Dysbiosis
DEDysbiose
Dysbiosis is when your gut microbial community drifts away from a healthy state. The drift can be in its makeup, its diversity, or its chemical output. It is a working term, not a precise one. That is because there is no single 'healthy' reference community to compare against. Typical signs include a few things. You lose beneficial microbes (like the fatty-acid-making Firmicutes). Potential troublemakers (pathobionts) overgrow. Alpha-diversity drops. Or the community's function shifts. These changes are linked to inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer, among others. Cause and effect is hard to pin down in people. Most evidence is correlational, and dysbiosis can be both a driver and a result of inflammation. It was named a hallmark of aging in the 2023 López-Otín update. Age-related dysbiosis is increasingly seen as a contributor to inflammaging and frailty.
Last reviewed:
This definition is educational and is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or treatment. Talk to a doctor about any health decisions. Read our full medical disclaimer