Biofilms, Histamine and D-Lactic Acid

I have had a few emails asking if I am over-flagging these issues on MicrobiomePrescription.

I used Perplexity.AI to get some numbers…. here is what was reported (with references to sources). Given the typical reasons that people get microbiome samples, the rates appear reasonable.

  1. The National Institute of Health (NIH) statistics indicate that biofilm formation is present in about 65% of all bacterial infections and approximately 80% of all chronic infections.
  2. In the context of human health, biofilms are responsible for about 80% of bacterial infections

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/what-percentage-of-microbiome-fLRJ2SghTLCSWDdlo2AGKw#0

  1. D-lactic acidosis is considered rare in humans overall, but it may be underdiagnosed. Some experts suggest it should be looked for more often in cases of unexplained metabolic acidosis.
  2. It is most commonly associated with short bowel syndrome (SBS). The incidence of SBS is estimated at approximately 2 persons per million per year. While not all SBS patients develop D-lactic acidosis, they are at higher risk.
  3. In patients with short bowel syndrome, D-lactic acidosis appears to be a relatively frequent complication. One study found that all 29 SBS patients examined had experienced neurologic symptoms associated with D-lactic acidosis at some point
    [NOTE: SBS have a very high incidence of SIBO [src], so SIBO likely have an increased risk of d-lactic].

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/what-percentage-of-microbiome-fLRJ2SghTLCSWDdlo2AGKw#1

  • Histamine intolerance is estimated to affect approximately 1-3% of the general population. However, some experts suggest this number could be higher as the condition is often underdiagnosed.
  • Among people with digestive symptoms or conditions like IBS, IBD, and Crohn’s disease, a surprisingly high 30-55% may have histamine intolerance.
  • One study found that diamine oxidase (DAO) deficiency, which is associated with histamine intolerance, was present in up to 44% of the control population.
  • A more dramatic estimate suggests that histamine intolerance may affect 50-60% of the population, according to one source. However, this figure seems significantly higher than other estimates and may need further verification.
  • In people with digestive symptoms, one study showed that 30-55% also have histamine intolerance.
  • https://www.perplexity.ai/search/what-percentage-of-microbiome-fLRJ2SghTLCSWDdlo2AGKw#2