How Microbes Moved From Villain to Hero

We have about 2 - 3 pounds of microorganism living in us and on us and we couldn't exist in a healthy state without them.

When I was in chiropractic school in the early 1980s, science really wasn't fully aware of the symbiosis that we have with our microbiomes. We have microbiomes in our mouths, another in our gut and still another on our skin.

We need over 85% "good bacteria" and less than 15% "bad bacteria" to be healthy.

Bacteria comprise about half of the dry weight of feces.

When we are in the womb, we have limited microbiomes. Our first inoculation of bacteria outside the womb occurs immediately upon exiting the womb, as we are exposed to our mother's microbiome of the birth canal.

If we are exposed to too many pathogens, we can get sick, If we are not exposed to enough, our immune system will become weakened. There is the "Goldilocks Zone" of exposure to pathogens, not too much and not too little, but just right!

Your microbiomes change constantly and what you eat makes a big difference in the kind of microbes your body contains. When people begin improving their diets, the number and integrity of their microbes improve.

We should have 20 - 30 thousand different species of microbes in and on us. Most modern humans are far short of this ideal range.

Besides probiotics, eating fermented vegetables are an excellent way to improve our body's bacterial balance. Fiber is also good for many of our gut bacteria, so eating more vegetables is beneficial.

Garlic and onions also have antimicrobial properties; garlic impairs some of the undesirable bacteria but leaves the good ones.

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