Alert: E. coli outbreak in Germany

In this 5^th article of my article series on nutrition, I am going to write on a current issue threatening lives of many people in Germany. Outbreak of E. coli in Germany has killed 33 people, sickened nearly 3,100 till date!!

Hence being a student of nutrition, I would like to highlight the role of nutrition in preventing as well as treating this infection very effectively.

Some background information:

Our intestine which is a part of our digestive system is occupied by thousands of beneficial microorganisms. The human body, consisting of about 100 trillion cells, carries about ten times as many microorganisms in the intestines. These microorganisms perform a host of useful functions, such as training the immune system, producing vitamins for the host (All of vitamin B complex vitamins and vitamin K), producing hormones to direct the host to store fats, as well as helping the body to absorb essential dietary minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron.  

Another important role of these microorganisms is that they prevent growth of harmful, pathogenic bacteria from multiplying the gut, an activity termed the "barrier effect". Harmful yeasts and bacterial species are unable to grow excessively due to competition from helpful gut microorganisms. Thus if this population of microorganisms in the gut is disturbed, harmful microorganisms can then cause infections very easily.

This population can be disturbed by a variety of reasons:

1.      Use of antibiotics, which in addition to killing the pathogenic organisms, kill the harmless and beneficial bacteria too.

2.      A weak immune system which cannot control the balance of all different types of microorganisms. Hence here one particular type grows excessively and then tends to be harmful for the body.

3.      If a very high load of pathogenic bacteria enters our body through contaminated food or any other source, then these bacteria dominate the beneficial gut microorganisms.

This 3^rd condition is the reason behind the E. coli outbreak in Germany.

Information about the infectious E. coli:

Ø  E. coli is one of the bacteria which are normally present in the intestine. But there are certain types of E. coli which are also pathogenic. The type which is causing havoc right now is Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (entero = intestine (gut), hemorrhagic = causing hemorrhage).

Ø  It causes severe diarrhea, along with blood in the stools (as a result of hemorrhage) and severe and painful abdominal cramps. Usually little or no fever is present, and the illness resolves in five to 10 days. In some people, particularly children under five years of age and the elderly, the infection can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), in which the red blood cells are destroyed and the kidneys fail. About 2–7% of infections lead to this complication.

Ø  Most commonly, E. coli 01257:H7 comes from eating raw or undercooked ground beef (hamburger) or from drinking raw milk or contaminated water. Less commonly, E. coli O157:H7 can be transmitted from one person to another.

Ø  It is highly virulent, with a low infectious dose: that is, even if a very small number of bacteria enter the body, they can easily cause infection. They need not be very high in number.

Ø  The treatment for this includes oral rehydration only and in very few cases antibiotics are used.

The use on nutrition therapy proves very useful in such cases and in case of severe infections, life saving too. It shows miraculous results and recovery is also faster.

Let us see how-

As this in an infection involving the intestine, it totally disturbs the intestinal bacterial population and hence causes digestive disturbances. So the 1^st step is to restore this population.

1.      Acidophilus culture capsules:

These capsules contain healthy bacteria which can grow in the intestine and restore the balance.

2.      Lactose sugar:

Foods like plenty of buttermilk, yoghurt etc. which provide lactose sugar, the perfect food for intestinal bacteria.

3.      Fiber:

Fresh fruits, vegetables provide fiber which is very important for growth of bacteria as well as to reduce the frequency of diarrhea. Usually in case or diarrhea, we tend to omit all solid foods from the diet and provide only liquids.

Along with this, strengthening the immune system to fight infection is also very important.

4.      Vitamin C and A:

It is a universal antibiotic. Soon after the onset of diarrhea, immediately start consuming vitamin C tablets every 2 hours. It also acts as a universal anti-toxin. So that if the pathogenic bacterium is producing any toxin that too is destroyed by this vitamin.

Vitamin C along with vitamin A also helps in strengthening the wall of the intestine, which is destroyed by the organisms causing diarrhea.

5.      Vitamin E and Selenium:

If blood is present in the stool, that is because of hemorrhage caused in the intestine. Hemorrhage involves destruction of the blood cells. Vitamin E and Selenium help to prevent this destruction and thus, hemorrhage is prevented and if it has already occurred, it can be controlled and prevents any further destruction. Garlic is a very rich source of selenium. And as vitamin E is required in very high doses, it has to be supplied through vitamin E capsules.

6.      Omega 3 fatty acids:

The infection cause by E. coli causes intense inflammation in the intestine. Hence, omega 3 fat intake helps to reduce the inflammation. Unroasted Flax seed (javas) powder provides plenty of these fats. Or cold pressed flax oil can also be used.

I hope this proves useful for all my friends in Germany!