Bacteria Talk Between Species: those tough little bugger’s

There’s an article (below) that made me think about just how naive we are and how much we just don’t understand in regards to our natural world. Did you know that bacteria can actually communicate with each other… and they can communicate between species!? They can and they do – which explains ‘why’ they can mutate so fast and we just can’t keep up with them with our antibiotics.

Furthermore, when we look at the big picture, our actions, it’s very easy to see how we’re shooting ourselves in the foot – big time! Here we have these bad bacteria, which make us sick, and for decades we’ve tried to stay ahead of them but have failed. To further complicate matters, we’ve gotten ourselves into a pickle and are running out of antibiotic choices.

The article…

Talking Bacteria, and How to Shut Them Up by Ker Than

Bacteria are more gregarious than previously thought. Not only do they routinely engage in small talk among themselves, but research is showing that many are also multilingual and can communicate with members of other species.

“When we think about bacteria, we think about them as being tiny single-celled organisms that live these very asocial reclusive lives,” said Bonnie Bassler, a molecular biologist at Princeton University. “In fact, bacteria have developed language, and the language is chemical.”

Speaking at the annual meeting for the American Association for the Advancement of Science earlier this year in Washington, Bassler explained that in addition to being able to communicate with members of their own species, many bacteria can also talk to members of other species using a universal chemical language.

Gathering a quorum

Bacteria are able to communicate with one another through a process known as quorum sensing.

Here’s how it works: Individual bacteria secrete signaling molecules called autoinducers into their environments, and as the number of bacteria in a colony increases, so does the concentration of the signaling molecule.

Once a critical mass, or quorum, of bacteria and auto inducers are reached, specific behaviors can be initiated.
Quorum sensing allows bacteria to coordinate their behaviors on a global scale and to act like enormous multicellular organisms, Bassler explained. The types of behaviors initiated by quorum sensing are typically those that are beneficial only when performed as a group, such as the release of toxins or the formation of aggregates called biofilms.

“The goal of quorum sensing is to count,” Bassler said. Bacteria in the wild are not typically found in homogenous groups, but rather coexist in diverse communities with other bacterial species. “We don’t think anymore that it does bacteria any good to only count its own species; they have to be able to take a census of the rest of the population.”

One way they do this is through quorum sensing. In addition to autoinducers that are species-specific, many bacteria also produce a universal autoinducer, known as AI-2, which can be understood across different bacterial species.

AI-2 was first discovered in a bioluminescent species of marine bacteria capable of giving off visible light, but it has since been identified in hundreds of other species. “This is a generic language,” said Bassler. “It’s the trade language that says ‘other.”

Applications

Many scientists believe the discovery of AI-2 could lead to the development of a new class of antibiotics. [science behind essential oils]

“If we could keep the bacteria from talking or listening, we might be able to develop new kinds of therapeutics,” Bassler said.

Because such a drug would not kill the bacteria directly, but only disrupt their activity and prevent them from releasing their toxins, it would not encourage the development of resistance–a problem that is plaguing many current antibiotics. Bassler believes there are probably other molecules like AI-2.

“There are probably many more molecules to be found that tells who the other guy is as well,” she said. “We’re only at the beginning of this field.”

Wait a minute, haven’t we been told that humans are the most intelligent species on earth???

If we’re so intelligent… then why are we continuing to make the same old mistakes?

Forgetting about the antibiotic drugs for a minute, how many antibacterial products do you think are in the average household? How many of those antibacterial hand products do you think are properly used?

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says if you use antibacterial hand soap products that you should be washing your hands with them for at least 20 seconds. But there’s a problem, when you use them more often and for longer durations you’re not only exposing yourself to dried out skin, itchy, and flaky skin. Not to mention all of the toxic chemicals in those products which do get absorbed through the skin and into your cells, which is one reason why cancer rates have skyrocketed.

Taking a look at just one very common ingredient in antibacterial hand washes we find, Triclosan. Triclosan is a common active ingredient found in modern antibacterial products. Most other engineered antibacterial agents are designed to attack organic functions of bacteria. Triclosan specifically inhibits the production of a fatty acid vital to life within bacterial cells. While this may sound good on the surface the problem is, bacteria that survive the introduction of Triclosan can mutate into a new strain that resists the antimicrobial chemical’s effects. Oh boy, now we have a problem… those that were strong enough to survive Triclosan tell their buddies, and their buddies tell their buddies, and they tell their neighbors (the other bacteria species), and so on – until we have… super mighty bacteria all over the place and the products we have previously used no longer  work.

Case in point, MRSA (Staph Infection) – which only used to be found in hospitals and nursing homes. We’ve all heard stories about someone going into the hospital for a simple out-patient procedure and no sooner did they get home thinking they’d take a day or two off from work to rest up and boom! A rush to the emergency room, within a few days they’re dead, or they’re in the hospital for a month or two in critical condition hanging by a limb. Well, MRSA has mutated into a form that is no longer confined to hospitals and nursing homes. There now is a Community Acquired strain that’s just as wicked. I’m sure you’ve heard stories about school kids and sports, locker rooms, gyms, they say not to share towels, clothing and such. That’s because we have created more powerful new strains of staph – how – the improper and over-use of antibiotics and antibacterial products.

Rather than be governed by our natural instincts, who in their right mind would continue to contribute to the creation of the next version of  staph or super bug, we allow ourselves to be governed by… tah-dah… large corporations who make these products and convince us how great they are and how we can’t live without them. The fact is, we’re going to get ourselves into a deeper pickle because of them and we’re going to leave future generations with contending with a life that more resembles a sci-fi movie with some of the most stubborn nasty strains of bacteria imaginable.

But let’s forget about our kids, grand kids and future generations for a minute – instead let’s look at the here-and-now, how is this crazy antibacterial product industry interfering with the quality of our life and what exactly can we do, right now for ourselves?

For starters, we can stop taking antibiotic drugs for viruses – antibiotics do not treat viruses, viruses are a whole different animal.

Second, we can stop using antibacterial hand cleaners and household cleaners.

Why would we want to stop over-using or using them?

Because their make-up is simple, super simple from a chemistry perspective. The super bacteria we’ve created must be laughing at us all the way to their next mutation because we’re trying to combat them with kindergarten material! Through a process called ‘natural selection’ many of them will survive and grow stronger and in the process be resistant to specific antibiotics and antibacterial products.

What can we do instead?

With our population being so enormous today, it’s a good idea to be mindful. Mindful of what you’re touching and mindful of others when you cough or sneeze (don’t cover up with your hands, use your arm or sleeve or tissue).

And when you do wash your hands or clean your house, use ‘real’ essential oils.

What do I mean by ‘real’ essential oils?

Quite simply, there’s a lot of junk, or low quality essential oils on the market. Not only do they not produce favorable results but they can also be harmful to your health.

How do you know the essential oils you’re buying are the real deal?

One little trick I do is look at the label. For instance, on a bottle of Lavender or Frankincense does it say “Not for Internal Use” or “For External Use Only”?

Both Lavender and Frankincense are edible if they are processed properly. And both Lavender and Frankincense are two of the most commonly adulterated essential oils on the planet.

If the label says you can’t take it internally, your little warning flags should shoot up like a rocket!

If you can’t ingest the essential oil from an edible plant, you certainly do not want to be putting it on your body, cleaning your house with it, or using it in a diffuser. Learn which Young Living essential oils can be used internally and in cooking…

Which Essential Oils and Aromatherapy Products Do I Use and Trust?

Young Living. They are the best I have seen in my 20 years of using essential oils.

What’s really nice is that Young Living has many products that contain their therapeutic-grade pure essential oils. I’ve yet to find any company that uses a superior quality essential oil in their shampoo’s, face and body lotions, cleaners, air fresheners, laundry products, candles, and so forth.

For Keeping Those Chatty Bacteria at Bay I use and Recommend…

Thieves Foaming Hand Soap

Thieves Household Cleaner

Thieves Essential Oil

Why do I use and recommend Young Living?

Bad bacteria cannot survive in the presence of a therapeutic-grade essential oil because, unlike antibiotics and antibacterial products, the therapeutic-grade essential oil is ‘complex.’ No known bacteria have ever been able to resist and mutate in the presence of a superior processed essential oil. Additionally, people have been distilling and using essential oils for wellness and beauty purposes since before biblical times. Now this is something that has withstood the test of time!

The fact that our bodies have evolved with the healing and edible plants since there were plants and humans on earth – our bodies know how to process the oils from the plants – as long as the plant has been grown, harvested, and distilled properly to maintain all of the characteristics and natural chemical profile – which is key. Our bodies do not know how to process chemicals and isolated substances, which is why they end up in our cells and tissues, possibly causing cancer or some other illness or disease.

Buy Young Living Essential Oils and Thieves Products

Article by Evelyn Vincent, Young Living Distributor.

Helping families make better informed choices.

Articles by Evelyn:

Cancer is a Fungus: candida, cancer, and baking soda

Essential Oils Can Help with Acne

Essential Oils and MRSA (Staph Infection) a Study

Frankincense Essential Oil: more than Aromatherapy