Digestive Antimicrobial Support

Find the Right Care

Learn more about PEAK and how we can serve you. Click the button below to find your starting point.

How To Break Down Biofilm

People with gut and gut-related issues (digestive symptoms, skin issues, autoimmunity, headaches, etc.) often have an overgrowth of certain bacteria, yeast, parasites, and in some cases, even worms. These organisms build something called biofilm, which is a protective layer that makes it difficult for the immune system and even antibiotics to kill them off. To read more about the biofilm, CLICK HERE.

So, the first part of this protocol is to use a supplement to help begin breaking this down. In most cases, we’ll recommend something called Interfase Plus, but others may be added depending on the severity of your issues.

To help break up biofilms in addition to the supplement, certain foods and ingredients can help. Herbs like oregano, clove, eucalyptus, rosemary, cinnamon, ginger, and curcumin are all-natural biofilm disruptors. Garlic and cranberry are also good biofilm disruptors.

Understanding Die-Off Symptoms

When taking Interfase Plus, eating a certain diet, or working through certain supplements that begin to break down biofilm you may experience die off symptoms. Die off symptoms are the results of a reaction in your gut when dying microbiota release toxins and proteins. This is called a Herxheimer reaction.

These die off symptoms are normal! But we want to make sure they are not at a level that is detrimental to you and your health.

Weaken the Microorganisms, Immune Support

Next up, we want to help the body kill off the “bad bugs”. Ultimately, our immune system is what does the work. We just want to help it do its job by weakening the bugs and helping stimulate and support the immune cells and “good bugs” in the gut and elsewhere. This is done through the use of antimicrobials, prebiotics, and immunoglobulins.
Just like with biofilm, there are foods that can help. These include what was mentioned above, plus foods like honey, onion, pumpkin seeds, horseradish, pumpkin, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, pomegranates, beets, and papaya.

Symptoms Of This Process: It May Get Bumpy

As you phase in the supplements, things might get a little rough. Breaking up the biofilm can expose bugs to your immune system that were previously hidden. This can activate immune cells and cause some inflammation, histamine release, and generally cause some digestive upset like gas, bloating, and loose stool. This is often called a “die-off” reaction or herxheimer AKA “herx” reaction.

Mild symptoms are OK, but if it’s more severe/disruptive, let us know and we can modify the plan to make it less uncomfortable. Sometimes we’ll back off on the dose of the supplements or meds, or we’ll recommend a binder to “soak up” junk being released from the bugs that are dying off.