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NaturalWay – Margit Slimáková

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Causes of infectious diseases in summary

  • Modern medicine is based on the microbial theory of Louis Pasteur.
  • According to Pasteur, external microorganisms are the cause of infectious diseases.
  • Pasteur’s theory is based on the development and use of a wide range of antibiotics, vaccines and anti bacterial soaps.
  • In the history of biology an opponent theory also exists regarding the causes of diseases.
  • A prominent French scientist, Professor Antoine Béchamp considered a crucial role in the emergence of the disease to be the environment in which the disease occurs, i.e. the organism.
  • Microorganisms are, according to Béchamp, a part of every organism where they are involved in healthy tissues in its construction and in damaged tissues in its degradation.
  • The primary cause of diseases is then either by means of toxicity or as a result of nutrition damaged tissue.
  • What we usually call “disease” today is just a set of symptoms associated with the breakdown of damaged tissues.
  • Diseases can not be “caught”, we create them ourselves.
  • Béchamp’s theory also supports the so-called “Land and Seed Theory” from Ayurveda explaining that seeds can only thrive in a suitable environment.
  • I am not sure who was right but I know which theory better matches my understanding of the world as well as logic; I am sure that my behaviour, diet and lifestyle decisions fundamentally affect my health.

Causes of Infectious Diseases

Recently I found an interesting dispute in the history of biology between the discoverer of the microbial origin of diseases Luis Pasteur and his opponent Antoine Béchamp.

In short, Pasteur’s theory can be summarized as “microbes’ flying in the air with an aim to attack our organisms and to cause disease. The development and use of a wide range of antibiotics, vaccines, anti bacterial soaps and other cleaning agents has been based on this theory.

Professor Béchamp* was against this theory and considered a crucial factor for the emergence of the disease to be the environment in which the disease occurs, i.e. our own organism. According to Béchamp, microorganisms or so-called “microsomas” form a part of every organism. In healthy tissues they play a vital role in their construction and in damaged tissues, in their degradation. The primary cause of disease is then by toxicity or under nutrition-damaged tissue that is necessary to be eliminated. What we usually call disease is just a set of symptoms associated with the breakdown of damaged tissues. The difference between disease and symptoms can be likened to a fever, which has long been considered a disease and recommended to be suppressed therapeutically. Today we already know that fever is usually a healthy and natural reaction of the body and its suppression interferes with the organism’s own defenses. The primary cause of disease is, according to Béchamp, the lack of nutrition or toxicity at cell level. Diseases can not be “caught”, we create them ourselves. The presence of germs does not mean the presence of disease as germs do not affect healthy cells.

Béchamp’s theory also supports the so-called “Land and Seed Theory” from Ayurveda. This theory states that seeds can only thrive in the appropriate environment. And similarly, out of the millions of microbes around us or in our body only these living in for them for which the environment is friendly. A healthy organism is not suitable for any pathological process and it is able to seamlessly manage routine microbial loads. Infectious disease will be mild and only further strengthen the immune system.

It is interesting that even Pasteur acknowledged Béchamp’s theory at the end of his life with the words: “The Terrain is everything, the Germ is nothing”.

If we start from the teachings and recommendations of Béchamp the best defense against any infectious disease will be building a healthy body through prevention. Practically this will mean instead of investing in the entire panoply of drugs, vaccines and other defense resources, to invest in a healthy diet, regular exercise, healthy sleep pattern, positive thinking, no smoking, etc.

I am not sure who was right and actually if even absolute truths exist. But I certainly know which theory better matches my understanding of the world as well as logic (and which one the pharmaceutical industry prefers). I am sure that my behaviour, diet and lifestyle decisions fundamentally affect my health. I do not blame around us flying and attacking microbes or demons for chronic health problems, but understand them as a sign of unhealthy lifestyle choices. 

My recommendations

For more information about the dispute between Pasteur and Béchamp I would recommend the book: „Béchampt or Pasteur? A lost chapter in the history of biology“ from Ethel D. Hume.

*Profesor Antoine Béchamp (1816-1908) one of the most prominent and active French scientist, educated in biology, chemistry, physics, pharmacy and medicine. In all of these sectors he also researched and taught. A member of French Academy of Sciences.