Germ Theory Quotes
Germ Theory Quotes
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 Germ Theory QuotesHistorically, microbes have been associated with deadly diseases such as bubonic plague, smallpox and malaria. But they have had a bad press: only a tiny minority are pathogenic (capable of causing disease), and in fact many of the microbes that live on and in our bodies – especially the trillions of bacteria residing in our gut – may be beneficial, or indeed essential, for human health. (Mo Costandi, The Guardian, posted 7 September 2017, accessed 20 March 2023) Many people mistakenly believe that germs cause colds and other infectious illnesses. The state of our immune system, however, is what really determines whether or not we get sick. The specific bacteria or virus is not nearly as important as the medium in which it is allowed to flourish. (Peggy O’Mara, posted 25 March 2015, accessed 13 January 2016) [So, take charge of your health. Build your immune system!]  Bach was making an important point here in our understanding of the nature of disease, with its one-sided emphasis on “germs” or pathogens (microbes such as bacteria and viruses). This discussion echoes the nineteenth century dispute between Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), who argued that germs (pathogens) cause disease in otherwise healthy individuals, and his contemporaries Antoine Béchamp (1816-1908) and Claude Bernard (1813-1878) who contended that disease pathogens are opportunistic and thrive in an unhealthy organism, where they find suitable “terrain” or milieu intérieur (interior environment). Organic gardeners know that it is the health of the soil (the terrain) that determines the health of the plants and their susceptibility to disease and pests. Similarly, maintaining a healthy inner “terrain” is the key to human health. (Richard Katz, FES, posted 17 March 2020, accessed 21 March 2020) [So, take charge of your health. Build your immune system!] “Pretty much everything can be linked back to the microbes in your gut,” says Orla O’Sullivan, a research fellow at Teagasc Food Research Centre and University College Cork. From hormone regulation to the immune system to our moods, “Keeping your gut microbes healthy is one of the most important things you can do for your health.” If only it was as simple as identifying certain good microbes and swallowing lots of them, but it’s not. All we know is that diversity is key: “The more different types of microbe you have, the more functions they can perform,” O’Sullivan says. And when the diversity is out of whack – this is known as dysbiosis – pathogenic (disease-causing) germs can take hold. (The Guardian, posted 23 June 2024, accessed 24 June 2024)  The NHS says that a young child will catch eight viruses a year. (Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, The Guardian, posted and accessed 7 November 2022) [So, take charge of your health. Build your immune system!] A germ-free existence would be an unhappy one. Tests have shown that a mouse raised in a lab devoid of bacteria fails to develop a proper immune system or an effective digestive system. It has to consume a lot more food to extract calories. Humans are first colonised by microbes during birth. Then through breast milk, which contains both probiotics (beneficial microbes) and prebiotics (compounds that foster the growth of probiotics). "There is strengthening evidence," says O'Toole [Paul O'Toole, a professor at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, which is part of the BioSciences Institute at Cork], "that the explosion of auto-immune diseases and immune dysregulation diseases in western society may be due to suppression of gut bacteria from infancy onwards [due to: (1) c-sections = hospital microbiota instead of vaginal microbiota; (2) lack of breastmilk; (3) increased use of antibiotics]. (Andrew Anthony, The Guardian, posted 11 February 2014, accessed 21 March 2023; minor edit made) Most of us still see microbes as germs: unwanted bringers of pestilence that we must avoid at all costs. This stereotype is grossly unfair. Most microbes do not make us sick. At worst, they are passengers or hitchhikers. At best, they are invaluable parts of our bodies: not takers of life but its guardians. They help to digest our food, educate our immune systems, protect us from disease, sculpt our organs, guide our behaviour, and maintain our health. (Ed Yong, The Guardian, posted 25 August 2016, accessed 21 March 2023)  |
Also see:- Germ Theory Immune System |
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