Dysbiosis Patterns

You could have dysbiosis without any
obvious symptoms!

Dysbiosis refers to an imbalance in the gut microbiome — the complex community of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in the digestive tract. In a healthy gut, beneficial microbes help digest food, produce essential vitamins, regulate the immune system, and support brain and hormone health.

But when this microbial balance is disrupted — due to factors like antibiotics, poor diet, stress, or infections — harmful or opportunistic bacteria can overgrow, while helpful species decline.

Insufficiency
Dysbiosis

This pattern is characterised by low levels of beneficial bacteria that provide critical support for healthy intestinal and immune function.

This may result in risk of infections, gut barrier permeability, increased inflammation, and reduced immune protective factors, such as secretory IgA, your first line of gut defence.

Testing will show that you have:

Low commensal (good bacteria) bacteria.
Increased Zonulin, linked to gut permeability ("leaky gut").
Reduced immune protective factors, such as secretory IgA.
Reduced Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, which are the two major bacterial phyla in the human gut microbiome.

Inflammatory
Dysbiosis

Inflammatory dysbiosis is characterised by moderate to high levels of certain pathogens and opportunistic bacteria that promote inflammation and can increase intestinal permeability. These microbes produce a form of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), that are potent activators of inflammatory responses.

Testing will show that you have:

Low to high levels of pathogens that can cause inflammation.
Moderate to high levels of opportunistic bacteria, yeast and protozoa.
High levels of gram-negative commensal bacteria that produce endotoxins that can become a problem if you also have leaky gut.
High inflammatory intestinal markers like Calprotectin.

Digestive Dysfunction

Dysbiosis

This is a very common pattern and is often due to low stomach acid, insufficient bile acids, pancreatic insufficiency, reduced absorption and altered gastrointestinal motility.

It is often characterised by an overgrowth of certain bacteria and taking the wrong strain of probiotics might make things worse.

Testing will show that you have:

An overgrowth of certain good bacteria leading to digestive symptoms.
The presence of pathogens that survive, due to low digestive function.
Low levels of elastase -1 which indicates pancreatic insufficiency needed for fat, carbohydrate and protein digestion.
Elevated steatocrit, which is a marker for reduced fat digestion due to low bile acids (liver/gallbladder health).

Gut Testing

Immune Mediated
Food Reactions

To dig deeper into the root cause of adverse food reactions we look at increased gut permeability and suboptimal digestion.

Maldigested food proteins can trigger immune responses. The test will look at key patterns connected to food sensitivity and intolerances.

Testing will show that you have:

High histamine producing bacteria (which could be the reason for sneezing, sinus congestion or watery eyes after eating certain foods).
High mast cell activating bacteria & lipopolysaccharide producers.
Low beneficial bacteria especially.
High anti-gliadin IgA - a marker for gluten sensitivity.

Gut Permeability
Pattern ('leaky gut')

A healthy gut lining acts as a selective barrier, allowing nutrients to be absorbed while preventing harmful toxins, bacteria and undigested food particles from entering the bloodstream. When gut permeability is increased it is often called "leaky gut". It is critical to restore this type of dysbiosis .

Testing will show that you have:

Low butyrate producing bacteria (critical for gut integrity and the primary 'fuel' for colonocytes).
Low commensal bacteria responsible for gut mucosal health, which is our first line of defence.
High Zonulin protein - which can indicate that your gut is too permeable.
The presence of pathogens or yeast.

Dysbiosis related Microbe Categories

Primary Hydrogen Producers

Variations in hydrogen production, whether excessive or reduced have been linked to specific gastrointestinal conditions like SIBO, bloating, gas and diarrhea. Reduced production can lead to constipation.

Primary Methane Producers

Are closely linked to specific gastrointestinal motility patterns with elevated methane associated with constipation and reduced levels associated with diarrheal conditions.

Primary Hydrogen Sulphide(H₂S) Producers

The concentration of H₂S can significantly influence gut health, with both excessive and reduced levels being associated with SIBO, IBS and reduce mucosal health.

You could have dysbiosis without any obvious symptoms!