Bacteria have become a huge part of the conversations we’re having.
Bacteria in the gut controls many different and important functions. These include eliminating excess hormones from the body, ensuring a healthy immune system and good bowel function, intestine, and colon health.
When the gut flora is out of balance, it can cause dysfunction or a “back up” which can lead to poor or inappropriate elimination, leading to increased inflammation.
Poor gut function can be a big reason why some women have healthy periods or easy peri/post menopause, and others do not.
It can also be a big reason why some women catch colds, flus, and are more prone to hay fever all the time, and others aren’t. (There’s more but these are the biggies we are seeing a lot of.)
So what is causing bacterial overgrowth?
There are two key reasons that are very well researched on the gut microbiome.
- Bacterial overgrowth causes dysfunction in the immune system which can lead to increased bacterial overgrowth of undesirable pathogens. All these imbalances also trigger increased inflammation and,
- Bacterial overgrowth can be caused by a genetic predisposition in about 10% of people.
If the overgrowth is immune driven, many women who suffer have either:
- had an extended period of time where they were on and off of antibiotics
- experienced a bad batch of glandular fever or Epstein Barr Virus
- had a bad experience with Scarlett fever, measles, mumps or similar
- had a bug or parasite they picked up overseas
- were a sick baby – colic or reflux
- had adenoids removed,
- had tonsils removed, or
- had grommets put in
- experienced times of high stress
Basically research is finding that these events often have a negative impact on the microbiome and gut flora.
We often see high levels of Streptococcus bacteria, for instance, in patients that may not be fighting colds or hay-fever at all…
which leads us to ask…
Why is the gut flora affecting women’s reproductive and metabolic health?
An overgrowth or insufficiency in certain bacteria’s can cause specific types of symptoms.
For instance…
many women suffering from UTI’S have high levels of Ecoli bacteria.
men and women with helicobacter pylori bacteria often have intense mood swings, anxiety, and depression. And 50% of the world’s population has this bacteria.
In fact there is a section of the gut microbiome directly associated with metabolic health. It’s called “the array”. If the markers are too low in one level, and high in another, it’s very common for women to experience insulin resistance which is a key driver for weight gain and high levels of visceral fat.
Much of the bacteria, if the overgrowth is not addressed, can increase inflammation. These imbalances in the bacteria that make up the Microbiome are key reasons why things like migraines, headaches, period pain, muscle pain and joint pain persist due to the underlying gut dysbiosis. (in addition to other challenges)
The other side is that IF there is gut dysbiosis, this can affect the elimination of oestrogen and other hormones. This reduction in these hormones can further exacerbate the symptoms you are having and generate further problems.
How do you fix bacterial overgrowth?
Conventional medicine’s approach to bacteria related challenges is mostly focused on dangerous bacteria or parasites that one may pick up overseas. Or staph infections that are only too often picked up in hospital these days.
Tests for problem pathogens like helicobacter pylori bacteria happen when a patient experiences some kind of gastrointestinal issue like extreme acid reflux, or gut pain, or even inflammatory bowel type of reactions.
Women’s reproductive conditions are driving a massive conversation in the university and medical community.
Much of the information we share comes from these studies that have been completed in the last several years.
A lot of these research papers are pointing to inflammation stemming from the gut microbiome – specifically as a result of an inflammatory immune response.
In naturopathic medicine, we’re always looking for the root cause of the problem, and we’re very much looking at the biochemistry and what the causes of the imbalances are.
We’re finding through these studies and our patients’ result, that looking deeper into what is happening with hormones and the gut microbiome make a big difference.
Gut dysbiosis is often the number one thing we want to rule out or correct before we address hormones, the adrenal system or the liver. The microbiome is very much a part of how well our body eliminates toxins and hormones. So if there is an issue with elimination, we need that sorted before we can move onto other concerns.
And this is why our patients are getting great results – using natural remedies to provide the body with what it needs to do its job and bring the body back to balance.
If this is something you can relate to and want help with, feel free to reach out – or you can connect with us directly on an introductory consultation here:
