Let’s face it – we mainly try to keep our bodies & environment clean to avoid getting sick. But taking a closer look, all that cleanliness could be doing more harm than good. Our society has become a bit too germaphobic. We sanitize our produce and we sanitize our countertops & we even sanitize our clothes. Everywhere you go there are antibacterial soap dispensers, cute little antibacterial keychain holders, and antibacterial wipes so you can wipe down every possible place someone may have touched your grocery cart.
How exhausting. Trust me it’s a lot easier being dirty, and now studies show it’s healthier too.
Bacteria – they’re kind of a big deal.
Your gut contains billions of bacteria. To some of you that may sound disgusting – but it’s a GOOD thing. Good bacteria in your intestines supports your metabolism and digestion, gene expression, mood, brain function, and it also strengthens your immune system.
Experts conclude that a healthy gut should have approximately 85% good bacteria and 15% bad. Dysbiosis is the imbalance of good bacteria & bad bacteria in the gut and could lead to many complications. It’s believed that most American’s are lacking good bacteria that is vital for fighting disease and infection, reducing allergies, reducing SIBO complications, etc.
Many factors negatively affect our microbiome:
• Tap water with chlorine & fluoride
• Pesticides
• The SAD (Standard American Diet) diet or a diet high in sugar
• Alcohol
• Stress
• Birth control pills
• Steroid use or other immunosuppressant drugs
However, one of the biggest threats of dybiosis is the overuse of antibiotics.
Antibiotics aren’t selective; they will kill all bacteria in their path – both good and bad.
How antibiotics sneak in unnoticed…
#1 Antibiotics in meat and meat products
In 2011 over 12 million pounds of antibiotics sold to our livestock industry. It was the largest amount in history up to that point. Conventional manufacturing is quite unsanitary thus antibiotics are needed to kill anything that could be harmful to us. However, those antibiotics that are injected in the animals aren’t destroyed during processing. This means we consume antibiotics when we eat almost any non-organic meat, poultry, and now, seafood.
#2 Oral antibiotics
Since the development of antibiotics, such as penicillin in the 1940s, many lives have been saved because of them. And don’t get me wrong, I am so thankful for antibiotics when it’s absolutely necessary. However, it is crucial to replace the gut flora once the bacterial issue has resolved. Not doing so, leaves you with a suppressed immune system and vulnerable to illness.
#3 – Over use of antibacterial products
Upon the discovery of bacteria scientists found that some bacteria were harmless while others could be deadly. However, in our efforts to protect ourselves from the more harmful bacteria we’ve gone too far by trying to become bacteria-free & sanitizing everything. But we still NEED the good bacteria to have a strong immune system!
So what we have now is us consuming antibiotics in our food, using antibacterial lotions and soaps that are absorbed in the skin, plus not replacing the lost bacteria after prescription antibiotics and we’re left with a compromised immune system when all we’re wanting to do is stay healthy & sickness-free.
A Dangerous Combo
There is some evidence that state the use of antibacterial and antimicrobial products – combined with the over-prescription of antibiotics – may produce strains of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. Let me tell you, the last thing you want to do is have a gnarly bacterial infection only to find out you are resistant to antibiotics. We still need to be proactive in not consuming or overusing antibiotics to help avoid becoming antibiotic-resistant.
Are you at risk?
If you’re not too sure you’re at risk for dysbiosis, antibiotic-resistance and a compromised immune system, let me ask you a few questions:
- Have you ever taken an antibiotic? (And not take a probiotic following the antibiotics.)
- Do you ever go out to eat and consume meat, fish, chicken or pork?
- Do you ever wash your hands, clothes, countertops, etc with antibacterial soaps/products or use antibacterial lotions?
If you answered yes to any of the above, chances are your microbiome isn’t as balanced as it should be and you need to consider taking action as soon as possible.
Live it – Get Dirty!
On the fun side of things, try not to be so squeaky clean. Consider these things:
- Walk barefoot in the grass & dirt (try it, you’ll like it!)
- In the wrinkles of carrots where there dirt hides after being uprooted – those are probiotics! A little dirt won’t hurt – so consider not power-washing your organic veggies, especially root vegetables like potatoes, carrots and radishes
- Get a pet. Studies show people who have a dog or cat that goes to/from outside are less likely to struggle with allergies. The pet carries outside elements into the house and we’re exposed to them, strengthening our immune system
- For the generally healthy person, you don’t need to wash your hands all the time. Don’t be afraid of grocery carts or escalator handles or sanitizing your hands before every meal and snack. When needed wash your hands with soap and water (vs. antibacterial soap) as much as you can. Remember the germs on your hands can actually BOOST your immune system!
Secondly, I recommend everyone take a high-quality probiotic, as well as eating probiotic rich foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, and kombucha. This will put more of the good bacteria back in your gut which can help “crowd out” the bad bacteria.
Third, when it comes to animal products – eat organic as much as possible. Look for grass-fed plus the USDA organic label on meat. Look for “free-range organic” for poultry and “wild-caught” for fish. By eating organic you are not only avoiding antibiotics, and protecting your gut flora and immune system, but the growth hormones that are injected into the animals as well.
And lastly, to help slow the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, take antibiotics properly and only when needed. Don’t insist on an antibiotic if your health care provider advises otherwise.
Bottomline: quit being hyper-clean, get dirty from time to time, go outside & play (for FAR more benefits than gut health too!), take a daily high-quality probiotic & eat organic meat & meat products as much as you can.
References:
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/antibacterial-cleaning-products
http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=717252
http://www.typesofbacteria.co.uk/how-when-were-bacteria-discovered.html
http://consumersunion.org/news/the-overuse-of-antibiotics-in-food-animals-threatens-public-health-2/
