Probiotics :
Friends
or
Foes?
By Eirik Garnas
arth is vast, complex, and mind-
boggling in its diversity. We
struggle to understand its laws
and how all of its constituents
interact. In order to accomplish this, we
break it into smaller pieces to label and
study in isolation. Car mechanics focus
on motorized vehicles; marine biologists
study the biotic environment of the sea;
and nutritionists study, and recommend,
the optimal foods for nourishing
humans. Such experts undertake the
organization and classifi cation of every
last detail within their respective fi elds.
Th e upside of doing things this
way is that humans, as a species, have
become very knowledgeable about
many diff erent subjects. Th e downside
is that such specialization often leads to
oversimplifi cation. History has shown
us that we often neglect the larger,
holistic perspective; we tend to stand
too close to the trees, thus failing to see
the forest. Th is brings us to my main
topic—a science which, yet again, we
seem to have oversimplifi ed.
The Recent Birth of Probiotics
Quite recently in our evolutionary history (1675, specifi cally), we humans discovered
that invisible life-forms exist among us on Earth. Prior to that time, we assumed that
all living beings were visible to the naked eye. An entire fi eld of science has since
arisen to investigate the invisible critters of the world; enter microbiology.
Th is fi eld has evolved greatly since its inception. Not only have we discovered and
explored more and more life-forms over time, but we’ve also reached a much more
detailed understanding of the workings of the microbial world. We’ve learned that
not all microbes are out to do us harm, and that many actually do us a lot of good.
Very recently, we even created a name for these friendly bugs: probiotics.
Probiotics are the strains of microbes understood to improve human health
when ingested in “adequate” quantities. No probiotic was so designated overnight.
In order to earn the designation, each strain had to go through fairly extensive
scientifi c experimentation. Only those microbes that have been shown in clinical
trials to be useful for improving human health are put up for the “probiotic
selection committee”. To most people, this probably seems like an appropriately
rigorous process. Others, myself included, are not so fond of this system.
REFERENCES
+ 1. Berstad A, Raa J, Midtvedt T, Valeur J. "Probiotic
Lactic Acid Bacteria—the Fledgling Cuckoos of the Gut?”
Microb Ecol Health Dis 27 (2016): 31557.
+ 2. Bezkorovainy A. “Probiotics: Determinants of Survival and
Growth in the Gut.” Am J Clin Nutr 73 (2001): 399s-405s.
+ 3. Garnas E. “Probiotic Supplements: Are They Doing You
More Harm Than Good?” Darwinian-Medicine.com (2016)
Accessible at http://darwinian-medicine.com/probiotic-
supplements-are-they-doing-you-more-harm-than-good/
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January 2018 Paleo Magazine Express
+ 4. Heiman ML, Greenway FL. “A Healthy Gastrointestinal
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