GI Map Opportunistic Bacteria

There’s a section that assesses for the presence and amount of Opportunistic Bacteria / Organisms in the gut. These could be bacteria, yeast, fungi or protozoa.

 

[The Full GI Map description: https://functionalhealthclinic.co.uk/digestive-health-test/]

 

This ‘opportunistic’ section is quite interesting in that you can’t neatly categorise them into being ‘beneficial’ or ‘pathogenic’.

 

For example – if you have a C.difficile or Enterohaemorrhagic E.coli infection in the gut, it’s pretty clear that this is pathogenic and you want it eradicated by some means.

 

Or – if you find some Lactobacillus of Bifidobacterium, these are well known ‘commensal’ or in basic terms – ‘beneficial’ bugs.

 

Yet the opportunistic aren’t quite that simple.

 

In fact they certainly divide opinion in the health industry. But there’s no surprise here.

 

Some would state that these are just as challenging as a known pathogen, whereas others would be at the opposite extreme in believing they should simply be completely ignored.

 

So how do we work with these findings at the Functional Health Clinic? How can we use the GI Map and this section in particular to help our clients understand why they feel the way they feel and what they can do about it?

 

The fact is that we are most definitely learning more and more about the microbiome every day. (With each passing research funding application it seems!)

 

The ‘Microbiome’ is an interesting topic in itself in the health industry. There’s currently so much focus on it that there’s also a high amount of infatuation, skewed perceptions and exaggerated influence placed on it.

 

What’s interesting is that the research on the opportunistic bacteria continues to provide validity to a broad range of possibilities for these findings.

 

It’s both possible for the GI Map Opportunistic Bacteria to be present and non-problematic, transient and an ‘innocent bystander’.

 

As well as a potential driver of inflammatory, immune and autoimmune mechanisms!

 

Which, as you will see, can be to our advantage!

 

Whilst, yes, it feels more convenient for something to be black or white. Either good or bad. Should or shouldn’t be there. It actually encourages and forces us to become a little more expert and mastered in our own body.

 

That’s because this really all depends on understanding the ‘context’.

 

By reviewing the situation and case and asking a few questions we can identify the context of the set of results and findings against everything else we now is going on in the body and experience.

 

The influence of whether one of these opportunistic bacteria are causing challenges for someone will be related in part to:

– the level of colonisation

– biofilm presence

– presence of other pathogens

– inflammatory levels

– other functional markers (gut, immune etc)

– the health challenges (symptoms) experienced

– steps taken/not taken so far

– what has worked, what has not

 

Once you have this information, it’s much clearer as to whether there is value in further strategies.

When working with the bigger picture and the whole person we’ve found this to be vital information to be aware of.

 

Jack

 

Discovery Calls/Clinic Visits are the best way for us to dive into any individual queries you have: https://functionalhealthclinic.co.uk/free-discovery-call/

 

The Full GI Map description: https://functionalhealthclinic.co.uk/digestive-health-test/