Dysbiosis is a condition with microbial imbalances on or inside the body. It is most prominent in the digestive tract or on the skin, but can also occur on any exposed surface or mucous membrane such as the vagina, lungs, mouth, nose, sinuses, ears, nails, or eyes. Simply put we have things growing in or on us that shouldn’t be there.
People are dealing with stealth infections all the time. These infections can cause significant inflammation and can cause a number of chemical imbalances. Current research has shown how infections are often at the root of many chronic diseases especially autoimmune disease. Unfortunately, it is difficult assess stealth infections in a traditional medical setting.
The ability for an Applied Kinesiologist to address dysbiosis has been developed mainly through the work of Dr. Michael Lebowitz. His practice has specialized in the treatment of chronically ill patients. When treating patients he addresses dysbiosis before considering any other treatments. For more detailed information, I encourage to read his book Body Restoration. Through the years of attempting to address dysbiosis, Dr. Lebowitz has developed many different techniques to assess for this condition. After 30 years of practicing AK, Dr. Lebowitz has developed techniques for assessing dysbiosis that are safe and reliable. The testing consists of utilizing a magnet with specific testing vials to observe for possible muscle testing responses.
Clinical Implications
The number of times where the patient’s primary issue is caused by some form of dysbiosis is staggering. Dysbiosis will cause the body to become inflamed and as a result the patient will test positive for various inflammatory issues, such as free radical pathology, any Chronic Pain, and it even causes issues with Homocysteine.
Often when a patient presents with an acute condition (such as low back, shoulder, neck pain) without a definitive mechanism of injury, there is an underlying immune response that is causing the pain. Often the underlying immune response is being caused by some form of dysbiosis.
Many digestive complaints are caused by some form of dysbiosis. One of the best ways to avoid dysbiosis is to eat a diet that promotes healthy gut bacteria. There are trillions of bacterial cells in our digestive tract. Over the 5 billion years of evolution, humans have created a symbiotic relationship with their bacteria to promote their own health and well-being. However, due to a number of factors the relationship between us and our internal bacteria is no longer optimal. As a result, a number of different aspects of our health are suffering.
Many people take probiotics to improve gut health and they definitely can be a huge benefit to many patients. However, taking probiotics on their own will rarely fix dysbiosis. More often it requires some form of an anti-microbial and a diet that is very limited in refined carbohydrates. If a patient takes an anti-biotic for an infection I strongly encourage the use of probiotics after the prescription has run out.
Products to Treat Dysbiosis
Most of the products I Use to treat dysbiosis are anti-microbial herbs that do not harm the good gut Bacteria. Mostly, I utilize Supreme Nutrition Products – Morinda, Melia, Golden Thread, Ilicium, Vital Guard, Smilax, Reishi, Woad BFB-1, BFB-2 (www.supremenutritionproducts.com). These products are extremely effective and they have a broad spectrum of uses. This is very beneficial when treating dysbiosis because often patients are dealing with bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites at the same time, therefore you want remedies that can be effective against all types of pathogens, rather than just an anti-biotic.
Foods to Avoid
Dysbiosis is usually fed from too much consumption of refined carbohydrates or too much carbohydrates in general. They are other factors such as yeast based foods should be avoided. Dietary recommendations may need to be very strict for about 2-3 weeks then they can become more lenient.