Title : Small intestinal yeast overgrowth and its relation with diarrhea and malabsorption
Abstract:
Fungi present in the human gut play a dual role in health. They make up the gut mycobiome. Their presence as commensals in gut is influenced by type of diet and other factors like excess use of orally acting antibacterial agents. Some yeast strains like Saccharomyces boulardii can actually act as good probiotics and help maintain good gut health, but too much of yeasts can also lead to “leaky gut”, loose stool and even malabsorption. Many a time, excess colonization of yeasts in gut can occur due to overuse of broad spectrum oral antibiotics like Clindamycin and Tetracycline. Also, oral candidiasis can cause lesions in oropharynx and this can hinder adequate food intake and absorption. Candida spp. like C. tropicalis can cause diarrhoea and even wasting syndrome, but the mechanism by which they cause diarrhoea in man remains undefined. Candida causing diarrhea has been described in neonates and undernourished children, older patients, severely or chronically ill subjects, in intensive care units, and in patients under chronic antibiotic therapy. Additionally, SIFO or small intestinal fungal overgrowth is now recognized as an important cause of malabsorption and should be researched more. SIFO is usually a part of any immunodeficiency syndrome with other gastrointestinal features like oral and or esophageal candidiasis. So it is very important to know about role of yeasts in gastrointestinal tract in man, its alteration with respect to type of food consumed, and its role in gut dysbiosis.
