Dysbiosis Symptoms

Since your gut impacts so many different areas of your health, dysbiosis symptoms are not limited to gut dysfunction. Also, every person’s health case is unique so not everyone is going to experience the same dysbiosis symptoms however, these are what I see most often in my patients with bacterial dysbiosis:

• Acid reflux (1)
• Anxiety (2)
• Bad breath (3)
• Bloating (4)
• Constipation (5)
• Depression (6)
• Diarrhea (4)
• Fatigue (7)
• Gas (4)
• Poor cognitive function (brain fog) (8)
• Skin problems (acne, rashes, eczema) (9)

Read More: The 14 Best Herbs For Intestinal Inflammation

How do I know if I have Bacterial Dysbiosis?

Lab work is the first step to clinically determine in both functional and conventional medicine whether or not bacterial dysbiosis is a factor in your health case:

• SIBO breath test: Most often used to look for SIBO, this test measures the presence and amount of hydrogen and methane gas produced by the wayward bacteria in the small intestine. To complete the test, you’ll drink a solution containing sugar such as lactulose (most commonly used in SIBO tests), glucose, or xylose. If the bacteria are present, they will feed off the sugar and release hydrogen or methane gas.
• Comprehensive stool analysis: By analyzing a sample of your poop, the lab will be able to identify what bacteria, yeasts, and fungi are present and whether there is any overgrowth of unwanted microbe strains.
• Organic acids test: Similar to the hydrogen breath test, this test looks for the production of certain acids from negative microbe strains to determine whether there are any imbalances.

How to treat Dysbiosis

In conventional medicine, antibiotics are the first step in treatment to kill off any bacterial overgrowths, However, in functional medicine, we see this as counterintuitive since antibiotics kill off good bacteria as well - making it more difficult for your gut to restore healthy microbial balance.

Instead, we aim to treat the root cause of bacterial dysbiosis, starting with the foods we eat. Whatever we eat, the bacteria in our gut eats as well. In order to fuel the good bacteria, we need to be feeding them the right kind of nutrients for them to thrive and multiply. This is especially important when we remember just how much of an influence these bacteria have over our mental health since they communicate directly with our brain and produce mood-regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.

Thankfully, enterocytes - the cells that line your entire digestive tract - regenerate every two to three weeks. This is great news as studies have shown that changes in your microbiome can happen within as little as three days of making a dietary change. While everyone’s specific dietary needs are different, sugar, alcohol, and processed foods have been shown to be the most detrimental to good gut bacteria. Therefore, it is best practice to limit these as much as possible.

1. Sugar

Sugar is the preferred fuel source of bad microbes, specifically candida.

2. Alcohol

The super saboteur of the gut-feelings connection. Research (10) has shown that alcohol increases intestinal permeability and causes inflammation in your brain. Another study found (11) that drinking a few times a week was correlated with total lower brain volume in middle age and can lead to decreased memory, brain fog, and moodiness.

3. Processed and prepackaged foods

Most of these are filled with empty calories and none of the nutrients like fiber that your good gut bugs - the ones responsible for regulating your nervous system and producing neurotransmitters - need to thrive and multiply. One study (12) even showed that people who ate less than three sources of fruits and vegetables each day were 24% more likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

After implementing dietary changes, my next step is to recommend herbal antimicrobials including oregano, cat’s claw, and pau d’arco that naturally target bad bacterial overgrowths. Then, we add in probiotics, postbiotics like butyrate, and binders like zeolite and activated charcoal.

How to Address your Emotional Health

Once you’ve addressed your gut health, the next step is to address the “feelings” side of your overall health. After all, the state of your emotional health directly influences your gut health.

This is because your gut and brain are connected by the enteric nervous system (ENS) - a division of the peripheral nervous system located inside the walls of your digestive tract. Your ENS communicates directly with your central nervous system 24/7. What does this mean? Every time you feel anxiety, shame, excited, or happy, it’s a sign that your gut and brain are on good communication terms.

With my patients that have bacterial dysbiosis, I like to implement mind-body practices like meditation and breathwork alongside the practical gut-focused recommendations in order to support the vagus nerve - the longest cranial nerve in your body involved in your gut-brain connection and your rest-and-digest response. As needed, I also recommend EMDR, somatic practices, and counseling around past trauma to support the gut-brain axis and your nervous system.

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