Pathogen in the News
My power word choice for “How We See Microbes: Power Words in the News” is pathogen. I found the article titled “The Pesky Pathogens That Can Cause Cancer: What You Can Do About It,” written by Jessica who is an Internal Medicine board certified doctor turned holistic practitioner. The article discusses the role of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi in the development of chronic and noninfectious disorders. Originally it was not accepted that pathogens could cause things like cancer, until 1982 when two scientist linked the bacteria Heliobacter Pylori with stomach ulcers that sometimes leads to gastric cancer. Presently, there are several pathogens that have been identified that cause cancer. The human papillomavirus causes 90% of cervical cancer cases and the hepatitis B virus has been attributed to more than 60% of liver cancer cases, according to the article. Jenny suggests that the best way to support your body’s immune defense is through restoring a good balance of your beneficial gut flora. She recommends that you keep a non-inflammatory diet, drink clean water, decrease stress, and detoxing from environmental toxins, heavy metals, and pesticides, as well as doing meditation and yoga. Her emphasis is that the mind, body and soul are connected and contribute directly to your health.
This article is not peer-reviewed and is an opinion piece. The author, Jenny, is the main source and her voice can be heard throughout the article. She does cite three sources which include an article from the CDC, and an article from the website paleoleap.com. The last source is the textbookHarrison’s Internal Medicine: Infectious Diseases. Although it is not the most credible source, Jenny does bring up a good correlation between pathogens and diseases that are usually considered noninfectious. She also includes her holistic approach and ideals when suggesting things to boost the immune system. Overall, the article was well written and made the necessary point that pathogens are more related to disease and health than normally considered.