a proportion of the beneficial microorganisms becomes disrupted and can lead to diarrhoea and an increased susceptibility of the gut to colonisation of pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella etc. The proportion of beneficial microorganisms killed in the gut (by an antibiotic) will depend on the action of the antibiotic (narrow or broad spectrum), the duration of the course and the frequency of the course.
Changes in food and water normally associated with travel
When we travel, our bodies must endure the time taken during flights or other means of travel which make us tired and any time changes which might occur. Ultimately this puts stress on our bodies. We may be taking drugs such as antimalaria tablets which will affect the gut microflora and in addition, our food and water sources will be different and in many cases, may lead to digestive upsets associated with travel to foreign countries.
Hormonal fluctuations around puberty, during menstruation, pregnancy, post natally or during the menopause
The effects of hormones during different stages of our lives are such that the balance of the gut microflora can be disrupted.
Age
The levels of beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacilli decline with age due the reduction of production of gastric acid which lessens the acidity of the gastrointestinal tract and thus increases the levels of coliforms and other pathogenic bacteria in the gut.
Immunological compromise
Stress can depress the immune response of animals and humans and some antibiotics have been shown to depress the immune response significantly leading to a reduction in weights of the spleen and thymus. Withdrawal of the antibiotics in these cases can lead to the restoration of gut flora and a return to immune function. Antibiotics can also often reduce the lactobacilli population.
Unhealthy diet
Dietary changes as well as a lack of a healthy diet can influence the balance of the microflora in the gut thus predisposing us to digestive upsets. A well-balanced diet, sufficient in energy and nutrients as well as dietary fibre, is also of great importance in maintaining a healthy gut. In addition, eating behaviour which leads to indigestion will act to disrupt the microflora balance.
Stress / modern lifestyle
There is strong evidence that stress can affect the composition of the gut microflora. Stress can be described as a factor that stimulates homeostatic, physiological and behavioural responses in excess of the norm. Stress increases the blood level of adrenal corticosteroids which effects the peristaltic movement and the production of mucus within the gut. All stressful situations to which we are exposed to contribute towards an increased intestine pH (more alkaline), and thus the gastrointestinal tract is likely to favour the development of pathogenic species such as E. coli at the expense of the beneficial species.
Infections or illness caused by pathogenic microbes causing symptoms like diarrhoea, excess gas production, constipation. In addition, an unbalanced microflora can result in an overgrowth of detrimental, disease-causing bacteria and yeasts such as Candida albicans, Clostridium difficile etc.
In some incidences it may be that pathogenic bacteria are able to colonise the gut leading to symptoms such as diarrhoea. Here pathogen numbers in the gut will be sufficiently high to induce such symptoms.
Malabsorption or inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis
Bowel problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and sometimes Crohn's disease are commonly associated with a dysbiosis. An unbalanced microflora may also result in arthritis, headaches and migraines, eczema, chronic fatigue, sinus problems or psoriasis. |
