The Importance of the Microbiome

The bacterial cells in our body outnumber the human cells ten to one.  Additionally, within each eukaryotic (human) cell in our body, there are many (hundreds in many cells) mitochondria – ancient bacteria that got absorbed into non-bacterial cells and formed eukaryotic cells.  Bacteria are an important, vital part of us.  Bacteria affect every aspect of human health, including immune system regulation, digestion, personality, etc.  Additionally, disturbances in the make-up of the microbiome has been connected with multiple chronic diseases, including Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, diabetes, autism, autoimmune diseases, etc.

Given the importance of the bacteria that work symbiotically with us, and that ARE US, it drives me a little nuts when people minimize the harm in damaging the microbiome with pharmaceuticals.  If a drug “just” damages bacteria, but doesn’t damage eukaryotic cells directly, it hurts the person who takes the drug, because the bacteria within that person are a vital part of him/her and an integral part of his/her health.

Dismantling the DNA of bacteria (and mitochondria), and inducing massive amounts of oxidative stress (the Fenton Reaction) with fluoroquinolones is particularly stupid.

The above is elaborated upon in the following post on Hormones Matter:

THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF ANTIBIOTICS ON THE HUMAN MICROBIOME

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