Page 30 - Summer2010

flora. The explanation science has offered us so supposed to produce. Restoring the beneficial
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far is that after early childhood, the majority of us bacteria in their gut is the best way to deal with
lack an enzyme called lactase to digest lactose. those deficiencies, particularly vitamin B defi-
26
If we are not meant to digest lactose, then why do ciencies. 10,19,21
some people seem to manage it perfectly well? Through testing over the years, Stephanie
The answer is that these people have the right consistently showed deficiencies in most B vi-
bacteria in their gut. tamins, fat soluble vitamins, magnesium, zinc,
One of the major lactose-digesting bac- selenium, manganese, sulphur, iron and some
teria in the human gut is E.coli. It comes as fatty acids.
10
a surprise to many people that physiological
strains of E.coli are essential inhabitants of a ANEMIA
healthy digestive tract. They appear in the gut Another consequence of gut dysbiosis is ane-
of a healthy baby in the first days after birth in mia. Stephanie suffered from anemia all her life,
huge numbers—107 - 109 Colony Forming Units unsuccessfully treated by courses of iron tablets.
per gram—and remain in these high numbers The majority of patients with gut dysbiosis look
throughout life, providing that they do not get pale and pasty, and their blood tests often show
destroyed by antibiotics and other environmental changes typical for anemia. The anemia is not
21
influences. surprising as those with gut dysbiosis not only
9,19
Apart from digesting lactose, physiological cannot absorb essential vitamins and minerals
strains of E.coli produce vitamin K and vitamins from food, but their own production of these
B , B , B , B ; they produce antibiotic-like sub- vitamins is damaged. In addition, people with
2
1
12
6
stances, called colicins; and they control other damaged gut flora often have a particular group
Apart from members of their own family which can cause of pathogenic bacteria growing in their gut,
digesting disease. In fact, having your gut populated by which are iron-loving bacteria—Actinomyces
the physiological strains of E.coli is the best way spp., Mycobacterium spp., pathogenic strains
lactose, to protect yourself from pathogenic species of of E.coli, Corynebacterium spp. and many oth-
physiological E.coli. Unfortunately, this group of beneficial ers. 13,25 These organisms consume dietary iron,
21
strains of bacteria is very vulnerable to broad spectrum leaving the person deficient. Unfortunately,
supplementing iron makes these bacteria prolif-
antibiotics, particularly aminoglycosides (Genta-
E.coli produce mycin, Kanamycin) and macrolides (Erythromy- erate, bringing unpleasant digestive problems,
vitamin K and cin, etc.). 9,10 and does not remedy anemia. To have healthy
Apart from E.coli, other beneficial bacteria blood, the body needs other minerals, a whole
vitamins B , in the healthy gut flora—bifidobacteria, lacto- host of vitamins: B , B , B , B , B , C, A, D, folic
1
3
1
12
6
2
B , B , B ; bacteria, beneficial yeasts and other organisms— acid, pantothenic acid and some amino acids. 24,10
6
2
12
they produce will not only ensure appropriate absorption of It has been shown in a large number of studies
antibiotic-like nutrients from food but also actively synthesize all over the world, that just supplementing iron
various nutrients: vitamin K, pantothenic acid, does not do much for anemia.
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substances, folic acid, thiamin (vitamin B ), riboflavin (vi-
1
called tamin B ), niacin (vitamin B ), pyridoxine (vita- PATHOGENS IN THE GUT
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2
colicins; and min B ), cyanocobalamin (vitamin B ), various The most studied pathogens, those that over-
12
6
grow after numerous courses of antibiotics, are
amino acids and other active substances.
9,10,25
they control Nature has made sure that when the food supply clostridia and yeasts, which normally belong to
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other is sparse, we humans don’t die from vitamin and the opportunistic group of gut microbes. The
members of amino acid deficiencies. Nature has provided opportunistic gut flora consists of a large group
us with our own factory for making these sub-
of various microbes, the number and combina-
their own stances—our healthy gut flora. And when this tions of which can be quite individual—so far
family which gut flora is damaged despite adequate nutrition, around four hundred different species of them
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can cause we develop vitamin deficiencies. Every tested have been found in the human gut. The most
child or adult with gut dysbiosis shows deficien-
common are bacteroids, peptococci, staphylo-
disease. cies in the very vitamins that their gut flora is cocci, streptococci, bacilli, clostridia, yeasts,
30 Wise Traditions SUMMER 2010