Are You Turning into a Germophobe?
Apr 23, 2020
Are you a germophobe? You might find it helpful to know that not all microbes are bad! Check this out.
Timestamps
0:00 Are you becoming a germophobe?
0:20 Microbes and pathogens
0:56 Benefits of friendly microbes
1:43 Interesting studies
1:58 Skin flora
2:30 Over-sterilization and T cells
2:40 Friendly microbes and your food
Are you becoming a germophobe? I’m not against protecting yourself against the coronavirus or any virus for that matter. Yes, masks and washing your hands are incredibly important. But, here’s the thing, not all microbes are harmful.
Friendly microbes are not pathogenic. Pathogens are microbes that can cause disease. A huge part of your immune system is friendly microbes. These microbes live all over your body on the inside and out. When you over-sterilize your body, this can lower your immune system and make you more susceptible to infections.
A few benefits of your friendly microbes:
• Certain microbes make acid that makes a pathogen not want to live in that environment.
• Friendly microbes make vitamins to support your immune system.
• Friendly microbes have anti-tumor properties.
In some studies done on mice, they found that mice without any microbial life were more prone to autoimmune diseases, allergies, asthma, and other health issues.
Your skin flora is very necessary to protect you—it’s an immune defense. When you alter this microbiome, you basically throw the body out of balance, and you could develop inflammatory conditions.
Over-sterilization can also lead to a decrease in T cells, which are important in preventing inflammatory reactions throughout the body.
Even sterilized food (pasteurized food) goes through a process that kills off everything, including enzymes. These sterilized foods can potentially weaken the immune system.
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