GERM THEORY VS TERRAIN THEROY

In 1861 Louis Pasteur announced that it was proven that germs cause disease. We have become obsessed with this theory over time and perhaps more now than ever before. When viruses were seen with electron microscopes this proved that there were viruses. So viruses can be added to the germ theory. You might ask the question why did the guy working next to me get sick and I didn't? The germ theory does not address this question. It just says germs cause disease. I am not disputing that germs cause disease but I want to point out that there is another way to look at this subject of disease and this can be covered by the broad concept called Terrain Theory. Terrain Theory could be traced back to Antoine Bechamp. Bechamp was a bitter rival of Pasteur. Modern medicine followed the germ theory and has had great success treating disease by considering microorganisms as enemies of life.

Bechamp said that disease would not develop in a truly healthy environment and that it could only evolve in an unhealthy organism. He has been thought of as a crank except by the natural foods people. In the past 10 or 15 years what is called the microbiome has been extensively studied and it is shown that changing the microbiome can change health. This is now an evolving study early in its development. The change of a person's microbiome is a way of changing his physical terrain. We are not talking about a total change but just change.

It is a great idea to look at both of these theories and postulate that there is a path between the two extremes that leads to a more ideal future for all of us. For example not all of us have a great terrain of health so germ theory could help with things like vaccines and antibiotics to kill off germs in this scenario. Most of us have had poor terrain at one time or another. The other side is to build a great terrain by eating very healthy. Then you are not nearly as susceptible to disease. Expect development in the natural approach to health, meaning better terrain, to blossom in the upcoming decades. By the way Bechamp lived to be 91.5 years and Pasteur lived to be 72. While this is no proof of anything perhaps Bechamp practiced what he preached and lived a long life as a result.

Over the past 25 years I have personally followed the terrain theory for the most part and have reaped the reward of good health. The dark chocolate with sunflower seed inside of the buttercup I just finished would show I am not perfect but at least it had no artificial colors or artificial anything else in it. We have treated thousands of people with chiropractic adjustments, which improves musculoskeletal terrain/function. The whole food, concentrated food-based supplements we use improve terrain by providing complete nutrients for improving physical function and structure of the human body. Let's take hardening of the arteries as an example. Hardening of the arteries is actually a buildup of the calcium lining the small arteries. Arteries are supposed to be flexible. A layer of calcium in the artery causes stiffness. By fixing the terrain this calcium can be dissolved over time. The terrain could be acids such as phosphorus, essential fatty acids such as fish oil, and various other nutrients that metabolize the calcium completely so it does not get deposited in the artery.

Bechamp stated that the cell was not the supreme health property. He stated that healthy microzyma were the key. Microzyma would be enzymes and coenzymes in modern biochemistry understanding that was not known in Bechamp's time. Another way to compare germ theory to Terrain theory is that germ theory looked at structure and Terrain theory looked at function. In truth both function and structure are important. However, without proper function it is impossible to build good structure. Make sense?