In honor of the adage April showers bring May flowers...w
e're going to talk this month about our normal
flora. These "flora" might not be as cheerful as the daffodils, fragrant as the hyacinths, beautiful as the roses, but they say "I love you" in a life-sustaining way that we are mostly completely oblivious to!
Technically, although we call them "flora," bacteria and other micro-organisms haven't been considered part of the plant family for many years. The name stuck, however, possibly because flora just
sounds nicer than bacteria! But a rose by any other name would smell as sweet...and whatever we call it, we would have a much more difficult life without them!
It has been estimated that we have in the neighborhood of 100
trillion microbes in and on and otherwise associated with our body! Extra amazing considering that it is also estimated that we have only about 10 trillion actual cells in our body. No one knows for sure how many different microbes there are, but another estimate is over 1000 different species of bacteria make their home in the human body. Some say you can blame about 4 pounds of your weight on bacteria. It's also likely that over 50% of the dry mass of our stools is bacterial carnage.
Before everyone gives in to the huge, "EEEEUUUWWWW," that's welling up inside you - trust me, there's good news here! The vast majority of these bacteria and other micro-organisms are completely benign. But there is increasing evidence that the relationship between us and the bugs is actually beneficial for both.
Where do these flora live? We have bacteria living on our skin, in our mouths, nose and eyes. Women have bacteria in the vagina. The largest number by far, however, live in the intestines.
What functions do they have? We know most about microbes in our intestinal system. Bacteria in the gut play a critical role in the development of our immune system. Babies are born with sterile guts. Bacteria they get from their mothers during birth and through breast milk colonize the GI tract. They, along with the antibodies and other immune system pieces from the mother's colostrum and milk, set the stage for a large portion of the immune system. Bacteria also help digest food, especially dairy products. They make Vitamin K and some B vitamins. They help with the absorption of magnesium. All these things happen in the intestines. An important function of all our colonies of bacteria - no matter where they are - is to keep "bad" bacteria at bay. Having colonies of good bugs established in our gut, on our skin & everywhere else, inhibits the growth of bad bugs. Some of this is simply by having a good hold over the area. Some bacteria, however, are actively involved in the killing of bad bugs. They may produce substances that are lethal to others directly. Some produce substances that alter the acidity of the environment so that others cannot live there. The Hygiene Hypothesis is an interesting study of the role of bacteria in the development of our immune systems and prevention of various allergic disorders later in life.
What about "bad" bacteria? We should probably discuss a definition of "bad" here! We all have bacteria living with us that have the potential to cause infection and disease. As long as they are kept at bay, they do no harm. Some studies have shown that there are probably 250 different species of bacteria on our skin, but a bit over 50% of them are from one of four families. 2 of these families are Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. You probably know someone who has had a staph or strep infection. Something happened in that person to allow those bacteria to overrun and become problematic. But we live with those very bugs every single day - and most of the time they do not hurt us. Of course, there are some bacteria that are much more virulent than others, that is, it takes a smaller number of them to become a problem. There are some that we would prefer never take up residence!
How does the balance between "good" and "bad" get disrupted?
Clearly
, one of the most common and obvious ways is with antibiotics. Antibiotic drugs do not differentiate between "good" and "bad" biotics (bugs), they just kill living bugs. No antibiotic kills EVERY bug. But suppose in our gut we have 80% good bugs and 20% bad bugs and the antibiotic kills 80% of everyone. Remember that one of the ways we keep bad ones in check is by having the good ones taking up most the real estate. Now we have a number of vacant lots so to speak, and the bad bugs are very opportunistic. They see a chance to move into a nicer neighborhood and get right on that mission! Quite often a yeast infection follows a round of antibiotics and this is why. The yeast cells have always been there, but now they have room to multiply and they do so gladly.
Some people feel that there is some protective advantage that we don't fully understand in having the numbers of bacteria on our skin that we do. They believe that excessive washing of the skin can alter the balance of our skin colonies, leading to problems with skin infections and acne.
This excess washing - and washing with antibacterial products especially - is also implicated by some in the development of more drug-resistant strains of bacteria. Accompanied with the overuse of antibiotics in general, especially for viral conditions in which they are completely useless, this poses a significant health problem in our society today.
Our skin itself provides excellent protection from most bad bugs that land there. When you have a cut or other lesion in the skin, however, again, you have the bad bugs taking the opportunity to move into new territory and this can lead to an infection.
How can we maximize our beneficial balance? The most natural way is by eating fermented foods. Cultures across the globe have fermented foods as a part of their healthy diets -- kefir, yogurt, natto, kimchi, kombucha, miso, sauerkraut (not the canned kind- the high heat kills the bacteria!), and other fermented vegetables. Raw dairy products also contain good numbers of helpful bacteria. Adding these foods into the diet are a good boost for health. We have in this culture, however, not developed a very good taste for these foods and very few people are eager to eat them regularly.
Another obvious way is to avoid antibiotics except when absolutely necessary. Remember, they are of no use in viral conditions. Be sure your particular ailment is bacterial before you take a round.
Probiotics are another option. By definition, they are "live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amount confer a health benefit on the host." Studies have shown that certain probiotics are effective in many gastrointestinal disorders, in skin conditions and some immune disorders. One problem with studying the effects of different bacteria on different disorders is that there are so many different strains of bacteria. How one acts in a given situation may not be the same for another strain. So we cannot assume that because one strain works for diarrhea that another will work as well. It is also unclear what numbers are required for optimal benefit. Still, unless someone is in a severely immuno-compromised position, the addition of probiotics as a regular routine is almost certainly not harmful and may, indeed, be incredibly beneficial.
(I feel I must add my opinion here about commercial yogurts and other food products currently being heavily marketed as good sources for probiotics. One, yes they may have additional bacteria, but many have only one strain. If this is not a strain helpful to your situation, it may be questionably helpful. Two, there is question about when the bacteria were added in the production process and if they were exposed to high heat at any point, many of them were likely killed and, therefore, not be helpful. Besides the basic questions of adequate numbers in the first place. Third, the commerical yogurts of the world are usually very high in sugar. While you might be getting a handful of good bugs, you are also getting a primary food source for yeasts and some bad bugs, as well as depressing your immune system and promoting inflammation in general.)
So we have right within our own selves a perfect example of living symbiotically with another species. We provide a critical function for them (a home!) and they provide critical functions for our life and health. May we all continue to live in peace!
Views of the 
When's the last time you slept like a baby? Hopefully you can answer, 'Why, last night, of course!' Unfortunately, sleep is elusive for many -- hard to come by, hard to maintain. 