From Cornell "There are over 10,000 different types of bacteria in compost. The good kinds. Bacteria are the smallest living organisms and the most numerous in compost; they make up 80 to 90% of the billions of microorganisms typically found in a gram of compost. Bacteria are responsible for most of the decomposition and heat generation in compost. They are the most nutritionally diverse group of compost organisms, using a broad range of enzymes to chemically break down a variety of organic materials."
As you add organic matter to your compost pile, different bacteria react at different times and at different temperatures to break down the organic matter and make high quality soil for the garden. Thousands of other microorganisms aid in that process.
There is more. Actinomycetes, Fungi, Protozoa. Rotifiers......
For a good, healthy garden to grow, it needs good healthy soil. Thus the compost. What you "feed" your compost and how well the bacteria break that down determines the quality of the soil you plant into. That in turn determines the health of your plants. Simple, no?
Ok, the AH HA moment.
I have been reading recent studies about how the good bacteria in your gut is essential for good health. What you feed your gut, plus how you treat the bacteria in the gut, determines how healthy the gut is, then in turn how healthy your body is. It even goes so far as to determine your mental health. Wow!
Dig this: Gut Biology Health Bacteria Future Medicine
"Microbiologists have made some startling advances in revealing our innermost secrets. It turns out that there is a complex ecosystem deep within us that is home to a fantastic diversity of life – of which very little belongs to our species."
I've always known about the good bacteria in our systems to help digestion and such, but what I didn't know is there live 100 trillion organisms, comprising 90% of the cells of our bodies. micro It is referred to as the microbiome - that is all the bacteria, parasites, protazoans, fungi, archaea and eukaryotes that inhabit the human body, inside and out. But most of them are in our gut. How we digest food, absorb nutrients, removed bodily wastes are all dependent on good microorganisms in our bodies.
Just like compost, our systems need these good "bugs" to function. What we eat, drink, the medications we take, all have an impact on a healthy gut. Many depend on medications to help them through a temporary, or permanant medical condition. Ingesting these medications tend to kill off many of the good micro organisms in our gut. Especdially drugs like antibiotics. Antibiotics are designed to kill bacteria. They don't defferentiate. WHen good bacteria is killed off, our gut responds poorly.
From the article:
HOW BACTERIA CAN AFFECT YOUR HEALTH ∞
Gastritis and peptic ulcers
It was commonly believed that too much stress was the primary cause of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcers. Then, in 1984, Australian physician Barry Marshall drank a petri dish of Helicobacter pylori taken from a patient with gastritis, and eight days later developed massive inflammation of the gut – he later shared a Nobel prize for his trouble.
Found in the stomach of an estimated 50% of people, most of the time H. pylori is commensal, living on us without any negative side effects. The remedy, however, is not as straightforward as simply eradicating the bacterium, as some experiments have revealed a link between low levels of H. pylori in children and an increased risk of asthma.
Tooth decay
An early coloniser of teeth, Streptococcus mutans is one of 25 species of oral streptococci to live in the oral cavity.
Normally they cause few problems, turning sucrose into a "glue" to cohere to teeth, helping to form dental plaques. However, if S. mutans is given other types of sugar – glucose, fructose or lactose, for example – in addition to the plaques, it also starts producing lactic acid.
While dental plaques comprise hundreds of species of bacteria, it is this combination of lactic acid and plaque caused by S. mutans that is a primary cause of tooth decay.
Type 2 diabetes
It is already known that type 2 diabetes can be caused by a number of genetic and environmental components, but recent research has shed some light on a possible microbial element. It was found that patients with type 2 diabetes had lower rates of butyrate-producing bacteria, an important food for cells lining the colon.
It was also found that there was a clear relationship between people with type 2 diabetes and the specific species of bacteria found in their gut. This association is so great that the analysis of gut microbiomes can be used as a diagnostic test for type 2 diabetes.
Mental health
It has been known for some time that microbes can influence our mental health, the rabies virus being the prime example. As the vagus nerve runs between the gut and the brain, it is becoming more accepted that the relationship between the two areas is bi-directional.
Gut bacteria produce hundreds of neurotransmitters, which are used by the body to regulate learning, memory and mood. In addition, gut bacteria are also known to produce up to 95% of the body's supply of serotonin, which is a contributor to feelings of wellbeing and happiness. The evidence suggests that an increased understanding of gut microbiota may produce novel treatments for anxiety and depression.
Cancer
While chronic infection of H. pylori has been known to increase the risk of stomach cancer by four to six times, it is now becoming clearer that other bacteria may have a role to play in increasing or decreasing a person's susceptibility to other forms of cancer. A study of 70,000 individuals showed that patients with periodontitis – inflamed and bleeding gums due to poor oral hygiene – had double the risk of cancers of the oral cavity and digestive tract. The risk of cancer rose with increasing severity of periodontitis and was specifically associated with the oral bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis.
So, how do these two fit together?
Let's just say, compost is like our gut. What we put into it to feed our garden is just as important as what we put into our guts to feed our bodies. In order for good compost to be created, it needs the good microorganisms....especially good bacteria. When we just let our leaves and grass clippings stand alone, they will eventually break down, but will not give us nutrient rich compost unless we allow the good "bugs" to prosper. By adding good, organic, pesticide kitchen scraps, herbicide free alfalpha, and grass clipping from lawns that were not over fertilized, we can avoid the damage done to compost bugs to let them digest all those wonder ful ingredients into fine, healthy soil.
So, how do these two fit together?
Let's just say, compost is like our gut. What we put into it to feed our garden is just as important as what we put into our guts to feed our bodies. In order for good compost to be created, it needs the good microorganisms....especially good bacteria. When we just let our leaves and grass clippings stand alone, they will eventually break down, but will not give us nutrient rich compost unless we allow the good "bugs" to prosper. By adding good, organic, pesticide kitchen scraps, herbicide free alfalpha, and grass clipping from lawns that were not over fertilized, we can avoid the damage done to compost bugs to let them digest all those wonder ful ingredients into fine, healthy soil.
Bottom line: if you eat well: healthy, clean foods....add some fermented foods like Kombucha, Kraut, yogurt to help boast those friends in our bodies, just like compost for the garden supports healthy plants, that "organic: matter you ingest will break down and provide our bodies with a healthy support.
Ah HA
