When you hear the word bacteria, what comes to mind? If you’re like most people, the thought of disease and pestilence comes to mind. But did you know there is such a thing as good bacteria, and that your body is filled with it? In naturopathic medicine, patients are taught different ways to increase good bacteria, otherwise known as flora, which can be found in your digestive tract and reproductive organs.
Whenever you have an imbalance of gut flora, it leads to common problems, like issues digesting. But before we get into that, let’s first discuss what gut bacteria does.
Your Body’s Microbiome
Inside of your gut and other areas of the body, you will find colonies of different types of microbes. Everyone’s micribiome is unique (similar to a fingerprint). This is determined by various factors, such as your diet, medical history, where you live, lifestyle and ancestry. It is a very complex ecosystem and you’ll find nothing like it on this planet earth.
To give some perspective, your body’s bacteria outnumber your cells by 10 to 1. Viruses outnumber bacteria 10 to 1. So right now, your body is filled with over 100 trillion bacteria and a quadrillion viruses.
All of the organisms in your body are responsible for a particular function that’s needed to maintain optimal health. For instance, your gut flora can enhance your immune response, system function and can prevent various diseases, including food allergies.
More People Have Allergies Today then Ever Before
There is an epidemic spreading across the earth. About 15 million Americans are living with allergies and one in every 13 children are plagued with this illness. This is why it’s recommended to have allergy testing done to pinpoint the allergen. Once you know what’s causing your symptoms, you can obtain treatment from a naturopathic medicine clinic.
The Role of Gut Bacteria in Protecting Against Allergies
In one study using mice, it was found that gut flora called Clostridia could help stop your body from developing allergic reactions to food. What’s surprising is that once Clostridia bacteria numbers were restored in the mice, the food allergens were reversed.
Further research showed that Clostridia plays a significant role in preventing leaky gut syndrome, which happens when your blood is polluted with allergens, leading to an immune response. This has lead to a number of natural allergy treatment options, like probiotic therapies and SLIT.
There’s no definitive answer for why allergies occur, but it’s believed that modern hygienic and dietary practices play a significant role in disturbing the natural bacterial composition inside your body. This includes having C-sections, eating high fat diets, overusing antibiotics and bottle feeding formula to babies. Based on the results of the study “Bunning Food Allergy” performed by the University of Chicago, these are the most likely causes of today’s increase in allergies.
Gut Flora Disruption Lead to Long-Term Metabolic Issues
Aside from allergies, early disruption of gut bacteria can also cause issues with your metabolism. In a study done recently, infants that were exposed to antibiotics grew up to have problems with obesity. This study was published in Cell, which showed that mice given antibiotics their first month of life were 25 percent heavier as they grew older and had 60 percent more fat.
Maintaining a Healthy Microbiome
A diet change is needed if you want to maintain healthy gut bacteria levels. For instance, you want to rule out grains, sugar, processed and pasteurized foods, chlorinated tap water, GMOs and conventionally-raised meat products. You can also talk to a doctor of naturopathic medicine to learn more about preventing an imbalance in gut flora.
The Importance of Gut Flora and Allergy Prevention
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