Within our army of beneficial bacteria, they all have certain roles to play. If our personal army is strong it functions to protect us with any pathogen that it encounters. It was designed this way. We have certain bacteria in our gut that influence the strength of the immune system. One of the main ways it does this is by growing the number of T cells. This is important because if we are lacking these bacteria this process is hindered. There are two kinds of T cells, killer cells and helpers. Killers locate and destroy infected cells. Helper T cells are exactly as they sound. They send out a chemical message signaling for help that there is an unknown invader.
Our white blood cells attack pathogens. If a viral infection enters the body and takes hold, they fight back working in conjunction with our T and B cells. All of this complex chemical messaging require the help of our microbes. They work really hard to protect us.
"When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)". -Louis Armstrong
B cells make special proteins called antibodies. They are vital because they will bind to a virus to stop it from spreading. They also tag a pathogen so the red blood cells know it is to be obliterated. Arming your microbiome with lots of beneficial bacteria to perform these functions like T and B cell production and cell communication is a powerful tool in the fight against invaders. Many people have taken antibiotics, including me. These broad spectrum destroyers kill both good and bad bacterial strains. Obviously antibiotics are important to use in certain situations. If you must take them, be very careful to replenish the strains through live probiotic therapies like cultured vegetables. These living foods will give your body tons of really strong microbes to build or rebuild your internal army.
In my opinion, building your pathogen fighting microbes gives you a much better chance of killing off viruses than an anti-viral vaccine or medication. If your immune system is strong then it is not just prepared to fight one or two certain strains of viral or bacterial infections, but whatever comes at it. For example, if the flu shot is loaded with last year’s virus or contains a different strain than what’s currently out there then it will do you no good. This is just really hard to predict. Also, for certain strains including the coronavirus there is no current vaccine but there is a large percentage of the population that is able to fight it off. If there are many people who can handle this virus that means their immune systems are strong. Even though their army had never faced an enemy like that before, it was able to "learn" how best to overcome it and persevere. It does this with the help of our mighty microbes. That's the kind of army I want to build. You can't wait for an outside entity to find the answer. You have the answer inside you if you help facilitate its' strength. Staying in this category and out of the high-risk category is good for anytime of the year and as you can see, cultured foods can help you do this.
Lactobacillus Plantarum
This is one of the most widely researched bacterium. Found in abundance in cultured vegetables and kefir, it is so beneficial to the body because it will kill off bad bacteria and pathogens while allowing the beneficial ones to thrive. It is transient in nature so it will not remain in the body long. Once it finds and invader it will grab onto it and exit the body with it making it a great detoxifier. The fact that it is transient however, means that it needs to be replenished often. The best course of action would be to grab a daily dose (just a forkfull!) of these cultured veggies. You can add them to your dinner plate or grab a scoop on your way out the door in the morning for extra protection throughout the day.
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