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Revolting Flora

At different conditions, things that are harmless can be so badly destrusteive. Escherechia coli is one of these.

THE bacteria we call Escherichia coli is not entirely, or perhaps normally, an enemy of the human body. Around 0.1 percent of the normal bacterial flora in the human intestines is E. coli.
The bacteria enter, and then colonize, the newly born child’s gut within 40 hours of birth. It enters the body with the food or water or with persons handling the child.

Then it adheres to the mucus of the large intestine.

In a matter of speaking, it so abounds in nature no one can practically avoid getting it.
E. coli is also useful in producing vitamin K2. K2 is a member of the vitamin K group of fat-soluble vitamins that is involved in bone metabolism. Because of this, decreased level of normal flora in the gut because of broad-spectrum antibiotic use heightens the risk for K2 deficiency.
Vitamin K1 is active more in enhancing blood coagulation. It is this vitamin K that we are taught since grade school as a component of Moringa oleifera (kamunggay in Bisaya), making this plant popular in treating open wounds.
A nonpathogenic E. coli strain called Nissle 1917 has been used as a probiotic agent mainly to treat diseases in the gut.

The problem comes in when... [READ MORE]


This article appears in SunStar Cebu newspaper pm 6 June 2012.
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