Staying healthy for you and all your minions.

Here is interesting research on our gut inhabitants who should be considered an extension of our own body, according to the investigating scientist.  Centuries of cultural heritage have taught the importance of consuming fermented foods for the benefit of our health, with yogurt once considered a health elixir.  Recent research has also pointed to how bacterial infections in places like the mouth can lead to ulcers and heart attacks.  At some point in the future I believe the common person will wonder why we didn't consider our body's bacterial inhabitants as important to our well-being as today's commonly accepted belief in the importance of eating vegetables and getting regular exercise.

On a more philosophical level, Mazmanian says, the findings suggest that our concept of "self" should be broadened to include our many trillions of microbial residents. "These bacteria live inside us for our entire lives, and they've evolved to look and act like us, as part of us," he says. "As far as our immune system is concerned, the molecules made by gut bacteria should be tolerated similarly to our own molecules. Except in this case, the bacteria 'teaches' us to tolerate them, for both our benefit and theirs."