Before we can even learn to speak, our parents teach us we must stay clean to get rid of "the bad germs"; to wash our hands, eat our vegetables, so that we will stay healthy. However, those little germs we are attempting to wash away are often helpful bacteria that may be more important to keeping us healthy than we think.
Bacteria is a living single-celled organism called a prokaryote that is very similar to the cells that we have in our bodies. The most important difference between the two is that bacteria do not contain a nucleus or a membrane, which are vital aspects to human and plant cells. Bacteria function solely for survival and multiplication. Unlike our cells, they use a process called binary fission, separating a single cell into two daughter cells. Each of these cells has identical DNA and are what allow bacteria to spread so easily. We categorize bacteria into 5 different types, including: “spherical (cocci), rod (bacilli), spiral (spirilla), comma (vibrios) or corkscrew (spirochaetes).” (Microbiology Society) They can exist in chains, pairs, clusters, or simply on their own. In nature, you can find bacteria in rocks, soil, oceans, and even arctic snow. Bacteria are within plants, animals, and humans and are a vital aspect in the function of living things. Because of this, there are ten times as many bacterial cells in the body as human cells (Microbiology Society). Most of them are in our gut and they are also found in our nasal passages and on our skin.
Most bacteria living within and on our bodies are beneficial to us and are called probiotics. Probiotics include yeast and other bacteria that help our bodies function by fighting off harmful bacteria. Some of the most common types of bacteria found in our bodies are lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. According to the National Centre for Cell Science, having an extensive amount of beneficial bacteria within your nasal passages may reduce symptoms you may get from COVID-19 (NCCS).
Not all bacteria are helpful to us. Typically, your body has a much higher amount of beneficial bacteria than harmful. When the balance tips to have more harmful bacteria in your body, it can cause deterioration in your immune system. An example is staphylococcus aureus, which causes pimples on your face. However, under the right circumstances, including a significantly weakened immune system and reduced beneficial bacteria, this same bacteria can cause toxic shock syndrome.
So, how do you help ensure that your body is supporting the right bacteria? Much of our immune system comes from the bacteria in our gut. Probiotic bacteria directly helps digestion, creates vitamins within your body, and keeps harmful bacteria under control. To improve what types of bacteria you have in your gut, you can take probiotics in certain pills or supplements, or eat the wide range of foods that have a significant amount of helpful bacteria within it. Some examples are yogurt, sourdough, kimchi, tempeh, pickles, and kombucha. These food items contain beneficial bacteria because of the process of fermentation they go through. For more information on fermented foods, see Why Fermented and Living Foods? For more tips on improving your gut health, and in turn your immune system, check out How to Improve Gut Health.
Bacteria is a crucial aspect of sustaining everyday life for all living things. Knowing how to take care of our bodies by providing them with good bacteria will help us withstand the bad bacteria that’s thrown our way.
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