Things You Don’t Know About Good & Bad Bacteria

When we say the word “bacteria” it automatically forms an impression of “bad bacteria” or “harmful bacteria” in our minds; however, you may wonder knowing that there are around 100 trillion microbiomes in the human body among which many are good bacteria.

Bacteria are strongly related to health and hygiene so it is important to know more about them.

Starting From The Basics

Bacteria are microscopic organisms that are everywhere from your body to your surroundings, they can live in a variety of environments and they are of many types. Binary fission is the process used for reproduction In bacteria.

Types Of Bacteria

According to the shapes of bacteria, there are mainly three types such as spherical (coccus), rodlike (bacillus), or curved (vibrio, spirillum, or spirochete).

If you want to know the name of a few (It may sound confusing 😄 and I bet you will skip reading the names 😅) then the following are just a few of the total 39 trillion bacteria that reside in the human body:

• Akkermansia
• Escherichia
• E Coli
• Cyanobacteria
• Archaebacteria
• Rhizobium bacteria
• Nitrifying bacteria
• Coliform bacteria
• E Coli bacteria
• Cocci bacteria
• Lactobacillus
• Helicobacter pylori
• ESBL bacteria

Role Of Bacteria In Human Health

While talking about the role of bacteria in human health then gut health is not the only concern. Never limit the benefits of good bacteria to gut health only, which is provided by prebiotic and probiotic supplements, and talking about the adverse effects of bad bacteria, they not only cause digestive system disorders but there are many more severe issues.

Health Issues Caused By Bad Bacteria

Bacterial diseases range from causing serious infections, antimicrobial resistance to deadly diseases like cancer.

H Pylori or Helicobacter pylori causes stomach infections that lead to peptic ulcers, gastritis, and even develop cancer in the stomach.

Streptococcus species of bacteria such as Staphylococcus cause bacterial infections that result in Eczema on the skin. Different types of bacteria cause different diseases and the list is so long.

How Good Bacteria Keep You Healthy?

Good bacteria found in prebiotics and probiotic foods can improve gut health. Almost all of us consider prebiotics and probiotics as common gut health supplements used these days. No doubt gut health affects the whole body, but there are some other surprising health benefits of good bacteria.

Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus found in probiotics are not just gut bacteria but they provide mental health benefits too as per a study. Studies also state that some bacteria help reduce LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or bad cholesterol, thus improving heart health. Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12 or Lactobacillus also help fight eczema. Many other benefits of good bacteria improve your overall health.

Good Bacteria In Your Food

As I have said initially that bacteria are everywhere, but after knowing the benefits of good bacteria, you might be in search of good bacteria. The easy way to boost the friendly bacteria is to have good bacteria food.

Some best probiotic foods are yogurt, buttermilk, cheeses, etc. Other examples of bacteria are found in fermented food and it is also known as yeast bacteria. They are kimchi, sourdough bread, sauerkraut, tempeh, miso, tempeh, beer, etc.

Stop putting a “bad” tag on all bacteria as there are many good bacteria too. Which prebiotic or probiotic food is your favorite? Comment below!

Pankaj Rai