Symptoms of Bacterial Imbalance in the Digestive System

A lack of beneficial bacteria in your digestive system is linked to many health conditions

Your symptoms generally are a good indication of whether you have a healthy balance of bacteria in your digestive system. The following is a partial list of common health problems associated with inadequate beneficial bacteria:

• Constipation
• Intestinal gas
• Chronic bad breath
• Hormonal problems
• PMS
• Menstrual complaints
• Prostate trouble
• Breast enlargement in men
• Need for sexual hormone medication
• Candida infection (candidiasis)
• Chronic anemia
• Dairy product allergies and intolerances
• Vitamin B deficiencies
• High cholesterol levels
• Severe bruising problems
• Chronic vaginal infections
• Chronic bladder infections
• Chronic diarrhea
• Osteoporosis

Besides symptoms, another good indicator of your bowel health is the pH of your stool. The pH scale measures how acidic or how alkaline something is. It runs from 0 (the most acidic reading) to 14 (the most alkaline reading). The midpoint 7 is neutral (like distilled water). The pH of your stool should be slightly acidic.

Learn an easy way to test your stool pH.

More Dr. Williams Advice on Digestive Health and Beneficial Bacteria

• How friendly bacteria keep you healthy
• Lifestyle choices that can upset the balance of bacteria in your digestive system
• Natural solutions for increasing the beneficial bacteria in your digestive system