Wherever you go, germs and bacteria surround you, as does the fear of how they can harm you. The media is saturated with sensational stories about hidden germs in hotel rooms and the ever-increasing threat of rare and exotic, even deadly, viruses. We have become obsessed with germs and bacteria, but bacteria are everywhere, around us and inside us. And although we know that not all bacteria are harmful, we are constantly trying to eliminate them… to hell with the consequences!
Crawling: How the Seeds of Germaphobia Were Sowed
Our national obsession with germs and bacteria may have started in the Civil War, but it seems to have taken root in New York City’s early public health campaigns. With the advent of clean drinking water and new sewage systems has come a new level of awareness about the importance of cleanliness and good hygiene, as well as the hidden threats to health that lie ahead in unsanitary and dirty conditions.
Many of our beliefs about germs and disease may have been fueled by the work of Pierre Bechamp and, later, Louis Pasteur. Pasteur is well known as the scientist who brought us the “Germ Theory” and made us believe that germs from the outside world invade our bodies and “cause” disease, which is why we have to kill them before they kill us. . In an ironic twist, it turns out that Pasteur had plagiarized some of the work of Bechamp, who showed that it is the “terrain” (ie, the environment inside your body) that matters more than the germs themselves. Pasteur misrepresented Béchamp’s work and made a name for himself by claiming it was backwards. As he lay on his deathbed, he admitted that Bechamp was right when he uttered “The microbe is nothing, the terrain is everything.”
The proliferation of Pasteur’s “germ theory” combined with the success of early public health campaigns eventually gave rise to a new generation of household cleaning products, personal care products, and drugs designed to kill bacteria and germs Juliann Sivulka’s extensive research, presented in Stronger than Dirt: A Cultural History of Advertising Personal Hygiene in America, suggests that some “antimicrobial” advertising began in 1875 and continued throughout the 20th century.
Without any guidance on how to lead a healthier life and strengthen our immune systems to better handle the biological challenges we may encounter, we increasingly rely on antibacterial (and potentially toxic) products like bleach, ammonia, isopropyl alcohol, and more recently, hand sanitizers. hands and antibacterial soaps, to calm our fears. Many of these products now contain ingredients of concern such as Triclosan, a derivative of Agent Orange, the excessive use of which is creating new strains of resistant bacteria or “Super Bugs”. Ironically, these Super Bugs pose an even greater threat to our future ability to resist infection and disease, which begs the question: is our fear of germs really helping us, or could it be harming us without realizing it? Knowing the genesis of our “germaphobia,” it’s not hard to see how the work of a misguided scientist coincided with larger commercial interests to get us to this point.
Germaphobia: the good, the bad and the ugly
There is no doubt that there are harmful bacteria that can make you very sick or even kill you, with strains of SARS and swine flu being the most recent threats that come to mind. But we can’t let our fears of these viruses blind us to the potential harm that comes from trying to kill all germs and bacteria (real or imagined). Or more specifically, what is the hidden price we pay when we use a product or take a drug that is designed to kill “bad” bacteria but also kills “good” bacteria in the process?
Our intestines are full of “good” bacteria (gut flora) that help break down food so the body can use its nutrients. Much of the “good” bacteria in your digestive tract also protect you from food poisons and other infections like yeast infections that thrive on excess sugar in the gut. When you have an infection (such as a bladder or upper respiratory infection), the antibiotics your doctor prescribes kill both the good and bad bacteria. While you can get rid of one problem by killing the “good” bacteria, you may have another problem. Women often get a yeast infection as a direct result of taking antibiotics for other infections. They are then given a different antibiotic to address that problem and the cycle continues. Or, as is often the case, the condition goes away only to return months or even years later.
This phenomenon, when it develops on a large scale, can have significant consequences, as happened in 2007, when there was a large outbreak of drug-resistant staph infections. While this has been an ongoing problem in hospitals, it was rare to see an outbreak of this magnitude in schools and even professional sports team locker rooms. Thanks to our relentless use of antibiotics, this bacterial strain has become immune to whatever was previously used to kill it. The result? Every year in the United States, we lose nearly 18,000 people to this type of infection. Ironically, it seems that the only cure is to promote the cycle by creating stronger (and theoretically better) antibiotics.
The good news is that science is beginning to recognize that we’ve gone too far with antibiotics and is considering the use of safer, gentler plant-based alternatives. Tea Tree essential oil, with its strong antibacterial and antifungal properties, has shown promise in a number of different studies as a safe and effective way to kill “bad” bacteria without destroying the “good” ones. It is widely used in Australia (where it grows in abundance) to successfully treat conditions such as fungal infections and athlete’s foot.
In his book “Life Helping Life”, Dr. Daniel Penoel, a recognized expert in medical aromatherapy, points out that Tea Tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) has great potential as an antibacterial agent, but it differs from conventional antibiotics in that it attacks only destructive bacteria. He was “created from life to help life”, so he knows what to do. Other essential oils that show promise in treating bacterial infections include thyme, oregano, and clove. And a number of other essential oils with their antiviral properties have been identified as strong supporters of the immune system. To put things in perspective, studying the use of essential oils in the treatment of diseases is a mandatory part of the curriculum of medical schools in France, which indicates its validity as a legitimate alternative.
The world is undeniably full of bacteria. Both modern medicine and society have long exceeded the limits of sound practice in their respective approaches to treating it. Only by stepping back and openly embracing natural alternatives will it be possible to successfully turn the tide against the antibiotic-resistant infections that threaten us today.
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