Why Do Microbes Matter Most?

Our bodies are host to literally trillions of microbes – more than the stars in the Milky Way, more than our own cells. As they go about their lives, they influence ours. 

Only in the last few decades have we begun to understand the magnitude of these small passengers. The term “microbiome” (first used in the scientific community in the late 1980s) surged in public awareness over the last 20 years. It describes the microorganisms coexisting in our bodies – bacteria, viruses, fungi. 

Microbes Hold the Key to Health

Scientists eager to explore this new realm have provided a wealth of research – over 100,000 studies. Proof of the vital role microbes play in whole-body health. They simultaneously foster the development of both immune competence and tolerance. Providing us with benefits we are only beginning to grasp, including:

• Hydration
• Nutrient synthesis
• Protection against invaders
• Tissue healing

In short, we need them.

By beautiful design, we are inoculated with microbes at birth, fortified in infancy by breast milk, exposed to them daily in our environment. They become a part of us. 

Good Bugs Gone Bad

But not all microorganisms bring benefits – balance is essential. What happens when balance is lost? Our bodies not only lose the benefits the good guys bring, they have an additional mountain of metabolic refuse to manage – thanks to opportunists or invaders, or both. 

It's easiest to identify a microbiome out of balance in an acute situation (think cold or a bladder infection). Unhelpful microbes temporarily have the upper hand, and the body rallies to manage the imbalance immediately, ideally restoring equilibrium.

But like the rest of life, there are gray areas. 

Microbial imbalance isn't always obvious. Daily living can result in multiple, smaller hits to microbial health – a slow progression away from balance toward an unhealthy inflammatory response and internal toxicity. It starts to take a toll on the body. 

• We wake up fatigued
• Our performance suffers
• Mood deteriorates
• Body discomfort becomes the norm

It can be that subtle.

Microbes – Here, There, and Everywhere!

The vast majority of microbes resides in the gastrointestinal tract. The body has developed systems there to maintain and restore microbial balance. It employs complex communication between the GI tract, immune system, and liver – interacting, even collaborating, with the microorganisms there, to our mutual benefit. 

But microbes also reside in and influence other parts of the body. From the mouth to the skin, to the bladder, and even the middle ear, each niche in the body houses a unique and delicate blend of microorganisms.

Researchers have now coined the term “exposome” for the microbial encounters we have as we daily interact with the world around us. Every exposure alters the microbiome's activity and behavior, causing it to adjust to reestablish balance.

Imbalance, wherever and however it occurs, has system-wide effects. 

Botanicals – The Natural Solution

At Biocidin Botanicals, we understand that microbes are not an enemy to be eliminated but an ecology to be nourished. How do we do that? By working with the gift of botanicals. 

Traditional healers have revered the health-promoting properties of botanicals for eons. The human body (and its microbiota) have a natural and time-tested relationship with these botanicals. We recognize and respond to them. 

Think about it – plants have developed tools to grow and flourish under the same environmental stressors that we face. They have an innate capacity to protect themselves, producing:

• Compounds to support microbial balance
• Antioxidants
• Biofilm disruptors
• Immune modulators. 

(Yes, plants have immune systems, too!)

Blending Botanicals = Synergy

Each plant offers multiple activities – and when layered together in a formula – a powerful synergy occurs. The outcome is not additive; it’s exponential.

That’s why thousands of practitioners and their patients have relied on our clinically effective, evidence-based solutions for more than 30 years with tangible, sometimes astounding, results. 

Because microbes matter most, we focus on integrated botanical solutions. These tiny plant constituents deliver substantial benefits at the intersection of human physiology and the microbiome. A graceful and mighty solution, botanicals offer the power to achieve and maintain microbial balance.