The Balance Of The Bugs That Live On And In Us

“Our obsession with bad bugs left us blind to the good,” says Life On Us, A Microscopic Safari, a documentary on the microbial world living everywhere on our bodies. “We only realize just how important it is when they’re compromised.”

The layer of microbes that lives on our skin are protecting us is Staphylococcus epidermidis, a skin bacteria. “If a pathogen arrives on our skin the first thing that meets it is this hairy cloak.” The good that lies on us protects us from the bad. 

These bacteria regulate our immune system. This regulation keeps us healthy. Organisms that are beneficial are equal to more policemen in the city, keeping the pathogens under control. Paul Young, from the University of Queensland, says in the documentary they’re absolutely necessary for our survival. 

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We have plant species on us, parasites, species that eat other species, colonies that go against other colonies all living in a symbiotic relationship. We can detect their presence as odors.

One of the most populated ecosystems is the naval. The Belly Button Biodiversity Project is being run at a museum in North Carolina where visitors offer a donation from a cotton swab sampling the ecosystem of the belly button. The goal is to find the living organisms on the belly button. Apparently the belly button crawls with life since it’s covered from weather, often misses soap, only receiving run off, and is often forgotten.

“One person was carrying life only seen in deep ocean vents. We have a huge amount of variation. There was not one species in all 60 individuals,” says Life on Us. “This is the area on our body where we find our huge diversity, 2,300 species have been found. On your body you have thousands of species, most of them not named. Having fewer species is what increases our negative health outcome.”

Biodiversity is the key to health. Each centimeter of our skin contains over a billion bacteria. Our dead skin sheds and feeds our own bacteria. Bacillus subtillus is a bacteria living on our skin attacking pathogens. These bacteria can change our genomes, adapting to their environment. 

Flesh Eating Bacteria is such a dangerous killer that it can consume us in 15 hours. A person can go from a seemingly healthy state to deceased from Flesh Eating Bacteria. Bacteriaphage can invade our Streptococcus cells and modify their existence into this dangerous bacteria. It appears to come out of nowhere, adapted from coral or dirt. The chance of catching this infection is small, overpopulating our healthy bacteria is our best strategy. 

Another project is in process testing the mites and lifeforms living on our face. Some like to live on the oil deep in our pores. These mites are part of the balance in our face but are also thought to cause rosacea. The bacteria inside the mite is thought to be the cause. Mites have no anus allowing them to accumulate what is inside them. This turns out to be part of the cause of rosacea. 

In other species, cats are more attracted to mice who contain the zombie bug. However, other species, including humans, can acquire this bug altering its behavior. When a person takes on this bug, different behaviors change. They remain calm in dangerous situations. They also tend to put themselves into dangerous situations to the point of a 2.6 percent higher risk. This toxoplasma parasite can cause thrill seeking behavior. 

France is known for this parasite. The general population shows estimates of 55 percent of the population containing The Zombie Bug. This is believed to be because of the high amount of nearly raw meats consumed in France. This is the cause for sharp behavior as well as risky decisions, according to the scientists studying the bug.  

Worms live in our bowel, viruses live in our DNA, bacteria live on our teeth, we are covered. The medical system focuses on killing bad species. However, the ecosystem of our microbiome is what keeps us in balance. 

Scientists began studying fossilized teeth on museum skulls of paleolithic man and found the pathogens from the teeth were in abundance, a balanced ecosystem. 

The ecosystems found are different from the ecosystems found today.

Bacteria and organisms thrive on processed food, withstanding the harsh condition of the low pH established by processed food. The more processed food is eaten, the more the good guys that keep the balance die. 

Helicobacter pylori is known as The Gastric Demon. It leads to gastric ulcers and stomach cancer. H. pylori was discovered in the 1970s. It is known to float between good and bad on the bacteria scale. In years past it was thought that these parasites can’t survive the stomach acid. New research is finding this isn’t true. Scientists have developed an acid machine where they pass parasite eggs through and find the same parasites after the hydrochloric acid of the stomach.

Scientists are injecting hook worm larvae to those who have celiac disease. The spit of the worm is know to have immunosuppressive properties. This relieves celiac symptoms. This Live Worm Therapy is only used in small  test populations in the effort to develop a drug that does the same. The Hookworm Underground is spreading among people seeking relief from celiac disease. Using worms for medical purposes is illegal, even around the world. One clinic experimenting in the parasitology ecosystem is in Mexico. The owner himself suffered from autoimmunity that overwhelmed his life. 

The Worm Therapy Clinic in Tijuana practices these studies. Cramps, nausea and diarrhea often follow worm therapy as the ecosystem adjusts the new inhabitants. Some people report losing allergies after the therapy. It works for some but not for all. Some participants got worse after treatment. It all depends on what is needed in the ecosystem to keep the balance. 

To learn more on pathogens and parasites regarding their role in our bodies click here. To learn more on how to balance them click here. 

*Nourishing Plot is written by Becky Plotner, ND, traditional naturopath, CGP, D.PSc. who sees clients in Rossville, Georgia. She works as a Certified GAPS Practitioner who sees clients in her office, Skype and phone. She has been published in Wise Traditions, spoken at two Weston A. Price Conferences, Certified GAPS Practitioner Trainings, has been on many radio shows, television shows and writes for Nourishing Plot. Since her son was delivered from the effects of autism (Asperger’s syndrome), ADHD, bipolar disorder/manic depression, hypoglycemia and dyslexia, through food, she continued her education specializing in Leaky Gut and parasitology through Duke University, finishing with distinction. She is a Chapter Leader for The Weston A. Price Foundation. becky.nourishingplot@hotmail.com

“GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.