Biofilms (not nature movies!) and why they matter for your immunity…

We are, upsettingly for some, largely only a form of bacteria ourselves. Bacteria are the foundation of every life form on this planet, so “eradicating” them is impossible (and unhealthy).  Had bacteria not develop resistance to Antibiotics, all life on this earth would likely already have become extinct.

Biofilms are fascinating, and important to know about when considering your immune system. They are colonies of bacteria, fungi and parasites that can clump together and adhere to a mucosal linings in your body by producing a protective matrix around themselves that essentially provides a shield to your immune system, making them very difficult to eliminate.  Biofilms can be found in many areas of the body.  Once a colony has formed under a biofilm, they then use a unique method of communication with other bacteria etc called “quorum sensing”, effectively drawing other microbes to join them under the biofilm. Nice!

An example of this is sinus infection, whereby the biofilm has proven too strong for the immune system to eliminate, and chronic infection persists.  Having tools to break down biofilms then is a useful thing to understand.  We have some “big hitters” in our herbal dispensary when working with biofilms and your immunity, and the great thing is, some of them can be made at home.   

Sinus infections can often become chronic, providing a constant reservoir for bacterial infection. If you have congested sinuses (due to allergy, injury, genetics or diet), it’s very important that you get this treated and cleared.  I recommend a combination of herbal medicines along with a nasal spray and addressing the underlying cause (e.g. food intolerance, environment).

Here are just some of the herbal medicines I carry in my dispensary, and prescribe often:

•       Thyme

•       Golden seal (must be sustainable)

•       Elderberry

•       Elderflower

•       Astragalus

•       Siberian ginseng

•       Ginger

•       Glycyrrhizin from licorice

•       Olive leaf

Contact me and I can tell you more about them. Treating chronic infection and biofilms is a key part of our super-immunity protocol.