Scared of Bacteria?

Bacteria are bad, or so we may have thought. Well, actually leading scientists and other researchers are slowly reaching the conclusion that maybe bacteria are not as bad as we initially thought. In fact, we use bacteria a lot.

Bacteria are an essential part of human life. According to Jeneen Interlandi and Jerry Adler, “bacteria seem adjust levels of the hormones ghrlein and letpin, which regulate appetite and metabolism. Similarly, “the intestinal bacteria are a marvel, a virtual organ of the body which just happens to have its own DNA.” In fact, according to a study done at Duke University, the human appendix “serves as a reservoir of beneficial microbes which can decolonize the gut after is emptied by diseases such as cholera or dysentery.” In all regards, bacteria constitute “an essential step in the development of a healthy immune system.”

Yet, society often ignores the benefit. Increasingly, there is an effort to rid ourselves of the bacteria. Today, people “cover the dirt on the floor of the hut, banish the farm animals to distant feedlot, and treat an ear infection with penicillin” and the list goes on. According to Sachs, “Modern sanitation is a good thing, and pavement is a good thing, but they keep kids at a distance from microbes.” This in turn tips “the immune system in the direction of overreaction, either to outside stimuli or even to the body’s own cells. The result is allergies or asthma.” Are you still scared of bacteria?