We think we know so much
nowadays. We don’t bleed sick people out anymore hoping to rid them of evil
spirits, in fact with enough money wrinkles can even be a physical condition of
the past. Western medical science has evolved (cringe) by leaps and bounds
since say the 18th and 19th centuries and most infectious
diseases are not able to wipe out entire populations of innocent people. In
fact biological sciences are more of a global issue and joint endeavor than ever
before since no nation wants to entertain the idea of biological or chemical
warfare. Finding cures to cancer and many other terminal diseases is a joint
effort of our biological and scientific geniuses all over the globe.
Everyone knows about LouisPasteur, the French chemist and biologist that discovered and created the
invaluable process of pasteurization, and also most notably his work with
infectious diseases, namely attributing “germs” to the cause of many
afflictions and diseases. Pasteur created the first vaccines for rabies and
anthrax, yet its important to note that his “gem theory work” was not a
solitary project and could not have been completed without Ilya Ilyich
Mechnikov (a.k.a. Elie Metchnikoff).
Image by: Agence Rol [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Mechnikov was awarded the NobelPrize in Medicine for his breakthrough work on phagocytosis in the year 1908. He
began his most important work while in Odessa,which at that time was a hotbed
of disease and opportunity, luck and
larceny, culture clashing and assimilation-creating the perfect storm for his
prolific yet wholly ignored work and legacy.
As Marie Antoinette once articulated, “There is nothing new, except what has been forgotten.”
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, portrait of Ilya Mechnikov c. 1926, Public Domain
The same year Mechnikov
received the Nobel Prize his timeless works “The Nature of Man” and “The Prolongationof Life: Optimistic Studies” was the first scientific publication to analyze
and promote the physical and measurable benefits of being optimistic, looking
in the bright side, the power of happiness and the mind ability to heal with
happiness. A forward thinking idea for certain, he was not devoid of archaic
and far fetched ideas, specifically that our large intestine is solely to blame
for most diseases, ailments and shorter life spans. Yet even with old or
outdated biological information, facts and theories are what science is based
upon, some theories are good, and some not so much. His assertion as to the
large intestine being a culprit was not unfounded, since it does carry and
infiltrate our bodies with “toxic bacteria” increasing intestinal putrefaction.
Since we cannot live without this organ, Mechnikov discovered that the benefits
ingesting yogurt (or sour milk) as a way to regulate and combat aging,
proclaiming in theory and in practice that eating yogurt everyday held potential
life lengthening properties.
Is this New News?
Being happy, or an optimist extends your life?
Eating yogurt regularly promotes internal health?
It was not until the
Japanese scientist Minoru Shirota took notice of Mechnikov’s work and
determined there was money to be made. Shirota created a stronger strain of the
bacteria regulating substance, coined it after himself (Lactobacillus casei shirota) and created the popular beverage
Yakult, which has actually introduced and sold first in 1935.
So there you have it-the
secrets are out and they were never actually secret, just repackaged,
repurposed and rediscovered; health and happiness are symbiotic, and the
expensive probiotic drink or greek yogurt in your fridge that you over paid for
is there because of the work by Mechnikov. Instead of saying “arigato” (‘thank’
you in Japanese) say “spasibo” (‘thank you’ in Russian).
If you are interested in
reading the works by Mechnikov you can do so by visiting the Open Library
(free), an invaluable and unprejudiced resource for historical archives.
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