Internal Biofilms May Be Making You Sick

“A lot of bacteria can form biofilm, which is an extracellular matrix where they share nutrients and even DNA. The biofilm protects the bacteria inside it from our innate immune defenses. It’s much more difficult for us to get rid of biofilm than it is bacteria in other states,” says Chris Kresser, acupuncturist and columnist for the Huffington Post in an interview with Steve Wright from SCD Lifestyle. 

Killing off biofilms internally is always accompanied with die off symptoms. Eliminated biofilms look like rubbery well formed mucus often times with visible pathogens at the center.

Medicaldictionary.com defines a biofilm as, “A slimy matrix of extracellular polymeric substances produced by bacteria which protects them when aggregated, as in dental plaque, theear, intestine, skin, etc. (It contains) biologically active agents, which coats the surface of structures such as teeth or the inner surfaces of catheter,tube, or other implanted or indwelling device. It contains viable and nonviable microorganisms that adhere to the surface and are trapped within a matrix of organic matter (for example, proteins, glycoproteins, and carbohydrates).” 

{We are taking a leap of faith and have added a donate button instead of using advertisers. Advertisements have been removed from this page to make your reading uninterrupted. If you learn something here, please donate so we can keep offering these posts. This post contains affiliate links, which sometimes pay for this site}.

Biofilms are most commonly found encasing gastrointestinal pathogens, parasites or worms. People struggling with intestinal pathogens see the most biofilm colonies when they proactively pursue colon elimination routines combined with foods or supplements that disrupt the biofilm. They are most visible to the eye after cleansing enemas, as the fecal matter is not present. Biofilms look like a thick gel like substance which could be encasing a darker form, yeast colonies, a long worm-like form, parasite form, or similar pathogens. Biofilms live in many places, colonizing where”needed” to protect pathogens. 

The NIH says biofilms develop when, “(The) host’s immune system becomes suppressed, facilitating colonization and infection of (weak spots or  wounds) with micro-organisms. Within the wound, bacteria often develop biofilms, which protect the bacteria from the immune response and enhance their resistance to antibiotics.”

Biomed Research International says , “This form of growth poses a threat to chronically infected or immunocompromised patients. Biofilm-forming microbes are held together by a self-produced matrix that consists of polysaccharides, proteins and extracellular DNA. It is now well known that infections are mainly associated with biofilm formation.”

GNN, The Genome News Network says, “Biofilms are the squatters of chronic infection. They congregate, slime, and linger on surfaces in the human body—places like hip replacements, contact lenses, catheters and wounds. Biofilms are resistant to even the most aggressive antibiotics.”

They go on to say, “The biofilm can consist of one or more microbial (bacterial or fungal) species. Biofilm-growing microorganisms cause chronic infections which share clinical characteristics, like persistent inflammation and tissue damage. A large number of chronic bacterial infections involve bacterial biofilms, making these infections very difficult to be eradicated.”

Professor Alex Volinsky is considered one of the pioneers with studying, testing and uncovering findings on parasitic activity, biofilms and ropeworms specifically determining what they are, what is their function and what is the source of their structure. Click here to read more.

Beneficial bacteria sources that disturb biofilms include:

Lactoferrin (apolactoferrin) which is found in whey made from goat’s milk or cow’s milk. In fact over the counter lactoferrin supplements like this one are made from bovine whey. Dr. Bernard Jensen says in one of the most nutritionally comprehensive books of all time, Chemistry Of Man, whey is also very high in chlorine. Just like when you santize your clothes in chlorine to bleach them, chlorine in foods will sanitize your cells, including biofilms. When you combine chlorine foods with flushing of the colon, biofilms will be eliminated. 

The Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition says, “Lactoferrin (LF) is an iron-binding glycoprotein and is the second most abundant protein in human milk. Bovine LF (bLF) inhibits the growth of a wide variety of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites.”

The British Journal of Nutrition found, “Bioactive milk proteins may be important in protecting preterm infants from developing inflammation and necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) and inflammation.”

N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) is an amino acid, a precursor to glutathione which disrupts biofilms. BMS Microbiology says, “Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common pathogen in chronic respiratory tract infections. It typically makes a biofilm, which makes treatment of these infections difficult. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on biofilms produced by P. aeruginosa.” (Click the BMS Microbiology link above to see the study).

Stirring NAC into some homemade yogurt is a good way to introduce it to your system without fillers, binders or capsules that contain pathogen feeding ingredients. Click here for an NAC with no pathogen feeding ingredients.

The NIH says, “NAC has anti-bacterial properties against P. aeruginosa and may detach P. aeruginosa biofilms. Use of NAC may be a new strategy for the treatment of biofilm-associated chronic respiratory infections due to P. aeruginosa.”

Garlic is particularly powerful containing antistaphylococcal activity. The NIH studied garlic in 2012 concluding it effective in disrupting established staphylococcal biofilms. They used a garlic based ointment, “to examine the antibiofilm activity of garlic (Allium sativum). Wound pathogens were inoculated on sterile cellulose discs, exposed to formulated garlic ointment (GarO) or ointment base, and incubated to allow biofilm development. Biofilms were quantified and visualized microscopically. GarO prevented biofilm development by Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and caused a 2-5 log reduction of the bioburden within Enterococcus faecalis biofilms. Additionally, GarO disrupted partially developed biofilms produced by S. aureus, S. epidermidis and A. baumannii.”

Enzymes exist on raw foods, meats and milks. Enzymes eradicate biofilms. When we have a diet deficient in enzymes, while we eat processed packaged foods we are feeding pathogens and promoting biofilm growth. Lumbrokinase, nattokinase, Glucoamylase, Chitosanase, Cellulase, Hemicellulase, Pectinase, Beta-Glucanase, Protease, Peptidase, Endopeptidase, Exopeptidase and Lysozyme all break the biofilm barrier. Lysozyme is found in raw egg whites.

*If you learned something from this post share it so others can do the same. To support the efforts of this blog shop the affiliate links above like this one. You pay the same shopping through Amazon while the author receives a small referral fee from Amazon. This offsets the costs of this site.

*Nourishing Plot is written by Becky Plotner, ND, traditional naturopath, GAPS who sees clients in Rossville, Georgia. Since her son was delivered from the effects of autism (Asperger’s syndrome), ADHD, bipolar disorder/manic depression, hypoglycemia and dyslexia through food she continued her education specializing in Leaky Gut and parasitology through Duke University, finishing with distinction. This is not a news article published by a paper trying to make money. This blog is put out by a mom who sees first hand the effects of nourishing food vs food-ish items. No company pays her for writing these blogs, she considers this a form of missionary work. It is her desire to scream it from the rooftops so that others don’t suffer from the damaging effect of today’s “food”.