Friendly bacteria found to thrive in the human esophagus

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A new study by medical researchers at the NYU School of Medicine has found that friendly bacteria live in the esophagus. That's the tube connecting the back of your throat to the top of your stomach, and until now, virtually all doctors and medical researchers believed the esophagus could not harbor life. The study focused on the idea that esophageal bacteria might be responsible for causing diseases like esophageal cancer, for example, but I think they've missed the mark: these are friendly bacteria, and achieving a high state of health means living in harmony with the bacteria naturally present throughout the body.

When doctors prescribe antibiotics, it wipes out the friendly e.coli bacteria in the large intestine, causing a chain reaction of worrisome health effects. These same antibiotics may also be destroying friendly bacteria in the esophagus and stomach, disrupting healthy digestion for days or weeks at a time. Patients that are chronic users of antibiotics may suffer serious health effects due to a lack of friendly bacteria. Now, this discovery of bacteria in the esophagus opens the door to the possibility that these bacteria might also play an important role in digestion.

The bottom line? Human beings are not sterile vessels. We harbor billions of microorganisms inside our own bodies. We offer an entire ecosystem for the little critters, and if we want to be healthy, we need to keep the bacteria healthy, too. That means avoiding antibiotics, following sound nutrition, and engaging in regular physical exercise. Taking probiotics as nutritional supplements doesn't hurt, either. Only then can we live in harmony with our microscopic guests who, in turn, help keep us healthy by producing vitamins, among other interesting tasks.
About the author: Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate with a strong interest in personal health, the environment and the power of nature to help us all heal He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, reaching millions of readers with information that is saving lives and improving personal health around the world. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a maker of energy efficient LED lights that greatly reduce CO2 emissions. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also the founder and CEO of a well known email mail merge software developer whose software, 'Email Marketing Director,' currently runs the NaturalNews email subscriptions. Adams also serves as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a non-profit consumer protection group, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and adult gymnastics.


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