Germ Theory -vs- Terrain Theory: An Ongoing Debate

GERM THEORY

The germ – or microbial – theory of disease was popularized by Louis Pasteur (1822 – 1895), the inventor of pasteurization.

This theory states that there are fixed, external germs which invade the body and are the direct cause of a variety of separate, definable diseases. If you truly want to get well, you need to kill whatever germ made you sick, and do whatever possible to make sure that you never allow a microbe to enter your body in the first place.

With this theory comes Western medicine. They use their tools and technology to treat the symptoms of an unfriendly microbe that has rooted itself in your internal environment. Western medicine, and its tools and technology, treats the symptoms through things such as drugs, surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

Taking it a step further, in order to try and avoid an infection in the first place, various vaccines have been introduced to attempt to prevent the disease from invading our body in the first place.

The Germ Theory was partly shaped around Pasteur’s idea that the human body is sterile, meaning it is a blank slate devoid of any germs.

With this notion in mind we could conclude that we have to combat germs all the time in every way possible, and that preventative measures through things like nutrition are basically useless.

Therefore, in order to closely follow the Germ Theory, you need to be vigilant against various types of infections through prevention (primarily vaccinations) and rely on the destructive, microbe-fighting tools of Western technology (antibiotics, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy) in order to annihilate any external microbe that ever attempts or succeeds to get inside our body.

The advocates of Germ Theory declare that anything other than Western tools and technology is basically fruitless against disease.

TERRAIN THEORY

The Terrain Theory was initiated by Claude Bernard (1813 – 1878), and later built upon by Antoine Bechamp (1816-1908). He believed that the “terrain” or “internal environment” (namely, the colon) determined our state of health. When the body is functioning in homeostasis, and immunity and detoxification is operating well, he claimed there was a healthy terrain which could handle various pathogenic microorganisms that inevitably are thrown its way.

In essence, he believed the quality of the terrain (the environment of the colon) and the elements it faced determined an individual’s susceptibility to disease.

Mr. Bernard, Mr. Bechamp, and their successors, believed that disease occurs to a large extent as a function of biology and as a result of changes that take place when metabolic processes become imbalanced.

In Terrain Theory, germs then become symptoms that stimulate the occurrence of more symptoms, which eventually culminate into disease.

A weak terrain is naturally more vulnerable to external threats, so it needs to be built up through:

• - maximizing our nutritional status with adequate water and foods rich in vitamins and minerals
• - minimizing our toxicity status, i.e. detoxification through cleansing the colon
• - maintaining a proper pH or acid/alkaline balance with living foods
• - maintaining a proper energetic & electrical balance by exercising and breathing fully

For this and other reasons Mr. Bechamp argued vehemently against vaccines, asserting that “The most serious disorders may be provoked by the injection of living organisms into the blood.” Untold numbers of researchers have agreed with him.

So, if you are to closely follow the Terrain Theory, you may make yourself aware of various external microbes that could be harmful to your health; and respond with the gentle, non-toxic removal of them, keeping in mind that your focus is on building and maintaining the integrity of your inner terrain so that any external microbe that you may ingest does not morph into anything with serious implications to your health.

This means that natural things like prayer and meditation, good nutrition and detoxification, exercise and massage for neurological integrity, enjoying family and friends, creating a thriving business or working at a job you like, as well as, your mindset are key factors that are important in disease prevention and elimination.

Let’s look further into each theory to determine which theory we should adopt when trying to be healthy.

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