” The human microbiome (all of our microbes’ genes) can be considered a counterpart to the human genome (all of our genes). The genes in our microbiome outnumber the genes in our genome by about 100 to 1.” University of Utah Health Sciences (4)
How healthy are you? Do you get acute conditions like cold/flu once in a while, manage them with chicken soup and feel well again a week later, or you have a chronic condition like asthma, allergies, Lyme, chronic inflammation or simply tired all the time? If you have a chronic condition, you are not alone, the rate of chronic diseases has been steadily growing over the recent years. According to CDC, “As of 2012, about half of all adults—117 million people—had one or more chronic health conditions. One of four adults had two or more chronic health conditions”. (6) The rates of some diseases are so incredibly high that we cannot attribute it to genetics alone, autism – 1 in 68, breast cancer – 1 in 8, asthma – 1 in 12. You do not have to be a scientist to figure out that increase in chronic diseases is not genetic but rather environmental and iatrogenic. Our lifestyle plays a role as well.
Acute illnesses are given us for a reason. They train our immune system to be ready to react to something that is harmful, and not to react to something that is benign. Cholera bacterium? Have to fight it. Peanut butter? No need to overreact. Discovery and use of antibiotics have allowed us to suppress acute diseases but caused events that we have not predicted. Even one round of antibiotics disrupts our normal gut flora balance, and it takes long time and efforts to restore that balance. Antibiotics resistance is on the rise and so are antibiotics side effects. Other toxic substances affect our microbiome as well. Healthy gut flora not only helps to process foods you eat but also provides protection from not so friendly bacteria and viruses you might encounter throughout your life.
“The commensal bacteria in the microbiome are part of the human ecosystem and function in a complementary relationship with each other and with the immune system. The interplay between these microorganisms and the immune system helps regulate, stimulate and inhibit immune activity, through a system of checks and balances. The community of organisms (within the microbiome) involved in this regulatory process is integral to the immune system, and when disrupted, leads to a host of complications ranging from short-term nutritional deficiencies and behavioral problems to long-term allergic, inflammatory and autoimmune illnesses.”, states Dr. Whitmont (7)
The ratio of microorganisms in our body to our own cells is 10:1. Each cell in our body has the same genes, the genes that we got from our parents. Each of microorganisms also has genes. Since it is more of them (microorganisms), than our own cells, it is more of our microbiome genes, than the ones we inherited. The ratio of our microbes genes to our own is 100:1. If all bacteria in your body is friendly and doing what they are supposed to do, digesting food, producing nutrients and modulating your immunity, you are a good shape. Create a dysbiosis (microbial imbalance) in your body and you increase your chances to develop chronic diseases. For example, a research has shown that early childhood use of antibiotics increases the chances of asthma (1). “Similar research has suggested that the destruction of bacteria may contribute to Crohn’s disease, obesity, asthma, and many other chronic illnesses.” (2) Most microbes reside within the gut but microorganisms, that make our lives possible, are also located in respiratory system, brain, skin and other organs and tissues as well. Different microbes colonize different organs. We are not a single organism, we are walking ecosystems.
You might have dysbiosis (microbial imbalance) if you
– have taken antibiotics, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, steroids or pH altering medications
– eat processed foods or meats from animals that had antibiotics
– use anti-bacterial products like bleaches or sanitizers
– have been exposed to heavy metals and other toxic substances (5)
Specific homeopathic remedies restore microbial balance and promote health and general wellness. “Homeopathic potencies are capable of completely altering the bacterial flora of the bowel, and this fact has been demonstrated in many hundreds of cases”, wrote Dr. Patterson in 1936. (3) That is the most likely mechanism of action that allows homeopathic remedies to be effective in chronic conditions. If you suspect that you might have dysbiosis, call your homeopath to discuss how homeopathic remedies can help you to restore your health.
References:
1. Chest. 2007 Jun;131(6):1753-9. Epub 2007 Apr 5. Increased risk of childhood asthma from antibiotic use in early life.Kozyrskyj AL1, Ernst P, Becker AB.
2. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/22/germs-are-us
3. Patterson J. “The Potentised Drug and its Action on the Bowel Flora”; Br. Hom. J., 1936, Vol 26:163-188
4. http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/microbiome/
5. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/spl/
6. http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/
7. “Chronic Illness and the Human Microbiome”, Dr. Ron Whitmont, http://www.homeopathicmd.com/2015/09/chronic-illness-and-the-human-microbiome/