Dysautonomia and Gut Health: Could Probiotics Help?

It's becoming more and more well known that proper gut health is central to good overall health and proper function of various systems within the body. When the good bacteria in the gut (small and large intestine) are outnumbered by 'bad' bacteria, not only do biomarkers for inflammation read positive or abnormal,  but a variety of other problems begin to occur such as permeabiltiy of the gut lining which allows toxins to flow out into the body, unhealthy permeabiltiy of the blood-brain barrier, and many other ill effects. Obviously this could throw off neurological function as well as require many more electrolyte resources to balance the overproduction of acid, which is so common with poor gut health. Throw off or use up precious electrolytes and you've often got more dysautonomia symptoms, as electrolyte balance is a key factor to helping mitigate many of those symptoms.

At the same time, you can't just go eat a bunch of yogurt every day or grab any probiotic supplement. Many brands of yogurt and probiotic supplements include a list of bacteria that either aren't diverse enough, don't include the best strains or include species that are known to increase histamine production, which increases inflammation. More inflammation often leads to more issues in several body systems at once, which can make dysautonomia symptoms worse. Bacterial species that degrade histamine, reduce inflammation include Bifidobacterium infantis (found in breast milk),  bifidobacterium longum, and Lactobacillus plantarum. Bacteria that typically increase histamine production in the body are Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus (Found in most yogurts and fermented foods).

Some key points to maintaining a healthy, properly-functioning gut microbiome is to avoid antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, avoid enviromental toxins from various airborne and water pollutants, avoid processed or fried foods, and avoid artificial sweeteners. One probiotic that has gotten a lot of good reviews online, has the right histamine-reducing bacteria, fewer of those bacterial species that cause issues, etc is Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra. If the blood brain barrier can be weakened and various other body systems can be harmed by poor intestinal flora balance, allowing toxins to get to the brain and cause issues, then it  makes sense that the gut bacteria kept in proper balance could make things better for those with autonomic disorders.

As always, however, discuss this and any other decisions with your autonomic disorder doctor before making changes. A great place to start is Dysautonomia-MVP Center, LLC in Birmingham, AL Dr. Paula Moore and Dr. Susan Phillips bring more than 40 years of successful autonomic disorder treatment and diagnosis, so if you have questions on this subject, call for an appointment today at 205-286-3200.

Dysautonomia-MVP Center, LLC
Accurate Diagnosis & Treatment for Better Results
2470 Rocky Ridge Road Vestavia Hills, Alabama 35243
http://www.mvpctr.com
(205) 286-3200