Most people have the idea that bacteria—any bacteria—are harmful. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our environment is covered with bacteria. Your body and practically everything you come into contact with is covered with bacteria. In fact, between 400 and 500 different species of bacteria reside in your Gastro-Intestinal tract, and are estimated to account for as much as three pounds of your body weight.
Under ideal circumstances, while potentially dangerous and health-robbing strains of bacteria may be present, other beneficial strains of bacteria keep their numbers in check. It’s only when certain “bad” strains of bacteria get out of control that we begin to experience problems. These can be as simple as diarrhea, or as complex and serious as a systemic infection.
There’s no possible way to eliminate all the potentially pathogenic bacteria from our environment, nor would it be advisable. For humans to exist, a balance must be maintained, not only in our external environment, but in our internal environment as well.
