Protect your body’s bacteria
Microscopic creatures—including bacteria, fungi, and viruses—can make you ill. But what you may not realize is that trillions of microbes are living in and on your body right now. Most don’t harm you at all. We tend to focus on destroying bad microbes. But taking care of good ones may be even more important.
To protect good microbes:
- Eat a diet high in fiber. Fiber is found in plants, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Limit foods that can hurt your gut microbes. These include sugar and fatty or highly processed foods.
- Know when to wash your hands, like when preparing food, before eating, or after handling pets or garbage.
- Use hand sanitizer when you can’t use soap and water. Be sure it contains at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid antibacterial soaps and other products. These can harm the protective microbes on your skin.
- Be wary of “probiotics.” These products can be food or supplements. They may claim to restore a healthy microbe mix, but many have not been properly studied.
