Should we GERMinate or Terminate Our Gut Bacteria?
Do bacteria make you sick or prevent sickness? Well… both! Everyone knows that germs have potential to cause disease, but fewer people know that there are trillions of essential bacteria dwelling in and on us that play a crucial role in sickness prevention. While there are healthy bacteria all over our body, a majority of our microbiome reside in the lower intestine and fight off pathogenic bacteria. Lack of sufficient bacteria has also been linked to allergies/intolerances. As well as being crucial for immune response, the microbiota in the lower intestine has been found to have implications on weight management and even mental health. Experiments have actually been done to test the effects of our gut flora on weight gain. The study showed that mice injected with the bacteria from an obese person gained more weight than those injected with the bacteria from an individual at a healthy weight. This suggest...