Biofilms series

A series of articles focused on explaining why intestinal health is vital to healing chronic conditions and maintaining a robust body.

1. Intro: Biofilms and disease
2. Next article coming soon

Biofilms 1  

Biofilms and disease 

What they are 

Biofilms are infections of gut flora (digestive bacteria, yeasts and viuses). They live in colonies, and the most common cause of biofilms are airborn bacteria. The thin film that forms on your teeth are a good example of biofilms, which form cavities when they are left too long without brushing and changing one’s diet. 

Because biofilms are formed of living organisms, they react to threat to their survival like any animal, and learn to fight off any repeated attack.  

They adapt responsively to:  

• Essential oils 
• Electroconductivity (Zapping and Rife therapy) 
• Food preservatives (of all kinds) 
• Antibiotics 
• Specific diets (paleo, vegetarian, aktins, etc) 
• Herbal medicines 
• Toxic halides (bromide and mercury/quicksilver) 
• Dental amalgam fillings (“Silver fillings”) 
  
  

Under any attack, there is the potential for biofilms to form in the gut (intestinal tract). Primarily it happens from a poor diet, when a person is under too much repetitive stress, or when one of the above threats changes the balance of species of gut flora living in the gut.   

Many species can form biofilms, and this happens when one or more of these species has the chance to become dominant in the gut, anywhere from the mouth to the rectum. 

Why they matter 

Biofilms are present in an estimated 80% of all infections that occur in the human body1, such as  

• Vaginal infections 
• Urinary tract infections 

• Dental plaque and gingivitis 
• Cystic fibrosis 
• Infected skin wounds 
• Infections on dental implants, including 

• Hip implants 
• Bone lengthening devices 
• Dental implants 
• Prosthetic heart valves  
• Intrauterine devices (birth control/Miranda doohickeys) 

However, chronic biofilms in the gut also play a role in chronic conditions. When it takes several weeks to overcome a viral infection such as a cold, flu or other common ailment, the virus is often present in a biofilm colony and being released slowly from it, where the immune system cannot destroy the source of the virus.  

Biofilms are also an important factor in chronic conditions such as mental illness, depression, some forms of cancer, psoriasis, diabetes mellitus (both type 1 and 2), polycystic ovary syndrome, and many other problems.  

It has taken several decades for traditional western medicine to develop the technology needed to observe biofilms active in human and animal tissues, but some alternative medical practitioners have recognized and written about them. Arnold Ehret2 for example, first observed their role in chronic illness and directed people to use fasting to overcome their biofilm burden. His term for biofilms was ‘mucous’. 

Biofilms have gone through many different names. They’ve been called ‘mucoid plaque’, ‘congestion’, ‘FODMAP’s, and more.  

‘Candidiasis’ 

The airborne bacteria candida albicans is one of the recurring causes of biofilms in the human body.  It can be found infecting many places of the body, but a very common example of candidiasis is waking up in the morning with a pale white lining on your tongue. Airborne bacteria and spray-on pesticides are both very good reasons to gently rinse all fresh fruits and vegetables. 

Fermentation bacteria are commonly used in preparing foods, and are found in especially liquor and wine production and baked goods. For example, saccharomyces cerevisiae is used as brewer's yeast for beers, and a closely-related strain of bacteria is used for baker's yeast for all sorts of breads. 

Examples of biofilm-forming microbiota: 

• Gram-positive bacteria 

• Bacillus family 
• Listerius monocytes 
• Staphylococcus family 
• Lactic acid bacteria 

• Gram-negative bacteria 

• E scherichia coli 
• Psuedonomas aeringinosa 

• Common fermentation bacteria / yeasts 

• Candida albicans 
• Brettanomyces family 
• Pediococcus family 
• Saccaromycescervisae 

• In mother's milk and soil 

• Clostridium family 

• Living in plants 

• Pseudomonas putida  
• Pseudomonas fluorescens 
• Rhizobium leguminosarum  
• Sinorhizobium meliloti   
  
  
  1 "Research on microbial biofilms (PA-03-047)". NIH, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. 2002-12-20.
  2 "Dr. (Heinrich) Lahmann said "Every disease is caused by carbonic acid and gas." But he did not learn its source in decayed, uneliminated food substances - the mucus in a state of continuous fermentation.", Arnold Ehret, Mucusless Diet Healing System, ELPC Inc, 1994, page 91