Quantum


HEALTH


Issue 11 April 2011


If the stool is not adequately cleansed, the procedure can cause more problems than it can potentially help. You could infect yourself with e coli, mad cow disease (prions), shingella, and even HIV. Some researchers claim that the environment of the intestines and colon are so complex that we don’t even understand how to designate “healthy” from “harmful” microbiota. Others caution that current testing equipment is unable to guarantee that a stool sample is safe for transplant. Still, the evidence is mounting that, despite the dangers, a fecal transplant can do a lot of good. The bottom line is that if you think you might be helped by this procedure, seek out a doctor who has the knowledge and experience to make that determination with you.


Be Kind to Your Gut


There seems to be no aspect of health that is unrelated to how microbes in our digestive system affect the body, for good or ill. For instance, some researchers have found a link between diet and the variety of microbes in your gut. It isn’t surprising that the Western diet of fast food, processed food and chemically enhanced food spells bad news for a healthy digestive bacterial environment. People who live in rural areas and in less developed countries, and who eat raw and natural foods, have a much greater variety of beneficial microbes in their digestive tracks. And they don’t suffer from most of the autoimmune and other diseases that are common in developed countries and that are now being associated with the microbiota of our colons, such as irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, allergies and autoimmune disease.


Other researchers are finding evidence that our penchant for super-cleanliness–through our use and overuse of anti-bacterial soaps, sprays and the like–may be hurting us rather than helping us. Exposure to the normal bacteria and pathogens of life help teach our immune systems how to work. By over-sanitizing our environments, we may be weakening the vigor of our immune systems. The almost obsessive focus on sanitation may be especially detrimental to our children, for without exposure to microbes–from the time they are babies until well into their young


60 Quantum Health www.quantumhealthmagazine.com


adulthood–their immune systems don’t have the opportunity to build up a rich mix of antibodies. It may actually be healthier to let your child occasionally stuff a handful of dirt in his mouth or crawl around on the floor! Other research shows that a diversity of intestinal microbiota not only powers up the immune system against pathogens but also quiets it when exposed to less harmful microbes, thereby lessening the chance of a child developing allergies. Common allergies represent an immune system that is malfunctioning, raising a response against perfectly harmless substances, such as animal dander or pollen. If your immune system is sensing harm when there is none, the unhealthy state of your gut may one of the reasons why.


We don’t often think of our digestive tracts as very important to our overall health, unless we are suffering from a disease directly related to its performance. But if recent research is any indication, then no matter what our complaint, our intestines and colons might be among the first places to look not only for the cause of the problem, but also for its relief. And while many of us are squeamish when it comes to bacteria and microbes, they actually deserve our appreciation and respect, for they are vital to a healthy, functioning body.


To learn more, see “The Ecosystem Inside,” a major article in the March 2011 issue of Discover magazine about how the trillions of microbes in your gut could one day be the key to fighting all kinds of diseases.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78