What Does Microbiota (Flora) Mean?
In all areas where our body comes into contact with the external environment, we live with thousands of varieties of single-celled organisms that live with us, do not harm us and at the same time benefit us. We call all of these single-celled organisms FLORA or Microbiota . Depending on the area they are located in, they are called digestive system FLORA , upper respiratory tract FLORA , skin FLORA . The regions are also evaluated in subgroups. For example, digestive system flora is examined in subgroups such as oral, pharynx, esophagus, small intestine and colon flora.
Every part of our body that has flora cannot perform HEALTHY and FUNCTIONAL functions without having high quality and biodiversity flora . For example, healthy skin is only possible with high quality and biodiversity flora.
What Does Microbiota Biodiversity Mean?
In the parts of our body where we have FLORA , the greater the variety of flora elements, each with different functions, the better the functions of the relevant region will be performed, which will in turn ensure that the region in particular and our body in general are healthier .
If we consider our body as a FACTORY , we can evaluate each member that constitutes the microbiota biodiversity as an engineering branch. The more functional technical personnel diversity (richness) there is in a factory, the higher quality production is expected from the factory. The same applies to the human body. Each type of flora element has its own special functions. Many single-celled microorganism types constitute the microbiota.
What Types of Microorganisms Make Up the Microbiota?
The members that make up the microbiota are mostly bacteria, fungi, viruses, archaea and protists , but the dominant group is bacteria.
What is the Digestive System Flora?
The mouth and throat, which we call the upper digestive system, also form part of the upper respiratory tract.
The area from the mouth to the anus is called the digestive system.
There are 1054 different types of flora bacteria that have been identified throughout the digestive system. Each of these is specific to the area where it settles and lives, and it is not possible for it to settle and live in any other area in a healthy person. If it settles in another area or if it grows excessively in certain areas, it brings with it some diseases ( SIBO, Obesity, IBS, etc. ).
The more varieties of flora bacteria that have been identified so far, out of the 1054, we have in our digestive system, the more HEALTHY, DISEASE-FREE, HAPPY and LONGER we will live. However, life and living conditions are not always so generous to us.
What are the Factors Affecting Flora Biodiversity ?
Of the 1054 different species identified in the digestive system to date, we host an average of 100-125 in our body. This number increases as we go to rural areas and decreases as we go to metropolitan areas. The most important factors in the decrease of biodiversity are intensive use of antibiotics, malnutrition, malnutrition, prolonged cessation of oral feeding, use of corticosteroids, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, agricultural chemicals (pesticides and herbicides), environmental pollutants (industrial facilities, etc.), air and water pollution, consumption of GMO foods, food preservatives and supplements, hormone treatments, etc.
How to Recover Flora and Increase Biodiversity?
It has been shown in many studies that microbiota ( FLORA ) acquisition begins in the womb. Whether the birth is normal or cesarean is effective in flora acquisition. Those born by cesarean will be deprived of some flora elements that they will feel the lack of throughout their lives. After birth, babies acquire flora from their mothers and family members with whom they are in closest contact. In addition, eating and drinking habits and regional diversity are important in flora acquisition. In particular, the flora biodiversity and quality of the mother, the family and the close environment they are in contact with are one of the most important factors in determining the flora diversity to be acquired.
The duration of breastfeeding is one of the main factors that determine the formation of our flora. Hereditary and congenital diseases that occur at birth, nutritional adequacy during infancy, past diseases, and antibiotics used are also effective in the formation of the flora.
In addition, there are changes in the diversity of our flora with age (infancy, adolescence, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause, etc.).
We can both protect and enrich our flora by eating natural foods, not using unnecessary antibiotics, breastfeeding for at least one year after birth, staying away from environmental pollutants as much as possible, and prioritizing natural foods when eating.
Extended family, street friendships, nursery, school, team sports, boarding school, student dormitories, and collective social activities are extremely valuable for gaining FLORA.
Changes in Flora with Aging
As in all our cells, tissues and organs , FLORA quality and biodiversity also decrease due to aging . This effect is most evident in women around the age of 50, usually with menopause, and in men after the age of 55-60, serious losses in FLORA quality are observed. The speed of these losses is one of the most important parameters that determines quality of life, eating and drinking habits, the emergence and speed of autoimmune diseases, and with these, quality of life.
Damage to our floss impairs our overall mental, psychological and physical performance.
In What Way Does Flora Damage Cause These Effects?
Our digestive system flora forms the first defense barrier against harmful microbes coming from external sources through eating and drinking. For example, if our throat flora is damaged, we often experience tonsillitis (tonsillitis) and pharyngitis. Similarly, damage to our oral flora causes sores in the mouth, tooth decay and bad breath.
Our intestines have a SELECTIVELY PERMEABLE feature. The nutrients that have been fully digested and that we need are absorbed from our intestines and pass into the bloodstream. Thanks to selective permeability, macromolecules, toxins and microbes that have not been digested CANNOT pass into the bloodstream. One of the most important elements in ensuring the selective permeability of our intestines is that our intestinal flora is healthy and has a high biodiversity. In case of intestinal flora damage or loss, weaknesses occur in the selective permeability feature of our intestines. With the disruption of selective permeability, food allergies and related nutritional disorders, autoimmune diseases are triggered and many chronic diseases are prepared.
Is it possible to delay the effects of aging if we protect our flora well?
There is a direct relationship between microbiota quality and quality of life and longevity . The decrease in biodiversity in the microbiota and the deterioration of its configuration ( dysbiosis, SIBO, etc. ), nutritional disorders, mandatory food restrictions, intestinal movement disorders ( constipation, diarrhea, IBS, etc. ), abdominal pain, intestinal restlessness and autoimmune diseases that develop together ( articular rheumatism, gout, MS, vitiligo, psoriasis, Hashimoto’s disease, fibromyalgia, etc. ) directly affect the quality and duration of life, and also reduce the resistance to many diseases ( cancer, epidemics, etc. ).
We often come across these in our environment; Generally, there are patients who are elderly, have eating and drinking problems, weight loss, general debility, allergies, suddenly become bedridden, but after medical examination and examination, NO DIAGNOSIS CAN BE MADE and it is considered as a SIGN OF AGING. Patients in this situation are mostly left to their FATE with simple vitamin supplements. Such patients should definitely be evaluated in terms of DIGESTIVE SYSTEM FLORA . It will mostly be seen that there are serious flora damages.
As a result, if we can protect our “digestive system flora” well and increase its biodiversity and treat the resulting flora damage with the FLORA TRANSPLANTATION method , it is possible to “DELAY THE EFFECTS OF AGING, LIVE LONGER, HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER” .
What is Flora Transplantation?
Flora Transplantation is a procedure performed to re-establish biodiversity in areas where permanent flora damage has occurred for any reason.
Flora Transplantation is the process of taking flora samples from at least one healthy donor (flora donor) under general anesthesia by washing 25-45 different anatomical regions with special washing solutions, each of which is subjected to special processes and the regional floras are transferred to the patient under general anesthesia, endoscopically and colonoscopically. Treatment success rates are around 85%. The flora obtained is permanent for life. Flora transplantation is done in a single session.
What to Expect After Flora Transplant?
The effect begins to be seen within hours after the flora transplantation procedure, and three weeks are required for maximum effectiveness.
If healthy flora can be created with flora transplantation, selective permeability of the intestine is re-established and effects related to autoimmune process are reversed. As the flora becomes healthy again, a defense is formed against pathogenic microbes. Enzymatic, chemical and biological digestive processes start to work healthily. As a result, foods that were previously difficult to digest will be digested more easily. Food allergies due to flora damage are eliminated. Since the fight against harmful microbes will be carried out, cases such as bad breath, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, gastritis and chronic diarrhea that develop due to pathogen colonization will be minimized. Due to the healthy functioning of the intestines, complaints such as diarrhea, constipation, excessive gas and abdominal pain will significantly regress and mostly return to normal. By closing the gate that triggers autoimmunity with flora transplantation, significant improvements are observed in all developing autoimmune processes and even some clinical conditions return to normal dramatically (Rheumatoid arthritis, Gout, Vitiligo, Psoriasis, MS, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease, IBS etc.).
A FLORA TRANSPLANT to be performed on a patient with flora damage will be extremely beneficial. In many patients, the effect is so dramatic that the patient and their relatives cannot hide their astonishment at the picture they see. The patient begins to eat more comfortably after the flora transplant. Along with this, a noticeable increase is observed in the patient’s physical, mental and psychological performance.
As a result, it is possible to say that one of the most important parameters affecting AGING is the quality of our MICROBIOTAE (OUR FLOOR).
We compiled the results of our clinical studies on flora transplantation into an article and published it in the academic, peer-reviewed, prestigious American Medical journal CUREUS. You can access the article from the link below.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat KANLIÖZ
General surgery specialist