immunity 113
neomycin can cause liver malfunction, tetracycline can stain children’s
teeth yellow, chloramphenicol can interfere with the production of red
blood cells or cause potentially fatal underproduction of bone marrow. It
is now generally understood that repeated use (in other words, three to
four courses of broad-spectrum antibiotics in the course of several weeks
or months) can so deplete a patient’s immune system that chronic illness can
set in very fast. This opinion is often reiterated by many enlightened
doctors, nurses, and members of the public. It is now generally under-
stood that once the “good” bacteria in the gut are gone — destroyed by
antibiotics — yeasts and molds can quickly overpopulate the body, leaving
it in a weakened state. What is less known is that, at that point, the body
is vulnerable to a variety of other conditions ranging from digestive
disorders, liver and gallbladder problems, and spleen and pancreas
dysfunction to hormonal imbalance, thyroid insuffi ciencies, and bowel
disorders.
We have created antibiotic-dependent cells in our bodies; we have
coded our memory cells so that they are constantly looking for
antibiotics. In other words, our cells have become drug-addicted. Thus,
antibiotics that once worked now have little or no effect. In some parts of
Africa and the Philippines, penicillin won’t work at all. In other countries,
where once one medium dose of penicillin would have worked to clear
gonorrhea and staphy lo coccal infections, it now takes two huge doses of
penicillin together with another antibiotic to deal with these conditions.
Staphylococcus aureus is the most common type of bacteria that can infect
humans. About a third of the population is colonized “harmlessly” by this
bacterium, but it liberally passes to the vulnerable, especially in hospitals
and care centers; and it has mutated into antibiotic-resistant forms.
Probiotics are organic substances for life as opposed to antibiotics
(which kill germs, very often indiscriminately). Probiotics were originally
called ecobiotics. Ecobiotics are substances that specifi cally treat intestinal
fl ora and nowadays we call them probiotics — a term fi rst used by Monica
Bryant in 1986. Veterinarians have administered probiotic bacterial
supplements for a long time to treat animals. It is only comparatively
recently that these substances have been put to use with humans. What
we now realize is that a balanced colony of benefi cial bacteria will prevent
intestinal toxicity and give good general protection from infection. The
highest numbers of benefi cial bacteria in the body are situated in the
small and large intestines, perhaps as many as a trillion microorganisms.
This volume of fl ora can easily weigh about four to fi ve pounds! All
bacteria have different actions, some living permanently in intestinal walls,
others moving through the system, working as needed. This protective
bacterial colony deals with invasive parasites, yeasts, and so on. Its other
113 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition