Humans have more than 5,000 different bacterial strains that have been sequenced to date, although only a small proportion of these strains can be cultured in the laboratory.
In total, about 100 trillion bacteria colonize the human, which itself consists of only about 10 trillion cells. Researchers now assume that more than 95% of all genetic information in our body is not of human origin, but derived from bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The human genome has about 22,000 genes, whereas our microflora already has more than two, but probably up to eight million, genes.
Without this diversity of protective microorganisms colonizing us there would be no living organisms; because they are found in the animal world, on plants and in the water, where they each perceive important protective mechanisms for detoxification and environmental preservation. A major problem of our lifestyle today is the absorption of environmental pollutants, that is, toxic or directly harmful to the body substances and molecules. Toxic contaminants can be found in food, drinking water, and air including hormone and antibiotics contained in meat and fish products, pesticides and herbicides in fruits and vegetables, as well as the heavy metal pollution of the air and our soil.
Three organs protecting our bodies which are directly affected: the skin, the lungs, and the intestine. These three organs have one thing in common: they are in constant and direct communication with our environment and its specific environmental conditions. The skin is in contact with the air (and all the toxins it contains, such as exhaust gases, heavy metals, sprayed pesticides, herbicides, and different radiation particles). In addition, our skin interacts with all the liquid and solid substances that come into contact with it. The lungs are in communication with the air and the toxins contained in the air. Our gastrointestinal tract is exposed to contaminated food & consuming such food products can systematically damage our body’s immune system.
Non-organic vegetables and fruits are almost always contaminated with herbicides and pesticides that can cause significant damage to our healthy cells. Heavy metals from the air, soil and water are often part of our daily food chain. Also, textile garments and medicines often contain heavy-metal-contaminated-nanoparticles, which can also contribute significantly to chronic diseases. A common target at all three organs (skin, lungs and gastrointestinal tract) is the natural protective barrier formed by them. Under normal circumstances, these protective barriers prevent absorption of high doses of environmental toxins.
As these foreign substances continue to be absorbed, our immune system responds with ongoing inflammation, which can lead to chronic conditions such as allergy, autoimmune diseases, neurological damage (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s), and even cancer. A major component of the natural protective barriers on the skin, respiratory and digestive tracts consists of commensal bacterial strains such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, as well as cyanobacteria.
These bacteria are instrumental in the integrity of our protective barriers. However these bacterias are easily killed by toxins ingested, therefore thins out the natural mucous membrane. Eventually, this natural barrier collapses and the resulting pores allow direct access of pollutants into our bodies. This activates cells of our immune system that colonize the walls of the gastrointestinal tract in large quantities. Continuous activation of these immune cells by toxins migrating into the intestinal wall then causes a chronic inflammatory reaction in a wide variety of organ systems in the body.
Chronic inflammation can eventually lead to the instability of our genome (the chromosomes and their DNA) and DNA changes (the chromosomes and their DNA) and via DNA mutations (so-called mutagenesis) then it allows for cancer development. Attachment of contaminants to certain antigen-presenting cells of the immune system can trigger autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, colitis, Crohn’s, psoriasis, rheumatism, lupus, and others. Due to the connections of nerve tracts (vagus fibers), the so-called “brain-gut-axis” between the brain and the intestine, these pollutants can also migrate directly into our brain and diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Multiple sclerosis or ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) can be triggered. These examples show how essential the protective bacteria of our mucous membrane is in protecting humans from chronic diseases. Furthermore, these protective bacteria form essential vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B, etc.) through enzymatic conversion and important short-chain fatty acids, which play a decisive role in shaping our metabolism.
As a result, altered bacterial flora in the gut is now also closely associated with diabetes, obesity and mental symptoms such as depression and autism. In fact, bacteria largely determine how our sugar, carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism works. A disturbed microbiome of the intestine converts sugar and carbohydrates differently than a normal microbiome.
This results in a number of inflammatory proteins that directly cause diseases such as rheumatism, intestinal inflammation, fibromyalgia, dermatitis, etc. In this way, the intestine also partly decides which neurotransmitters work in the brain and thus influences whether we are happy or depressed. In fact, many patients can not lose weight due to their microbiome. Their proportion of certain bacteria (Firmicutes) is simply too high, the proportion of bifidobacteria too low, resulting in absorption in excessive calories. It is therefore important to have a healthy balanced flora of bacteria in order to maintain the natural metabolism to maintain our physical well-being. This is how can we protect ourselves from the dangers of destroying our protective barriers and related diseases.