When people hear the word ‘bacteria’, most people immediately think of a menacing threat to their health. The news is often full of outbreaks of food that is sickening people because it is infected with bacteria such as e-coli or salmonella. Occasional reports of people contracting the flesh-eating bacteria make national headlines. Because bacteria has the power to kill us (especially if we have a compromised immune system), people often fear bacteria.
As a result of the dangers of these bacteria, many people are constantly seeking to kill and destroy all bacteria. People use bleach and anti-bacterial soaps and lots of chemical products to destroy bacteria and sanitize all surfaces.
Many experts believe and some studies show that this “war on bacteria” is causing many people to have weakened immune systems. The theory is that you need to be exposed to bacteria while you’re young so your immune system can grow stronger. Playing in the dirt and sucking on a pacifier that was dropped on the floor can actually be good for you.
As a Mom with children who are constantly playing in the dirt and mucking out stalls, I find this very encouraging.
But in all this talk about bacteria, many neglect to recognize the fact that there is beneficial bacteria and that the human body actually requires bacteria to survive. Scientists believe that there are more than 500 species of bacteria in the human gut, collectively called intestinal flora. These bacteria are essential to helping us digest and process our food. They also synthesize vitamins by using enzymes that our bodies’ cells can’t produce. The bottom line is that beneficial intestinal flora keeps us healthy.
Unfortunately, many things can destroy the beneficial bacteria in the gut. One major cause is the routine use of antibiotics. Antibiotics not only kill the bad bacteria that they are intended to destroy, but an unfortunate casualty is the beneficial intestinal flora. Another cause is the fact that most Americans consume pasteurized food that lacks any beneficial bacteria, called probiotics.
Lack of good bacteria in the gut has been linked (but not proven) to affect:
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Constipation
- Allergies
- Crone’s disease
- Celiac disease
- Asthma
- Gluten intolerance
The probiotic industry has grown rapidly as people seek to stay healthy by maintaining the healthy bacteria in the gut. Personally, I’m not a big believer in taking supplements. I much prefer to consume whole foods the way they were intended to be eaten. I believe foods, like our bodies, are very complicated and made up of many different components which have a synergistic affect. Additionally, there are just too many studies showing that numerous companies make supplements that are utterly useless.
Instead of taking a supplement, you can consume foods that rich in good bacteria. Fermented foods such as sauerkraut and yogurt are some of the easiest ways to keep your positive bacteria flourishing.
So what about you? Are you afraid of bacteria? Or do you eat foods to keep your healthy bacteria flourishing?
We are like you PJ. We eat whole, natural, organic foods to try and keep everything working the way it should. We do not use antibacterial soaps and I don’t bleach or sanitize my counters every week either. I know there is a time and a place for antibiotics, but antibiotic use today is at an all-time high because pill happy doctors will prescribe it for a virus. Then our bodies become used to that antibiotic and it won’t work anymore. I let my kids drop food on the floor and pick it up and eat it and I let them play in the mud, get dirty and be kids.
Shari – I can’t remember the last time any of us had antibiotics – probably when I had my kidney stone surgery when Hewitt was a newborn. There is a place for antibiotics, but I agree they are way over-used.
PJ
I agree with you. I generally eschew antibacterial products these days except for one small emergency container in my purse for places where sink/soap aren’t available (i.e., picnics at a remote park). While I don’t mind exposing kids to some bacteria, eating with mud/dirt covered hands is where I draw the line.
I only buy natural soaps (like yours) and detergents because I want to give our immune systems a chance to stay strong. I’d like to say I *only* buy organic foods, but I’m skeptical of how some companies define organic and whether their ‘organic’ choice in fertilizer is better or worse than what some non-organic labeled companies use.
Ivy – I feel the same way about organics. I almost never buy them. I much prefer to choose local farmers or grow my own.
PJ
I posted on Facebook, but will also post here…. (still loving your soap!!)
I like what you wrote. My son had necrotizing fasciatis, which is the flesh eating bacteria, and lost his leg, had to use anti-bacterial soaps and stay far away from ALL types of bacteria for a long time because of it. Bacteria was the enemy for him. The rest of us shun anti-bacterial products, knowing the danger of them. Bacteria is a normal health needed component of our everyday lives. It has been in the last year only that we have been able to give him probiotics and use regular soaps, and he just got off 8 weeks of IV antibiotics at home because of it. It is a very scary time here. I want him in a bubble. He is 25, and this is a very rare case.
Hi Alicia,
I’m so glad you’re still loving the soap!!
I can’t imagine how scary that must have been (and still is). I said a prayer for your son and your family that he would continue to heal – both physically and emotionally – and that the bacteria would never recur. I can completely sympathize with wanting to put him in a bubble, I’d want to do the same thing!
PJ
“I much prefer to consume whole foods the way they were intended to be eaten. I believe foods, like our bodies, are very complicated and made up of many different components which have a synergistic affect.”
I read an article (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/03/18/mcbride-and-barringer-interview.aspx) that fermented foods are good for the digestive tract and works like probiotics. So i think if you are not a fan of taking probiotics, just try eating fermented foods.
Hi James,
It’s really funny that you mention that, that is my next topic. The bacteria post was a lead in to talking about fermented foods. They’re so good for you and unfortunately many people have become afraid of them for no reason.
PJ