Symbiosis control

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The symbiosis control , also known as microbiological therapy , is a therapy used in alternative medicine that is supposed to influence the composition of the intestinal flora . The method is often referred to colloquially as bowel rehabilitation . The medical effectiveness of the therapy has not been scientifically proven.

theory

Symbionts in the sense of symbiosis control are microorganisms ( bacteria ) that live in symbiosis with humans in the intestine and are important for digestion . The human immune system needs these bacteria for a functioning immune defense. The number of bacteria in the gut is estimated to be over 100 trillion. Supporters of symbiosis control assume that the intestinal flora is the center of the human immune defense; this view is not shared by scientific medicine.

The immune-boosting intestinal bacteria (especially enterococci and E. coli ) work in multiple ways. On the one hand, they continuously stimulate and "train" the immune system and thus ensure a strengthening of the immune system and its constant readiness; on the other hand, they protect the intestinal mucosa from pathogens which, if there is a sufficient number and activity of the intestinal symbionts, do not reach the intestinal mucosa or the lymphatic system Tissues can settle and are simply excreted again.

If this symbiosis is disturbed because harmful bacteria multiply rapidly or the beneficial bacteria are decreasing, alternative medicine also speaks of dysbiosis . This can allegedly cause or worsen various chronic and, less often, acute diseases such as gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory diseases, skin diseases, allergies or urinary tract infections. According to this theory, triggers of dysbiosis can be, for example, intestinal diseases, a one-sided diet or antibiotic treatment .

Methods

The symbiosis control should be a causal therapy, i.e. an elimination of the cause of the disease instead of a symptom treatment; for this purpose, the balance of the intestinal flora should be restored. For this purpose - in different order and composition - intestinal bacteria such as E. coli and enterococci in live or killed form are taken orally as capsules, tablets or drops or injected in the form of car vaccines . Auto vaccines are individual medicines for which the body's bacteria are extracted from a stool sample , propagated in the laboratory and then floated up with fluid. These substances are injected in increasing doses during treatment.

In the past, so-called fever therapy was used in some cases, in which an artificial fever was triggered with the help of microbial pyrogens . Due to severe side effects and risks, such preparations have not been approved in Germany since the early 1990s.

The users of microbiological therapy point out that the symbiosis control is more successful if the diet is switched to whole foods with a high proportion of raw food and largely avoiding industrially processed products, sugar and pork.

Indications and contraindications

The most common indications for this method are diseases of the stomach and intestines , but also immune deficiency , recurring infections , biliary problems , allergies , neurodermatitis and rheumatism . In a naturopathic publication it says: “Since in naturopathy the intestine (...) is regarded as the central immune organ, there is hardly any symptom for which microbiological therapy is out of the question. Scientifically acceptable publications are rarely found. "

There are no contraindications for taking bacterial preparations to control the symbiosis. The injection of auto vaccines must not be given in tuberculosis , severe damage to the liver cells , leukemia and lymphopenia and in children under seven years of age.

Side effects and risks

When injecting bacterial preparations, there is a general risk of allergic shock . Temporary skin reactions often occur at the injection site. Common side effects are a general feeling of illness, similar to that of the flu , a slight fever, joint pain, diarrhea or runny nose . Oral ingestion can lead to digestive problems, especially flatulence , but also diarrhea or constipation .

Evaluation and criticism

  • Whether bacterial preparations have any effect at all has not yet been scientifically proven (exceptions are possibly recurring tonsillitis , colds and sinus infections ).
  • There is no evidence of a causal relationship between neurodermatitis and fungi in the intestine. The theory that putrefactive processes in the intestine produce toxins that trigger neurodermatitis cannot be scientifically proven.
  • There is no evidence that the composition of the intestinal flora plays a significant role in allergies.
  • According to critics, the administered quantities of bacteria are too small to have any effective influence on the complex intestinal flora. Ingested bacteria are mostly killed by stomach acid before they reach the intestine.

In most cases, the statutory health insurance companies do not cover the costs of such a therapy, as its effectiveness has not been scientifically proven.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Reimund Wagner: Microbiological Therapeutics ( Memento from December 23, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ↑ a b Stiftung Warentest (ed.): Die Andere Medizin , Berlin 2nd edition 1992, p. 190
  3. ↑ Information on neurodermatitis