Have you taken a look in your local pharmacy or grocery store lately? There are rows and rows of anti bacterial products currently on the market. The idea of killing off that unicellular organism has people reaching for their bottles of hand sanitizer, post haste.
Bacteria are sometimes not quite as bad as we may think. Yes, there are forms, such as a food borne strain, that can be deadly, but there are also strains that help our bodies to function properly. When you kill off the harmful bacteria, you may also be killing off the good.
Forget about your hopes and dreams of a germ free society. Bacteria are all around us in everything we do. It is on our skin, in our food and even on the keyboard where we type. Of course, most of the time there is never any sickness associated with this bacterium all around, but on those rare occasions when it does cause illness; people go into panic mode and rush out to by anti bacterial products.
After all, these tiny microscopic, one-celled creatures must be bad if pharmaceutical companies market anti bacterial lotions, soaps, hand wipes, and household products. But, like all things labeled evil or bad, the bacterium found around us may not be as bad as people are thinking.
Take for example the human immune system. If everything were germ free, then there would be nothing to test the immune system’s defenses. A common cold would strike and the body would be unable to fight it off.
The same applies to those bacterial germs that surround everyone daily. In limited doses, they are a good thing because it strengthens the body’s immune system. Wipe all of those out and a bad bunch of bacterial germs will invade and you could find yourself pretty sick.
No one is saying to stop using anti bacterial products completely. You should just tone it down a bit and try other methods instead. Take for example cooking a piece of meat. It does not have to be burnt in order to stop germs from multiplying. Simply cook it to a temperature that you know will kill the bugs.
You can also try using alcohol or bleach to clean the surfaces of your kitchen. Even putting a drop or two in the rinse water can help kill bacteria.
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