Why do some people get sick more than others?
COVID-19 affected millions of people worldwide with varying degrees of severity. While some people test positive for the virus and never develop symptoms, others experience severe respiratory distress requiring ventilators to survive.
Germ theory and terrain theory are two competing views on the nature and cause of disease. While germ theory has been the dominant theory for over a century, terrain theory is gaining popularity among health practitioners and advocates, as it provides context about why we get sick.
Germ theory is the idea that germs cause disease. It was first proposed in the mid-19th century by Louis Pasteur, a French chemist who demonstrated that specific microorganisms (bacteria and viruses) could be isolated from people with specific diseases. It eventually formed the basis of modern medicine, including the development of antibiotics and vaccines.
Terrain theory, suggests that disease is not caused solely by germs, but rather by the condition of the host. Germs are a natural part of life, and if the body is well balanced then it can most often deal with them without causing illness. Terrain theory supports optimizing the body’s own immunological capabilities through nutritious diet, active and low stress lifestyle, adequate sleep, etc. This theory was first proposed by Antoine Béchamp, another French chemist and rival of Pasteur. Many holistic health practitioners support this theory today.
As an example, two people are exposed to the same germ. One person has a weakened immune system due to poor diet and lack of exercise, while the other has a healthy immune system due to a nutritious diet and active lifestyle. Which person is more likely to get sick, and which is more likely to fight off the infection?
Germs seek their natural habitat – diseased tissue – rather than being the cause of diseased tissue
- Antoince Béchamp
Which is correct?
Both theories hold significant value. More than ever before, our bodies are overburdened from stressful lifestyles, insufficient diets, processed food, poor soil, harmful toxins in the food, air, and water, radiation, and EMF exposure. Our immune systems are not strong enough to combat germs naturally, and we more frequently require medical intervention to fight them off.
Proponents of terrain theory believe that germ theory has been overemphasized in modern medicine, leading to an over reliance on antibiotics and other medical interventions. By focusing on killing germs, we neglect supporting the body's natural defenses.
Germ theory advocates argue that without antibiotics and vaccines, millions of people would die from infectious diseases every year. They point to the successes of modern medicine in eradicating diseases like smallpox and polio as evidence of the power of germ theory. The germ and terrain theory debate is frequently at the center of debates on vaccination.
Why both perspectives are important.
Germ theory has dominated the way we approach health. As a result, we live anxiously battling with germs, destroying them with antibacterial agents and creating resistant strains and super-bugs. The greatest causality of the war on germs has our beneficial bacteria - through medical intervention, we’ve destroyed our body’s greatest weapon against such threats. By focusing largely on drug-based solutions instead of creating a healthy ecosystem, we externalize the responsibility for our health and wellbeing to doctors and drug companies.
By focusing more on improving the "terrain" of your body's inner environment, making it a place where viruses, parasites, and other harmful organisms cannot thrive, you can increase your natural resistant to infections and common illnesses. Many health choices can be made to give the ‘terrain’ the best possible function. Good nutrition, exercise, social interaction, sunlight, fresh air, meditation, and time in nature are just some examples of ways to improve your health and wellbeing, and your resistance to disease of all kinds.