If you were on a safari in Africa and you saw an elephant for the first time, not knowing what an elephant was, you would find it staggering in appearance. This great beast with leathery skin and enormous stature with ivory tusks. As you continued on your excursion, if you came across an elephant lying dead on the plains, there is a good chance that you could see some vultures, and a great number of them, eating away at the elephant. Never having seen a vulture before either, you would be caught off guard by its hideous appearance, its awkward neck and movements. It would appear from a cursory glance that the vultures gathered together and killed the elephant in order to eat it. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Vultures, similar to the bacteria in your body, play a vital role in cleaning up. That is their purpose. If there were no vultures, dead elephants would litter the safari plains and take much longer to decompose. The bacteria in your gut perform a similar function in you.
Wikipedia states the following in regards to the bacteria, or “gut flora,” in your intestinal tract:
“Research suggests that the relationship between gut flora and humans is not merely commensal (a non-harmful coexistence), but rather is a mutualistic, symbiotic relationship. Though people can survive with no gut flora, the microorganisms perform a host of useful functions, such as fermenting unused energy substrates, training the immune system, preventing growth of harmful species, regulating the development of the gut, producing vitamins for the host (such as biotin and vitamin K), and producing hormones to direct the host to store fats.”
The word “antibiotic,” broken down, literally means “against life.” There may be times where it is relevant to take antibiotics, when harmful bacteria become present. Unfortunately, there has become a prevalence of taking antibiotics for viral issues like colds, flus, or sinus infections, which lead to a combination of death to your healthy bacteria and the potential of your bacteria becoming antibiotic resistant, which can lead to other dangerous disease scenarios.
Even though bacteria doesn’t look or even sound pleasant, much like vultures in nature, they play a vital role. They contribute to a delicate balance that is important in assisting life and health. And if you must take an antibiotic, know that they don’t only target the bad bacteria, but all bacteria. It’s in your best interest to replenish the good bacteria in your gut when you are finished using antibiotics by taking some type of probiotic. If you don’t, it could leave you prone to future infections. Ask your chiropractor if probiotics could be of help to you. Most of the bacteria in your body has an important purpose.
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