Flora insufficiency

A noninvasive and simple H2 breath test has been suggested for measurement of pancreatic function based on the principle that undigested starch will pass into the colon, be metabolized by the colonic flora, and thus lead to an increase in breath H2 exhalation. However, numerous mechanisms for false-positive (e.g., bacterial overgrowth) and -negative (e.g., insufficient H2 production by colonic bacteria) limit its validity. 

Bile deficiency in the stools causes disturbed bacterial flora as well as insufficient digestion and absorption of nutritional fats. This leads to intestinal complaints, such as meteorism, bloating, lack of appetite, intolerance of fatty foods through to nausea and vomitus. 

Rarely is a vitamin K deficiency caused by insufficient diet. It more likely is attributable to a medical condition. At one time, multivita-itdn supplements rarely contained vitamin K. It is now routinely found in these products. Causes of vitamin K deficiency include obstructive jaundice (now uncommon), loss of intestinal flora in preparation for intestinal surgery, and hemorrhagic disease of the newborn. 

Acute cellulitis with mixed aerobic and anaerobic flora generally occurs in diabetics, where the skin is adjacent to some site of trauma, at sites of surgical incisions to the abdomen or perineum, or where host defenses have been otherwise compromised (vascular insufficiency). In older patients, cellulitis of the lower extremities also may be complicated by thrombophlebitis. Other comphcations of cellulitis include local abscess, osteomyehtis, and septic arthritis. ... 

But where do all the other isomers come from Desaturation should not occur in the reducing environment of the rumen and thus could not explain the array of isomers observed as desaturation of rra r-monoenes. On the other hand, hydrogenation is efficiently accomplished when rumen pH is appropriate for the organisms involved in the isomerization and hydrogenation of PUFA (16). Several of the organisms appear to have specific selectivity for certain structures of the PUFA on which they act. Different microbes could have different preferences for PUFA isomers, rumen pH, or nutrients but there is insufficient information at this time to clearly describe the rumen flora in a way that would explain the plethora of fatty acid isomers observed in the rumen and milk of dairy cows. The following discussion may provide insights into possible mechanisms to explain the presence of the myriad of trans, cis, and CLA fatty acids in rumen and milk fat. 

Acquired hypoprothrombinemia may result from a variety of pathological conditions, including vitamin K deficiencies, an inability to synthesize prothrombin, and the administration of antivitamin K compounds. Vitamin K deficiencies develop because of either an inadequate diet or from the absence of synthesis of the vitamin by the flora of the gastrointestinal tract. Such symptoms may have severe consequences when they occur in a newborn who is vitamin K-deficient because the mother absorbs insufficient amounts of vitamin K. In the newborn, such a deficiency is responsible for hemorrhage with the development of bruises. 

Sauerkraut is darkened by chemical or enzymatic oxidations when the brine does not cover the surface. Reddish color is caused by yeasts. Sauerkraut softening occurs when fermentation takes place at too high a temperature, when the cabbage is exposed to air, too little salt is added or by faulty fermentation when the lactic acid content remains too low. In addition to faulty fermentation, the kraut can be ruined by infections caused by molds and other flora of the surface film and by rotting (insufficient brine for full protection). 

The most frequent cause of cobalamin deficiency is insufficient absorption due to a lack of Intrinsic Factor. This condition is more generally known as pernicious anemia and is caused by the occurrence of autoantibodies against parietal cells and Intrinsic Factor, blocking its capacity to bind cobalamin and preventing its absorption. Less frequent causes are abnormal intestinal flora, partial or total gastrectomy, tropical sprue, fish tapeworm infestation, and the congenital Intrinsic Factor abnormality and Intrinsic Factor receptor dysfunction (Imerslund-Grasbeck disease). 

It is probable that the relative contributions of diet and biosynthesis to taurine regulation varies from species to species. Taurine is almost absent from the plant kingdom, but is present in large amounts in animal tissues, particularly muscle. A carnivore, therefore, receives a large amount of taurine in its diet, whereas a herbivore receives none. Omnivores fall between these two extremes. A herbivore must either make its own taurine, or derive it microbiologically from gut or rumen flora. A carnivore is not faced with this necessity, and, as the example of the cat shows, biosynthesis may be insufficient to maintain taurine balance. 

The characteristic symptoms of infant botulism are poor sucking, constipation, generalized weakness, floppy appearance, and respiratory insufficiency (Cox and Hinkle, 2002). Infant botulism may quickly progress to respiratory failure if not treated. The development of the intestinal flora has been demonstrated to suppress the germination and growth of Clostridium botulinum spores in mice (Sugiyama and Mills, 1978). Ingestion of honey by infants is the classic scenario cited in infant botulism therefore, honey is not recommended in this susceptible population (Amon, 1998). 

The symptoms of vitamin K deficiency are a tendency to bleed and disturbances in blood clotting. Of the many clotting factors (end of Chapt. IV-9), prothrombin is affected primarily it is produced in insufficient amounts in vitamin K deficiency. In man the deficiency symptoms are rather rare, because the intestinal flora produces enough of the vitamin to contribute materially in the supply. 

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