Pathogens & Biofilms

Colonization is key for their survival

Biofilms are structures created by microorganisms like parasites, candida, mycotoxins and unhealthy bacteria for protection. They are a sticky film that covers the microorganisms - preventing the immune system from penetrating through and eliminating them -

These tiny parasitic mycoplasmas can infect different parts of your body and exist by living on blood cells. They have no cell walls and are not killed by antibiotics. They nest on and eat your blood cells like fleas on a dog. Like the bacteria, the fungi, the protozoa - and all other pathogens they are all still simple anaerobic organisms. When they cluster together they become highly specialized. It has been found that bacteria and fungi have evolved to come together to form “smart” colonies. These smart colonies are called “Biofilms”.

Phil Stewart from MSU/Bozeman:

“We tend to think of bacteria as primitive, single celled creatures - but in biofilms they differentiate, communicate, cooperate and deploy collective defenses against antibiotics. Individual microorganisms in a biofilm act together like one multi-cellular organism. Human biofilm infections include dental cavities, gum disease, childhood ear infections, GI tract and even infections of the prostate gland & heart. Biofilms also underly devastating lung infections like cystic fibrosis. Biofilms account for 2/3rds of bacterial infections that are encountered. Many of these are caused by microbes that are common free-floating inhabitants of the body but become virulent as part of a biofilm community. Free swimming bacterial cells alight on a surface and attach after aggregating. They produce copious amounts of a sugary, mucous coating. Within this slime, they can form complex communities with intricate architecture featuring columns, water channels & mushroom-like towers.

New genes are expressed to synthesize the slime. After 6 hours, the bacteria start to communicate by making protein molecule signaling messages and releasing and exchanging them. Bacteria reproduce and begin to form structures. Oxygen levels decrease toward the center. These structural details may improve nutrient uptake and waste elimination, as blood vessels do in an animal’s body. In the case of your mouth, teeming bacteria can in just a few hours erect the microscopic equivalent of a coral reef on your teeth. A prolific variety of environmental niches are formed, & the biofilm affords protection from antibiotics & toxins. As the bacteria make a simple layer one cell deep they begin to produce slime. It protects them from being washed away or drying out & also slows down antibiotics and other toxins that might seep in. Cells dissolve the slime & are released to float away and attach somewhere else where the cycle begins again. Free-floating, or planktonic bacterial lifestyles that are most familiar to laboratory scientists may be nothing more than a way for cells to disperse & colonize new habitats.” Adapted from Science News July 14/2001 Vol.160, No.2, pg 17-32-J.Netting.

As a colon hydrotherapist for many years, I often see the slimy mucus come out of people’s colon attached to stool or they will tell me they see it at home later.

Here is an example of a biofilm of mucus which blocked this client’s ability to have a bowel movement. She was young and not been able to have a movement for weeks. At the time of the colonic nothing happened at all, but a day later she expelled this above toxic mucus and was then able to have regular peristalsis and movements. If you understand that we are made up entirely of microbes and if you understand that the body can maintain health or health degenerates according to these microbes you will give more attention to diet (especially processed + degenerated foods (seed oils too!)), prescription drug/street or OTC drug usage, alcohol usage etc. as they all make unhealthy biofilms.

Above the 5 ft colon is the 23 ft small intestine and biofilms are prevalent there as well (as I mentioned earlier from the small intestine right into the mouth/teeth). SIBO and SIFO (small intestine bacterial or fungal overgrowth) is highly common these days and can be difficult to shift and heal. I was working with a client for a long time, unable to eradicate large amounts of h.Pylori bacteria until I discovered this bacteria was prolific in her mouth (pockets). It was not until she was able to clean up her dental condition that we were able to solve the GI tract issue. I use the GI Map test - which is stool - via Diagnostic Solutions Lab and find it to be very revealing. This is the only test I know of which gives Virulence Factors for h.Pylori. This is important because people can carry h.Pylori and not have symptoms while others have severe gastrointestinal suffering. With this test I can literally see how virulent this bacteria has become - Once highly virulent it can cause esophageal and/or stomach cancer.

h.Pylori can also be very difficult to eradicate due to their shape - like a corkscrew which will penetrate the gut wall and go deeper and deeper. Most people will experience terrible heartburn/GI issues, bloating and constipation. MD’s give a ‘z-pack’ of antibiotic, steroid and acid blocker. Unfortunately these Rx drugs will incur stronger biofilms and the h.Pylori bacteria SYMPTOMS will be suppressed, but the bacteria itself will go deeper. The person might feel better for a little while, but not much has been done. Unfortunately the MD will rarely, if ever, retest after the z-pack. Most people go on their way thinking they dealt with it only to find a few months later that the symptoms are back and they are again seeking to manage them. I had a client who had been on antibiotics for h.Pylori SIX separate times. By the time I worked with and tested her the Virulence Factors of the h.Pylori in her GI Map test were all lit up. The strains were strong and they had become resistant to all antibiotics. The entire terrain of the gut must be healed. Where one pathogen lives, others will be there as well. Using prescription drugs like antibiotics will only throw gas on the fire and cause Candida (yeast) overgrowth to proliferate, create more biofilms and send out their endotoxins into the bloodstream overwhelming the immune system.

By now most health minded people have already been thinking about biofilm disruptors they may use - commonly known and used ones are NAC (N-acetyl cysteine - a supplement form of cysteine/amino acid) which is great. Serrapeptase and Nattokinase can be also good. I find herbal antimicrobials like Biocidin and other combinations to work well. Along with these I like to combine a binder. In my case I use an antimycotic recipe for my clients that they shake in water and drink immediately - it thickens in the GI tract and pulls the dead carcasses and their mucus out of the body via stool (psyllium, slippery elm powder, liquid bentonite as a base, and tweaking this if needed). I will combine the anti mycotic drink 2x a day on an empty stomach along with regular colonics, enemas (water and coffee) and other adjunctive therapies.

But what about the tough one. What about the client that has super resilient bacteria AND biofilms? As always in my substack articles I love to discuss and teach about Medical Ozone Therapy. It changed my life. Medical Ozone is 02 (oxygen) + 1 more atom - ozone from a cold plasma generator. Medical Ozone is ‘03’- also called ‘Activated Oxygen’ and there is NOTHING like it. UV light is awesome as well - but Medical Ozone Therapy stands alone. And NO pathogen can stand against it. If Medical Ozone is limited it is limited by its ability to get to the problem. For instance, if we are working with the gums, teeth and tongue we would bubble the ozone (with oxygen) through water and then drink the water - holding the ozonated water in the mouth, swishing it through the teeth and swallowing. All pathogenic biofilms in the mouth and esophagus / stomach will not stand a chance. Medical ozone does not damage the good bacteria. PubMed has numerous articles on Ozonated water, ozone injections, ozone used to stop sepsis in joint replacements, etc - here is an article on

“Activity of ozonated water and ozone against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms” - (CLICK HERE)

For most people with ill health who are learning about the condition of their GI Tract for the first time and realize the self-care it will take to heal naturally it can seem overwhelming. Our society has long entrusted their health to an MD who distributes pharmaceutical drugs for all infirmities. No other changes are usually needed. This does not get to root cause of metabolic chaos and the drugs add fuel to the ‘fire’ of those horrible unresolved symptoms. My hope is that this article may help you understand at least a piece of the puzzle of your health. My other articles on Coffee and Water Enemas, Colon Health, Medical Ozone Therapy Benefits etc should also be helpful along with this one. If you have further ideas for articles or comments I will be happy to read/comment below. As always - THANK YOU for reading.

Below: Ozone in Dentistry and Medicine

Wendy McPhail, CNC, NBCCT, FDN,

ADAPT Functional Health Coach

Weston A. Price Chapter Leader,

www.nethersprings.com