Wherever you go, germs and bacteria surround you and so does the fear of how they can harm you. The media is saturated with sensational stories about germs hidden in hotel rooms and the growing threat of strange and exotic, even life-threatening viruses. We have become obsessed with germs and bacteria, but bacteria are everywhere, around us and within us. And although we know that not all bacteria are harmful, we are constantly looking to eliminate them … to hell with the consequences!
Crawling: how the seeds of germophobia were sown
Our national obsession with germs and bacteria may have started as early as the Civil War, but it seems to have taken root in New York City’s early public health campaigns. With the advent of clean water and new sewage systems, came a new level of awareness about the importance of cleanliness and good hygiene, as well as the hidden health threats that lie ahead in dirty and unsanitary conditions.
Many of our beliefs around germs and disease may have been fueled by the work of Pierre Bechamp and, later, Louis Pasteur. Pasteur is well known as the scientist who brought us the “germ theory” and made us believe that germs from the outside world invade our bodies and “cause” disease, so we have to kill them before they kill us. In an ironic twist, it turns out that Pasteur had plagiarized some of Bechamp’s work, who showed that it is the “terrain” (that is, the environment within your body) that matters more than the germs themselves. Pasteur distorted Bechamp’s work and made a name for himself by claiming it was the other way around. As he lay on his deathbed, he admitted that Bechamp was right when he said: “The microbe is nothing, the terrain is everything.”
The proliferation of Pasteur’s “germ theory”, combined with the success of early public health campaigns, eventually led to a new generation of household cleaners, personal care products, and drugs designed to kill bacteria and germs. Juliann Sivulka’s extensive research, featured in Stronger than Dirt: A Cultural History of Advertising Personal Hygiene in America, suggests that some “antimicrobial” advertising began in 1875 and continued throughout the 20th century.
Without any guidance on how to lead healthier lives and strengthen our immune systems to better handle the biological challenges we might encounter, we have come to rely more and more on antibacterial (and potentially toxic) products such as bleach, ammonia, isopropyl alcohol, and more recently , hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps, to calm our fears. Many of these products now contain worrying ingredients like triclosan, a derivative of Agent Orange, whose overuse is creating new resistant strains of bacteria or “super bugs.” Ironically, these super bugs pose an even greater threat to our future ability to resist infection and disease, begging the question: is our fear of germs really helping us, or could it be inadvertently hurting us? Knowing the genesis of our “germaphobia,” it is not difficult to see how the work of the wrong scientist coincided with broader commercial interests to get us to this point.
Germaphobia: the good, the bad and the ugly
There is no question that there are harmful bacteria that can make you seriously ill or even kill you; the strains of SARS and swine flu are the most recent threats to come to mind. But we cannot allow our fears of these viruses to blind us to the potential harm that comes from trying to kill all germs and bacteria (real or imagined). Or more specifically, what is the hidden price we pay when we use a product or take a drug that is designed to kill “bad” bacteria but also kills “good” bacteria in the process?
Our intestines are loaded with “good” bacteria (intestinal flora) that help break down food so the body can use its nutrients. Much of the “good” bacteria in your digestive tract also protect you from poisons in food and other infections like yeast infections that thrive on excess sugar in your gut. When you have an infection (such as a bladder or upper respiratory infection), the antibiotics your doctor prescribes kill both good and bad bacteria. While you can get rid of one problem, by killing the “good” bacteria, you may have another problem. Women often get a yeast infection as a direct result of taking antibiotics for other infections. They are then given a different antibiotic to address that problem, and the cycle perpetuates itself. However, as is often the case, the condition clears up only to return months or even years later.
This phenomenon, when developed on a large scale, can have significant consequences, as was the case in 2007, when there was a large outbreak of drug-resistant staph infections. While this has been a constant problem in hospitals, it was rare to see an outbreak of this magnitude in schools and even in the locker rooms of professional sports teams. Thanks to our incessant use of antibiotics, this bacterial strain has become immune to what was previously used to kill it. The result? Every year in the United States, we lose nearly 18,000 people to this type of infection. Ironically, it seems the only cure is to promote the cycle by creating stronger (and theoretically better) antibiotics.
The good news is that science is beginning to recognize that we’ve gone too far with antibiotics and is considering using milder and safer plant-based alternatives. Tea tree essential oil, with its strong antibacterial and antifungal properties, has shown promise in several different studies as a safe and effective way to kill “bad” bacteria without destroying “good” bacteria. It is widely used in Australia (where it grows in abundance) to successfully treat conditions such as yeast infections and athlete’s foot.
In his book “Life Helping Life”, Dr. Daniel Penoel, renowned expert in medical aromatherapy, points out that tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) has great potential as an antibacterial agent, but differs from conventional antibiotics in that attacks destructive bacteria. It was “created from life to help life” so it knows what to do. Other essential oils that show promise in treating bacterial infections include thyme, oregano, and cloves. And several other essential oils with their antiviral properties have been identified as strong defenders of the immune system. To put things in perspective, studying the use of essential oils in the treatment of diseases and ailments is a mandatory part of the curriculum in medical schools in France, indicating its validity as a legitimate alternative.
Without a doubt, the world is full of bacteria. Both modern medicine and society have long exceeded the limits of sensible practices in their respective approaches to addressing it. Only by stepping back and openly embracing natural alternatives will it be possible to successfully turn the tide of antibiotic resistant infections that threaten us today.
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