Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - Re: [permaculture] OT: BBC NEWS | Health | 'Friendly bacteria' gumforteeth] Viruses for killing pathogens

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] OT: BBC NEWS | Health | 'Friendly bacteria' gumforteeth] Viruses for killing pathogens
  • Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2006 12:07:52 -0400

Jody Troupe wrote:

>Kathy Evans wrote:

> "...host resistance was more important than eradicating the germ."

Exactly!

Appropriate to permaculture interests in soil, followers of Albrecht may know that there was another man (Cary Reams) that continued studies into soil health and expanded the soil interests into areas of personal health. Mr. Reams' later became the founder of a mathematical equation that gives extremely important information on the status of that person's health. The closer the total measurements in the equation are to the 'ideal', the better the health of the person in question.

As in soil health for plants, there is an ideal position within the acid/alkaline environment of the body (among a few other factors). The closer one is to ideal, the less the body will be bothered with unfriendly organisms & symptoms. A healthy body is not a good host to these unfriendly bacteria, so they do not take up residence. Balance in the body is maintained entirely on its own.

Balance = host resistance.

You might be interested in these posts:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [SANET-MG] Viruses for killing pathogens
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2006 01:10:32 EDT
From: Aquatfs@AOL.COM
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

In a message dated 8/21/2006 9:00:51 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
LISTSERV@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU writes:
>From the looks of the food virus spray it looks to me to be that it
should be acceptable for use with organic foods? Somebody will have to
decide, USDA which never seems to get organic right may be OK should
they approve the virus spray?

This approach ignores two important questions:

1. Why did pathogens manifest in the first place?
2. Why does the pathogen laden food support pathogen growth?

Ignoring these questions takes us down the road of focusing on killing
the pathogen and not focusing on the (absence of) health of the host.
This process is a band aid solution that distracts from the real issue.
Plants and animals can be produced pathogen free by growing the quality
into the product. I would venture to say that even post harvest
contamination primarily affects poor quality product. Product that
contains pathogens should not be rendered "safe" by "benign"
technologies. To do so, introduces inferior foods into the food supply
with far reaching deteriorative effects on animal and human health.

Alan Ismond, P.Eng.
Aqua-Terra Consultants

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] Viruses for killing pathogens
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2006 09:18:28 -0400
From: jcummins <jcummins@UWO.CA>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

Hello Alan Ismond,
The CDC comments on
Listeria:'http://www.cdc.gov/pulsenet/pathogens_pages/listeria_monocytogenes.htm
"Description
Gram-positive bacteria, found as single short rods or chains
approximately 0.5 micron wide and 1 micron long. Listeria may swim with
1-5 flagella to invade human cells.
Vehicles
Cold and/or wet places including refrigeration and air handling systems;
thrives in dairy products including soft cheeses, deli meats, hotdogs,
and food processing plants.
Prevention
Thoroughly cook raw food from animal sources, such as beef, pork, or
poultry. Wash raw vegetables thoroughly before eating. Keep uncooked
meats separate from vegetables and from cooked foods and ready-to-eat
foods. Avoid unpasteurized (raw) milk or foods made from unpasteurized
milk. Wash hands, knives, and cutting boards after handling uncooked
foods. Consume perishable and ready-to-eat foods as soon as possible.
Remarks
Although harmless in most healthy people, listeriosis poses a serious
threat to pregnant women, newborns, and individuals with weakened immune
systems."
I would be concerned about Listeria in organic produce and meats in
markets. Along with refrigeration shoppers and staff may contaminate
produce or meat. It seems to me that the bacteriaphage sprays made up of
a dozen or more natural species of the virulent phage are likley to be
harmless to people yet make the produce free of the pathogenic bacteria.
Of course, if genetically modified phages are slipped into the mix to
improve them the mixes will no longer be "organic". However, the
natural phage species seem to be about as "organic" as you can get.
sincerely,joe cummins





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page