Dysbiosis
Dysbiosis is a technical sounding term to describe an imbalance in the bacteria that live in and on the body – especially in your gut.
As well as affecting how many different types of bugs live in your gut, reducing “
gut bacteria diversity”, this imbalance can mean that numbers of beneficial bugs fall, while numbers of potentially harmful ones grow.
That’s unhelpful – and potentially unhealthy – for a few different reasons.
It can affect how and what kind of messages and information the gut sends to the brain, and also increase the risk of
leaky gut, where bacteria escape the gut lining and enter the bloodstream.
Dysbiosis may even contribute to the development of other gastrointestinal disorders, including medically diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome. Plus, the physical symptoms can be downright uncomfortable.
What are the symptoms of dysbiosis?
The digestive symptoms that dysbiosis can cause include bloating, excess gas, abdominal pain and a change in bowel habits.
What causes dysbiosis?
What you eat plays a key role in your risk of developing dysbiosis, with research showing that high-fat and
high-sugar diets, as well as eating plans that are low in fermentable fibres, bump up the risk of dysbiosis.
Other causes include taking certain medications or if your gut’s exposed to a bacteria or virus, for example those that can cause food poisoning.