PARIS, Jan 20 — They are as old as the world. They can be found absolutely everywhere in our lives. And we have learned to hate them. Yet, bacteria are good for us and could even help save humanity — as hard as that may be to believe in this time of pandemic. So in 2022, it’s time to learn to love these tiny living beings that are essential to our daily lives.
Celebrating bacteria in the midst of a pandemic may seem positively provocative. However, we should be careful not to tar everything with the same brush. Of course, there are bad bacteria — those that give you a stomach ache when they’ve infiltrated raw foods or eggs , or those that cause strep throat, gastroenteritis or worse, cholera. But there are also so-called good bacteria, those that can actually be beneficial to our bodies, because they’re not pathogenic.
Fermentation is not just a good way to preserve foods for longer . These microorganisms are also able to boost content of vitamins B and C, as well as zinc and iron, and even make proteins more digestible. The typical example is sourdough bread. This famous grayish concoction that many people embraced during lockdown has the ability to devour the phytic acid present in flours, responsible for that heavy feeling in the stomach. Effectively, the bread “pre-chews” this natural substance for us.
Five years ago, a study by BIS Research estimated that the market for fermented foods could be worth US$888.76 billion by 2023. And, for several years now, manufacturers have been working on food innovations populated with “good” bacteria. Take the pickle juice developed specifically for athletes by the American brand Pickle Juice Company, presented at the SIAL international food innovation show in Paris in 2018.
Some bacteria are even capable of absorbing uranium and containing it in bubbles. This discovery by researchers at Michigan State University, which specifically concerns the Geobacter family of bacteria, represents a real hope in the fight against radioactive waste. Another microorganism — Serratia ficaria SH7 — has the capacity to absorb pollutants attached to monuments or statues.
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