The number of bacteria living on and in the body of the average healthy adult human are estimated to outnumber human cells by a ratio of anywhere from 3:1 to 100:1. Commensal bacteria provide numerous benefits to their host including production of vitamins and antimicrobial substances that are essential in maintaining the delicate balance between helpful colonies and pathogenic overgrowth. There is a school of thought that posits lactate-producing bacterial species will cause ill-health rather than promote health, particularly for patients suffering Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Short Bowel Syndrome. Today Belinda Reynolds explores the pathogenesis of D-Lactate and reveals it may not be the culprit first thought, but rather a victim of circumstance.