Weeds & Gut Health

In regenerative and holistic management circles, weeds are often considered 'indicators' of the soil’s physical, mineral, and microbial characteristics.

I believe it's time we start viewing our internal 'weeds' in the same light. When a common (but largely unloved) gastrointestinal organism like Blastocystis hominis or Helicobacter pylori is detected, the mainstream approach (even in some natural circles) is to 'KILL KILL KILL'!

The interesting thing is, many people carry these two organisms without problems or symptoms. Let’s take Blastocystis hominis, an organism that has a reputation for being a “pathogen” that resides in the digestive tract of 15% of the world’s population. Many people who are perfectly healthy carry this little organism in their gut and asymptomatic carriage is VERY common. There’s even research to suggest that the microbiota of carriers is associated with a healthier and more diverse microbiome then non-carriers.

Imagine if in human health, we viewed these types of organisms as INDICATORS of the gut's physical, mineral and microbial characteristics. Instead of kill kill killing some of the most common 'pathogens' with little regard for the impact on the rest of the ecosystem, perhaps we should be pausing and seeking to understand more about:

🌱 Why is this organism is present?

🌱 What level of harm, if any, is this organism having?

🌱 What is allowing this organism to thrive and what role is it playing?

🌱 How is balance restored without causing further ecosystem damage?

As Emeritus Professor Fred Provenza says, “it’s naïve to think of invasive species as problematic, because change is the only constant in nature and ecosystems.” Yes!

Bottom Line

Given we’re losing our precious beneficial microbes at a fast rate of knots, we should be doing everything we can to understand and protect our old friends. Working wisely and holistically with commonly identified ‘weeds’ will allow the entire ecosystem to flourish!

Until next time,

Stacey.