Evidence-based Wellness Education

Nature's little helper a forgotten therapy

Written by CASI Editorial Team | Aug 27, 2014, 4:00:00 AM

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As antibiotic-resistant bacteria continue to be a health crisis bacteriophages (natural viruses) may be looked upon as a potential solution. Bacteriophages are the most common life form on earth and outnumber bacteria 10 to one with billions of years of experience. For every bacterium known on the planet there are legions of bacteriophages (tiny viruses that seek out bacteria and use them as a breeding ground) and destroy the bacteria in the process. They are consumed daily in virtually all fresh and non-processed foods in particular fermented foods.1 Therefore using naturally-occurring lytic bacteriophages may be the safest most green prebiotic currently available. Most people think of prebiotics as non-digestible starches that bacteria use for food not viruses that consume bacteria. According to the FDA a prebiotic is a non-digestible food ingredient that beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon and therefore improves the health of the host. Bacteriophages are a component of the intestinal flora of healthy humans2 and have been used as human therapeutics for many years with no reports of adverse effects.3