Humans carry 2-5 pounds of live bacteria, mostly in the gut, which can be helpful or harmful. Probiotics are gaining attention as infections increase due to overuse of antibiotics, but their efficacy is not sufficient to replace antibiotics. The bacteria inside us is not well understood, and at least 50% of strains cannot be grown in the lab.
It may come as a surprise, but according to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) of Maryland, each of us harbors two to five pounds (1.0 to 2.26 kilograms) of live bacteria inside our bodies. These microorganisms come in good and bad varieties, or more accurately, they can be helpful or harmful. While the great deal of attention is given to the bad guys due to their potential to create disease, humans share a necessary symbiotic relationship with many types of helpful bacteria. Some are crucial to our very survival.
HHMI reports that the largest concentration of bacteria in the human body is found in the gut. Species that number in the thousands create trillions of silent passengers that function en masse. The relationship between different strains of bacteria and the human body is dynamic, constantly adapting to changing conditions.
Probiotics, or the study of treatment through beneficial bacteria, is gaining more attention as infections increase due to overuse of antibiotics. A familiar example of probiotics is the promotion of yogurt containing live bacterial cultures to relieve antibiotic-associated diarrhea. The probiotics in this case are of the lactobacilli strain. While it is clear through research that probiotics can have a positive effect, as a treatment regimen, their efficacy is less than sufficient to replace antibiotics given our current state of knowledge. However, the medical community believes that a substitute is exactly what is needed.
One of the problems with probiotic treatment is that the bacteria inside us is not well understood. For example, a dormant or neutral bacterium could become harmful if triggered by conditions that cause it to multiply or change. Bacteria can interact with human cells, causing cell receptors to ‘grow extensions’ they can attach to. To complicate matters, scientists report that at least 50% of these strains cannot be grown in the laboratory due to the difficulty in creating a suitable environment that mimics the human gut.
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