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Do you have sore, painful, stiff, injured, or loose joints/ligaments, or are you prone to injury or concerned about supporting your joints?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, known as IBS, is an increasingly common bowel disorder that affects up to 20% of the population.¹ There isn’t a known cause of IBS from a conventional medicine perspective, but there are several underlying factors that can contribute to the development of the condition, highlighting that each case of IBS requires a unique approach. As well as symptoms such as bloating, recurrent abdominal pain, changes in bowel movements and flatulence, people with IBS can often suffer with anxiety and depression which further impacts quality of life.² A diagnosis may be given if more extensive testing has been done to rule out conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), but conclude nothing alarming. IBS can develop at any age, but for most it typically first appears in teenage years with women being more affected. ¹ Rome criteria VI, alongside the Bristol Stool Chart help to define and diagnose cases of IBS. There are currently four subtypes of IBS:

Dysbiosis is a familiar concept for most of us. However, we may still be inclined to think about pathogens as the villains, and us as the victims, tempting us to embark on a journey of “eradication”. But is this a holistic approach? Does that approach encourage a robust and resilient gut ecosystem? There are cases where pathogens are perilous and eradication is required, but more often than not, we are talking about a state of dysbiosis, created by a disruption to gut ecology. Assessing the whole person by considering all the complex contributing factors and restoring that ecology offers a wider and likely more effective approach to addressing dysbiosis.

Does all health originate in our gut? Our gut is a key adaptive system that mediates many functions and is thus central to health and disease. But poor gut health, combined with the challenges of the modern life and our complex environment, can often leave us feeling uncomfortable, sluggish, and sensitive to foods.  

The gut and genital tract microflora of females are complex biological ecosystems that are in continuous communication with each other. The bacteria that colonise the vagina evolved through translocation of bacteria from the gut to the vagina, or through mother-to-child transfer during delivery. The vaginal microbiome is composed of over 200 species and is unique to each female, as it differs depending on genes, age, hygiene, dietary habits, ethnicity, and use of lubricants or medications.1,2 The overall health of the vagina depends on several factors, namely a healthy balance of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, good quality connective tissue, and a robust and diverse balance of beneficial bacteria that reside in the genital area which make up the vaginal microbiome.3
The normal vaginal microflora consists of Lactobacillus bacteria that emerge from the gut. This includes L. crispatus, L. gasseri, L.rhamnosus, L. salivarius, and L. plantarum with some Bifidobacterium species. These strains produce lactic acid, which maintains the vaginal pH to be within the required 3.5-4.5. This acidity is essential to prevent opportunistic bacteria from proliferating uncontrollably. Lactobacillus strains also exert a natural antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect, which keeps foreign bacteria at bay. Other commensal anaerobic species with great propensity to becoming pathogens, especially when Lactobacilli are depleted include Gardnerella, Prevotella, Megasphaera, Atopobium, Streptococcus, Mobiluncus, Mycoplasma and Peptoniphilus. When in high levels, these strains may contribute to vaginal infections such as bacterial vaginosis (BV).4 <