Studies from the Wistar Institute published in April of 2014 suggest that the microbes that make up the microflora of the intestinal tract can suppress DNA repair in the cells lining the intestinal tract and lead to colorectal cancer. It is only recently that most gastroenterologists have begun to appreciate the importance of the microflora in the gut. We now realize that there is more metabolic activity in the gut than in any other organ system in the human body. When there is a disordered ecosystem in the gut we compromise its function in detoxifying hormones, carcinogens, and xenobiotics as well as in producing vitamins that include B5, B6, biotin and in its ability to crowd out pathogenic bacteria and stimulate the powerful SIgA antibody system.
There are many reasons why a disordered ecosystem (dysbiosis) can develop in the gut that include diet, inflammation, infections, poor digestion, stress, antibiotics, xenobiotics, and poor immunity. For more information on this topic click here.