In the 20th century we went to war with bacteria. We became "germ-phobic", much like we eventually became "fat-phobic", avoiding fat in food. Long term, neither of these phobias have served us entirely well.
In fact, twenty first century science recognizes, as Louis Pasteur is rumoured to have admitted on his death bed, that:
There are trillions of microscopic organisms living within us - collectively referred to as the "human microbiota". We outsource countless bodily functions to these microbes, including: break down and absorption of undigested food particles; vitamin, fatty acid, serotonin and other mood altering chemical production; training of our immune system to recognize friend from foe; recycling and converting hormones; and assistance with adaption to local environmental conditions.
Feed and treat these microorganisms well and they will look after you. Mistreat them and suffer the consequences.
Alexander Fleming, who won the Nobel Prize in 1945 for the discovery of penicillin, predicted that overuse or misuse of antibiotics, for the treatment of non-threatening, and often non-bacterial-based infection, would create superbugs, and sadly - it has. Doctors are now often at a loss to eradicate these life threatening bugs. Not only that, but weight gain and associated health concerns have become collateral damage.
Look no further, than to the common agricultural practice that feeds low dose antibiotics to crowded and confined animals to prevent infection, with a historically unexpected side benefit to the industry, of promoting weight gain. In fact, over 80% of all antibiotic use today is in agribusiness.
Widespread use of herbicides and pesticides in industrial food production, also eventually leads to herbicide resistant weeds, pesticide resistant pests and depletion of essential nutrients from the soil. Man cannot outsmart Mother Nature for long.
So, even if you do not have a history of excessive antibiotic use for health reasons, but you do eat factory farmed foods, you may be wreaking havoc on your internal ecology, or soil within, and your health will become subpar.
Have you noticed that in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores, there has been a growing number of products featuring "probiotics" in food labels. "Probiotic" means "pro life" as opposed to "antibiotics" which mean "against life".
Local doctors have resorted to treating inflammatory bowel diseases, and some superbug infections for which no antibiotic seems to work, with probiotic-rich fecal transplants. Good bugs are implanted, to displace bad bugs, with phenomenal success.
Fear or phobia seldom leads to healthy outcome. "Going to war", "fighting", "battling" is seldom the right approach.
10 Tips for creating a healthy gut ecology:
Minimize use of added sugars and avoid all artificial sweeteners.
Eat and drink fermented foods and beverages like sauerkraut, Kimchi, tempeh, natto, miso, organic yogurt, kefir, unpasteurized aged cheeses (if not dairy intolerant), Kombucha.
Add resistant starches which help feed healthy gut bugs including: cooked and cooled potatoes and yams, unripe bananas and plantains.
Err on the side of caution. Avoid antibiotic use, unless you have a life threatening infection for which there is no other remedy.
Do without prednisone, non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and oral contraceptive use, if at all possible.
Meditate.
Spend time in the garden and grow some herbs, spices, sprouts, fruits or vegetables, even on a countertop or balcony, to help inoculate with local microbes.
Spend time outdoors in natural settings.
Bathe in ocean water and walk barefoot on the sand.
Increase physical activity throughout the day.
Comments