bacteria by the numbers

You read a lot on the web about the correct balance of bacteria in colon for ideal health. The websites seem to indicate 70% good bacteria : 30% bad bacteria is the right balance.

The websites also indicate that gastro problems occur if the balance switches to 30:70 or 20:80 in favour of the bad guys and that probiotics and acidophilus etc are the best way to repopulate the good guys.

I have 2 questions:

1) How long does it take to get the 70:30 restored? Not looking for an exact time figure just a very rough figure. Presumbly this isn't go to happen in a few weeks or months since it took you a lifetime to get into this bad state of affairs in the first place?

2) Is it just a matter of putting in good guys i.e. will the extra good guys get rid of the bad guys or do you also have to take steps to get rid of the bad guys yourself

D

 

That's a good question, damo123, I have seen many reports of low good bacteria levels in IBD patients, but have not heard of any solutions to that problem.  I vaguely remember a news report about this when I lived in Edmonton a few years back about U of Alberta (I think it was them) doing some stem cell transplants in Crohne's patients to see if their intestines would start producing good bacteria on their own.  Of course this is before I got UC so I didn't pay too much attention to it.

I am wondering if it is the good bacteria that keeps the bad bacteria levels in check and when the good bacteria is weak or levels are low, the bad bacteria starts running rampant?