The microbiota is the microorganisms within the gut that perform important nutritional and metabolic functions. It is the population of microbes that live in “symbiosis” in our body without damaging the structure and tissues of our body.
The best-known microbiota is the gut, where nearly 10 trillion bacteria promote food digestion and protect us from numerous diseases. However, it is a perfect system that can sometimes fail, requiring medical intervention to restore its proper functioning.
The consequences of gut microbiota alterations
Gut bacteria protect the intestine from harmful bacteria by creating a mucus barrier.
When, due to improper nutrition, the effectiveness of the “good” microbiota decreases, other bacteria attack the intestinal mucosa, causing inflammation. This results in dysbiosis dysfunction in the intestines, often associated with difficult digestion and abdominal bloating.
Dysbiosis and food intolerances
Dysbiosis can also be directly linked to food intolerances. In this case, we refer to it as “indirect food intolerances” because they do not depend on the presence of intolerances to specific foods but on an inflammation of the intestinal villi that prevents the proper absorption of ingested substances. In this instance, it is necessary to work on their cause and, thus, on the underlying inflammation.
Celiac disease and lactose intolerance
The most common food intolerance is celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Celiac disease is a chronic illness that can be diagnosed through blood tests and, in some cases, with gastroscopy and analysis of intestinal villi to verify their structure.
The only effective treatment for those with celiac disease is eliminating gluten from the patient’s diet.
Another widespread intolerance is lactose intolerance, which may be present from birth or may take over later in life when the action of the enzyme lactase is weakened by an intestinal infection generated by an altered microbiota.
In cases of lactose intolerance, treatment aims to restore the bacterial flora to restore “resistance” to lactase.
Breath test for food intolerance
In the presence of warning signs that could be related to gastrointestinal disorders and thus possible food intolerance – such as flatulence, meteorism, heartburn, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps – the tests to be performed are the so-called breath tests, and specifically:
- The glucose breath test allows to detect bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine;
- The lactose breath test checks for possible intolerance to this sugar found in milk and its derivatives;
- The lactulose breath test – with sugar and high laxative power – measures the amount of time it takes for food to transit from the mouth to the caecum and the possible overgrowth of bacteria in this part of the digestive tract.
These are simple, non-invasive tests that are neither dangerous nor involve any pain, and they are very important because they can help improve the quality of life of those suffering from intestinal problems due to intolerances.
