Bugs Inside: What Happens When the Microbes That Keep Us Healthy Disappear?

[FarCenter]

The human body has more microbial than human cells, but this rich diversity of micro-helpers that has evolved along with us is undergoing a rapid shift--one that may have very macro health consequences

By Katherine Harmon

Bacteria, viruses and fungi have been primarily cast as the villains in the battle for better human health. But a growing community of researchers is sounding the warning that many of these microscopic guests are really ancient allies.

Having evolved along with the human species, most of the miniscule beasties that live in and on us are actually helping to keep us healthy, just as our well-being promotes theirs. In fact, some researchers think of our bodies as superorganisms, rather than one organism teeming with hordes of subordinate invertebrates.

The human body has some 10 trillion human cells—but 10 times that number of microbial cells. So what happens when such an important part of our bodies goes missing?

With rapid changes in sanitation, medicine and lifestyle in the past century, some of these indigenous species are facing decline, displacement and possibly even extinction. In many of the world's larger ecosystems, scientists can predict what might happen when one of the central species is lost, but in the human microbial environment—which is still largely uncharacterized—most of these rapid changes are not yet understood. "This is the next frontier and has real significance for human health, public health and medicine," says Betsy Foxman, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan (U.M.) School of Public Health in Ann Arbor.

Meanwhile, each new generation in developed countries comes into the world with fewer of these native populations. "They're actually missing some component of their microbiota that they've evolved to have," Foxman says.

<SNIP>http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=human-microbiome-change

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What happens if essential microbes become endangered?

[RC]

1. Just another way of Nature getting rid of a weed species.

For you republican lurkers, Weed species is us humans.

[Po_d Mainiac]

13. u woodn't say that if wee styl lived in twees

ore bene boren wiff fumbs :hi:

[Liquorice]

2. That's an interesting article. You can replace many of the good bacteria

with diet. "Living foods" like Kefir, kim chi, unpasteurized vinegar, etc., contain these good bacteria. People have stopped eating fermented foods, and I think that's another reason why there is a decline in the good bacteria in our bodies.

[truedelphi]

5. People used to consume on average 38 pounds of cabbage annually

Now all that high fiber plant matter has been replaced in our diet by candy, pop and french fries.
(And in Europe, they eat their fries wihth vinegar.)

Many ethnic groups had fermented cabbage, like Kim Chi in Korea, and sauerkraut in German and Eastern Eutropean kitchens.

We not only deprive ourselves of the nutrition, but also, like you say, the needed good bacteria.

[Goldstein1984]

3. We're symbionts.

It doesn't say so in Genesis, so about 70% of Americans will never believe it, but we are.

The "living foods" mentioned by Liquorice are a source of some of the nutrients we get from bacteria, but not all.

The truth is, and Paul and Ann Ehrlich are continuously shot down for saying, that we're screwing around arrogantly with a system we just barely understand.

[Canuckistanian]

4. Interesting

One of my teachers in public school once told us that if the numbers of dangerous microbes were compared to the numbers of murderers in the human population, murderers are FAR more dangerous.

His point being that most microbes are far more helpful or benign than we give them credit for. And this obsession with "killing germs" is short-sighted.

I think we're finally seeing the wisdom of this advice with "pro-biotic" foods, such as yogurt.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

6. And this is why some antibiotics cause diarrhea. And why some yogurt brags about being "pro-biotic"

[Po_d Mainiac]

7. First healthy step..Keep a dog and cat aound and drop the 3 second rule

2) If you can recognize what it is after scraping the fuzz off it..It's OK to eat.
3) Wash your hands in the toilet
3) Wash dishes in cold water only (no soap)
4) Never be ashamed to borrow a handkerchief
5) Wear socks till they are too stiff to pull on
6) Cow chips are just as much fun to play with as frisbee's
7) It's good luck to kiss a coin u find in the parking lot..Twice as lucky if the parking lot is adjacent to a hospital
8) It's OK to recycle gum from under tables
9) Cockroaches make great pets, and appetizers

[mopinko]

8. i know that there was a research project for chron's disease involving eating

a worm. some little intestinal parasite that none of us has any more. iirc, early results were surprisingly good. it is a disease of the developed world, so there are several such avenues that are under investigation.
i will say, tho, that i was very aware of the "hygiene hypothesis" while raising my kids. it was my excuse for my low level of housekeeping. i have a kids with chron's anyway.

[fizzgig]

9. i don't understand the obsession people have with complete sanitization

i don't own hand sanitizer, i don't own those sanitizer wipes, i don't bleach my counters everyday. i practice good hygiene and food safety, but beyond that, i don't walk around in fear of what germs or bacteria there are lying about. i don't think people understand what kind of harm they are doing and have simply bought into the hysteria that's been created around such things.

[starroute]

10. We have a friend who runs a sewage treatment plant

We asked him once if the people who worked there got sick a lot and he said no, they were actually much healthier than average.

Exposing yourself to active diseases is probably not a great idea -- but being in contact with the ordinary flow of human germs can apparently be good for you.

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. I know the answer to that question.

A strong erythomyocin can kill the flora in your stomach. Serious gastro problems after that.

[Buns_of_Fire]

12. I remember reading somewhere that over half of all fecal matter...

...is composed of dead microbes. (One of those facts that's always fun to pull out at dinner parties -- which is probably why I don't get invited to many dinner parties.)

[kestrel91316]

14. Crohn's Disease appears to develop when our commensal roundworms are killed off.