Building up gut flora step by step

It is often said that health starts in the gut. And it is true that the gut plays a key role in our immune system, metabolism and general well-being.

So it seems logical to consider gut cleansing if you have symptoms. But how useful is it – and are there any potential risks?

The bacteria in our gut train our immune system and ensure that the intestinal lining remains intact. They also support digestion and metabolism and produce short-chain fatty acids, which have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body.

We now also know that people with a healthy microbiome often have better mental well-being. “Some studies in psychiatry into the effect of probiotics – that is, lactic acid bacteria – show positive effects on the gut flora,” explains Sarah Müllhaupt, a natural health practitioner based in Zurich.

“It was found that the cognitive reactivity of patients in the probiotic test group decreased more than that of patients in the placebo group.” In psychology, cognitive reactivity describes how strongly negative thoughts are triggered by a sad mood. 

Imbalanced gut flora can manifest through a range of symptoms, including:

• Constipation
• Flatulence
• Diarrhoea
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Greater susceptibility to infections and allergies

However, imbalanced gut flora can also exacerbate chronic conditions such as neurodermatitis, asthma, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto’s disease and other autoimmune diseases.

In complementary medicine, gut cleansing is understood to mean a holistic analysis and comprehensive lifestyle change rather than a short, invasive treatment to completely flush out the bowels.

It always involves analysing your sleep, diet, exercise, stress management and, above all, understanding what changes need to be made and why. “When people understand how their gut influences their health and what might be disrupting it, making chances is often much easier,” says Sara Müllhaupt. 

If you often suffer from digestive issues, feel constantly tired or notice that your gut is out of balance after a course of antibiotics, you should consider a microbiome test.

“If this test clearly shows a high level of colonisation and many putrefactive germs, or if harmful bacteria become established, a gut cleanse makes sense,” says Müllhaupt.

Some highly invasive methods, such as colonic irrigation, pharmacy products or colon hydrotherapy, involve flushing out the gut. These measures reduce the microbiome, destroy its biodiversity and flush out beneficial bacteria.

​In most cases, these methods aren’t recommended, because they can cause toxins that the gut has already bound in the faeces to be released again. A gentler way to reset your gut is to adopt a balanced, largely plant-based diet, get sufficient sleep and lower your stress levels.

First, a detailed medical history is taken to clarify which disruptive factors may be affecting digestion:

• Is the digestive system working properly?
• What is the person’s lifestyle, family situation, stress levels?
• Are there any medical conditions? 
• Does the person take medication regularly? 

All these factors have a major impact on gut health and the microbiome.

The next steps are individual and should be discussed with a medical specialist. Some patients only need to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diet, while others need to completely change what they eat.

According to the University Hospital Zurich, conventional medicine often has little use for microbiome analyses, because science is unable to derive any specific recommendations for action from them. According to this, a microbiome analysis of bowel movements is only a snapshot that is influenced by many factors. 

However, Müllhaupt takes a different view: “The core microbiome fingerprint is highly individual and relatively stable, similar to a standard fingerprint.” Antibiotics or severe diarrhoea can cause it to change quickly and dramatically.

Even so, the microbiome doesn’t change completely from one day to the next. “This means that a microbiome analysis can still provide valuable insights,” explains Müllhaupt. 

For example, it can reveal how the intestinal lining is doing in general, whether there’s any inflammation or whether the lining is properly sealed. It can also show whether your microbiome has a diverse range of bacteria, whether there are too many harmful bacteria or a lack of good bacteria. 

Each patient receives individual recommendations based on these results and the information they provide on their lifestyle and general health. Measures are wide-ranging, taking in everything from breathing exercises and changes in diet to dietary supplements. 

As a general rule, basic insurance covers costs in the event of illness, accident or maternity. Supplementary insurance closes important gaps that are not covered or only partly covered by basic insurance, such as alternative medicine, nutrition advice or microbiome analyses.