Germ Theory

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As most of you who've read this blog for any length of time know, I am against modern medicine. Some of you think I am plain crazy; others think I am merely a bit extreme. I thought I would try to explain, though, why I believe what I do. I haven't truly chosen to reject modern medicine because I think doctors are evil, or the corporations are out to get us. In general I find them misguided but intending good (there are SOME out there who are just interested in profit, as I've said before, but on the whole I think most individuals are intending good). Also, again, I do believe in TRAUMA medicine -- I think it's great that we have doctors who can set broken bones, stitch deep wounds, and perform reconstructive surgery. If I'm in an accident, there's nothing I'd rather have. But barring that, I'll skip modern medicine, thanks.

The truth as to why I don't believe in modern medicine lies in something called "germ theory." Germ theory is the idea that there are specific bugs or 'germs' that cause all disease. These germs could be viruses or bacteria. There are many different kinds, they all have specific names, and they cause specific diseases that produce specific sets of symptoms. Therefore, these diseases can be helped (i.e. cured) by creating antibiotics or vaccines which either kill the germ or prevent the germ from making us sick in the first place. This theory is what modern medicine is based on.

I don't believe in germ theory. It fails to explain several things. 1) Why infection rates in "exposed" individuals vary from 20 - 40% on average (why don't the rest of the exposed people get sick, too?). 2) Why individuals have varying severities of the illness (if the specific germ produces specific symptoms, it should be the same in all individuals). 3) Why symptoms/presentation varies from person to person (again, symptoms should be the same if the germ/disease is the same). 4) Why so many "different" diseases present with nearly the exact same symptoms (why are there 500 diseases that all present with "fever, cough, congestion and sore throat" for example?)

First, let's talk about some history of germ theory. It was first theorized in the 1860s by Louis Pasteur (who invented pasteurization), in opposition to a theory called "spontaneous generation." That theory posited that living things could come from non-living things (evolution anyone?) and that people got sick due to this 'spontaneous generation' of illness, but this theory was disproven. (That's NOT what I'm going to argue is the cause of illness.) Basically, Pasteur noted that when things were exposed to air (in many experiments, they used broth), they became "contaminated" and went bad. Therefore, something must be in the air, a "germ," which caused this to happen, since when broth was NOT exposed to air, it did not go bad. Then, in the 1870s, another scientist (Koch) used Pasteur's work and Semmelweiss's (who came up with the idea of hand washing to prevent disease) and said, theoretically, that specific microbes must cause specific diseases. Sometime after this viruses were "discovered," although none were ever seen until the invention of the electron microscope in the 1900s. And even then, "Most viruses are far too tiny to be seen in an ordinary high-powered microscope, except perhaps as a minute spot of light against a dark background." Francis Crick, 1988. That is to say, most viruses are too tiny to have ever been really seen or studied. A tiny speck of light could be anything -- even just a shadow.

For a long time, it was thought that only bacteria could cause illness. Now, there is the theory of viruses, which I addressed briefly above. It has also been noted that there is a lot of "natural flora" that exists in living organisms. That is, we have a lot of "good" bacteria that lives in and on us, not just bad bacteria. Most people are now familiar with this, because everyone is talking about probiotics and that sort of thing. For the scientists, in developing germ theory, though, the normal gut flora is glossed over (in fact, this is an area that is fairly new to heavy research) and the illness-causing bacteria is focused on.

I'm going to start with the normal flora to explain why we get sick. Every living organism on the planet has some sort of natural, healthy state. This state includes all of the organism's "vital signs" (in humans, pulse, respiration, temperature, etc.) and its normal balance of bacteria. In humans, it is notable that approximately 70% of the immune system is found in the gut flora (that is a recent discovery). I believe that this balance is somewhat precarious, and that if the balance is thrown off by anything -- stress, antibiotic use, too much junk food, environmental toxins, etc. -- illness results. That is, it is not a specific "germ" that is responsible for illness, but the entire balance of different types of bacteria within a person. There are no specific germs that cause specific diseases. Rather, when the gut flora becomes unbalanced, a person's body will produce symptoms to rid itself of whatever is in excess and restore whatever is low in order to achieve balance again.

This theory explains why people who are heavily exposed to environmental toxins get sick much more often, in general, than those who are not. It is known and accepted that those who eat a lot of junk food, smoke, drink, etc. tend to get sick more often than those who do not do those things. Those who have "unhealthy practices" have higher toxin loads and need to detox more often. It also explains why people can have different symptoms in response to the "same" illness -- they are producing whatever symptoms their individual body needs in order to become healthy again. It also explains why many people can be exposed to an illness and NOT get sick, because their body may not need to detox at that time.

Yes, there are things this theory doesn't explain -- such as exactly why a group of people do all seem to become sick at the same time. I believe further research is needed to understand this. However, I think that there is some type of energy or body chemistry that can trigger detox in people who require it by being around those who are sick, if that makes sense. Let me give you an example.

There is a family of 4. All 4 live together and share everything -- they hug, kiss, share glasses, silverware, etc. If one is sick, all are thoroughly exposed. It is also worth noting that two are children and both are nursing (okay, this really happened to us :) ). One child becomes sick, and presents with low grade fever, vomitting, heavy congestion, coughing, disturbed/restless sleep and loss of appetite. Two days later the other child is sick, but presents with minor congestion and coughing, no other symptoms. The next day a parent gets sick, presenting with scratchy throat and minor congestion. The other parent does not get sick. If germ theory were true, they would ALL get sick, and they would all present with the same symptoms in the same severity. I believe in this case, the first child gets sick and passes her "needs" to the mother via saliva while nursing. The mother's body produces bacteria/antibodies to help her heal and build her immune system, but these antibodies also go to the second nursing child. This produces symptoms, mildly, in the mother and second child, but NOT the father, who does not participate in the nursing relationship. Can I prove this? No. But I believe this theory better accounts for what occurred than germ theory does.

It is worth noting that if germ theory is false, or even if parts of it are false, then antibiotics and vaccinations are generally useless. Vaccination is ALWAYS useless, and antibiotics are almost always useless. Antibiotics kill bacteria, but they are non-specific. They kill all forms of bacteria, so they can kill (probably) whatever type of bacteria is in excess and making you sick, but they also kill off the helpful bacteria. This doesn't actually heal you (just provides temporary relief), but continues the cycle of off-balance bacteria. This is why recurrent or secondary infections (like yeast infections) are common with antibiotic use. Also, because antibiotics are derived in a lab, they are "dead" and they function the same every time. The bacteria is living and it learns to outsmart the antibiotics, so to speak, breeding "super bacteria" like MRSA. Even 10 or 15 years ago this might have sounded ridiculous...but today we are all too aware of the dangers of MRSA.

If, instead, a person heals naturally (without any aid), the body will restore its own balance and reinfection is unlikely. For severe infections, there are plant-based medicines that can help. Think of it this way: all the plants that grow in the wild must protect themselves from mold, viruses, and bacteria. They clearly manage to do so in most cases because plants thrive. Taking the oils from these plants, therefore, can give the benefit of this "natural medicine" that keeps the plant alive. Essential oils, which are derived from plants and kept as living substances (i.e. not processed with heat or chemicals) contain antibacterial and anti-viral (if you believe in viruses) properties. They change and evolve with the bacteria and can help to restore the proper balance, rather than just killing all bacteria. Other substances, like vitamin C, boost the body's immune system to help it overcome the infection more quickly (exactly how this happens, I won't get into just now).

So, after studying this subject for awhile, and of course the simple fact that I believe that God gave us all the medicine we'll ever need naturally (are you aware that all medicine is originally derived from natural substances anyway?), I do not believe in germ theory or the use of modern medicine. This doesn't include anomalies like type I diabetes or unusual failures of the body, which would have caused certain death before inventions like insulin. I'm talking about everyday, general health. I don't believe that vaccines prevent disease, or that antibiotics cure it. I believe modern medicine is best saved for anomalies (like people born with heart conditions, type I diabetes, transverse babies requiring c-sections, trauma, etc.) and not for routine care. I think it is a mistake for people to rely so heavily and casually on the use of medication. How many people pop antacids or Tylenol any time they feel a little off, and don't think twice about it? We're messing with our body chemistry and, I believe, causing more illness than we're curing.

Unfortunately the more scientists learn, the more fascinated they are about possibilities and implications of medicine. They are eager for technology to replace "old ways" and they believe that they can improve upon nature. I believe this, too, is false. You can't improve nature. Doctors want to help, and researchers mean well, but they are caught up in a false system of beliefs, an incorrect theory. I believe that with continued research (because after all, the knowledge of gut flora and probiotics is relatively recent), they will come to understand this. I believe there are many researchers out there who are open minded and want to know. I also believe there are some who are seriously biased and who will cling to their current theories and ideas and refuse to believe in change.

This sums up my beliefs about health, medicine, and why I feel the way I do. I hope it has opened your mind to new possibilities and that it explains my position a little better.

Further Reading:
The Germ Theory: A Faulty Medical Model

What do you believe? Has any of this changed the way you think about health?