Metchnikoff and his assistants have proved that yogurt will not go bad because of its acidity: in their experiments, microorganisms convert sugar in milk into lactic acid, which in turn kills bacteria on laboratory dishes. He speculates that if these microorganisms produce the same acidity in human intestines, they may prevent what he thinks is "intestinal decay" caused by precipitation and aging. In his opinion, the best candidate is the so-called Bulgarian Bacillus, a bacterium found in Bulgarian yogurt.
"Interestingly, this microorganism was found in yogurt consumed by Bulgarians in large quantities. This area is famous for its residents' longevity," he said in a speech in Paris. Therefore, it is reasonable to think that introducing Bulgarian yogurt into the diet can reduce the harmful effects of intestinal flora. "
Immunization: How did Eli Mechnikov change the course of modern medicine? Mechnikov's bold immune theory, which he called phagocytosis of greedy cells to resist bacterial invasion, will eventually win the Nobel Prize for the scientist to share with his main competitors and get the unofficial nickname "Father of Natural Immunity". The next day,
Buy, lecture is the front page news and conversation in Paris. Mechnikov put forward his idea as a hypothesis, but all his warnings were deleted from the optimistic news reports. "Beautiful ladies and smart gentlemen who don't want to get old or die, here is a valuable recipe: eat Jechort! Le Temps, a popular French daily, suggested that,
The news soon spread all over the French border. In Britain, Belle Meier Magazine takes "Can old age be cured?" Interviewed Mechnikov for the topic? In the United States, the Chicago daily Tribune announced in an article entitled "Yogurt is a panacea for life: the secret of longevity discovered by Professor Mechnikov" that "Professor Mechnikov reminds anyone who wants to achieve maturity and aging to follow the example of Bulgarians who are famous for their longevity.
It's a cartoon of Mechnikov (Pasteur Institute) in 1908. Pasteur Museum (Muse? E Pasteur) Soon, the advertisement of le figaro invited the public to "taste delicious Bulgarian curd, and Metchnikoff, a famous professor, warned to curb the disastrous influence of old age" and sent Parisians to shops near the vaudeville theater. "
Unable to reply to a large number of letters asking him for information about the new elixir, Mechnikov published a pamphlet in the autumn of 1905, trying to refute those sensational claims. He wrote: "Obviously, we don't think that milk microbes are a panacea for immortality or an anti-aging drug." . "This problem can only be solved in a more or less future."
It is too late. This warning can't eliminate people's strong desire for yogurt. It's cheap and safe. There is a spelling advertisement that compares other methods of prolonging life in history, such as the gold powder swallowed by Emperor China in pursuit of immortality, or the blood transfusion attempted by Louis XIV's court for revival.
/kloc-A man and a woman were selling several cans of yogurt in Turkestan in the 0/9th century. Many people, especially those living in warm areas, have a tradition of preserving milk by turning sour. (Library of Congress) Since ancient times, many warm regions in the world have used acid to preserve milk. The taste and texture of the final product depend on the bacteria used. If the culture contains yeast, some milk sugar can be fermented into alcohol, then yogurt can even be alcohol. At the end of 19, the advertisement occasionally touted this fermented product, such as a drink made of horse milk on the grassland of Central Asia, as a nutritional product for patients with consumptive diseases such as tuberculosis. However, most western Europeans and Americans only encounter this kind of milk when traveling abroad. 1896, an English mountaineer warned in a book about the Caucasus: "If a person can't accept yogurt, he is not suitable for the Caucasus. Despite this, Metchnikoff's speech triggered a strong demand for milk fermentation bacteria culture. " . Doctors all over the world sent telegrams to the Pasteur Institute and even went to Paris to look for something sour. One of the latter is an American with a thick beard. He runs a nursing home in Bart Creek, Michigan. In the sanatorium, he advocates his healthy lifestyle, which is based on vegetarian diet, exercise and abstinence. John Harvey Kellogg is famous for his cornflakes. Kellogg was moved by a jar of yogurt he saw on Mechnikov's desk. He later made sure that every patient got a pint of yogurt. Mechnikov wrote in his book Narcissism: "When the flora of human intestine needs to be changed, the whole world has an obligation to him."
Doctors everywhere began to prescribe yogurt, also known as "buttermilk", "oriental curd" or "yogurt", with various spelling variants, from gonorrhea to gum disease. They give it to patients to help prevent gout, rheumatism and arterial obstruction. A British medical review entitled "On the application of yogurt in the treatment of some chronic diseases" even mentioned that patients were given yogurt as a disinfectant for digestive tract when preparing for surgery.
Every treatment, the doctor will warn of side effects. The Lancet warned: "Let those who want to try this yogurt therapy pay attention that they should assure themselves in advance that they are suitable subjects for this therapy, so they should consult a doctor." . The British Medical Journal echoed: "Yogurt can be used indefinitely. If the dose is not too large, it will not have harmful effects and should not exceed the dose of [2.2 pounds per day]. "
Occasionally, doctors will severely criticize the promise of prolonging life, which encourages these people to continue the hysterical public. The authoritative book "Food and Its Adulteration" published in Philadelphia added a new chapter "Yogurt and Longevity" on the basis of the 1907 edition, and the author Harvey W. Willi tried to solve the mystery of yoghourt's longevity. He wrote that too many assertions "will only make the whole theme of yogurt get the contempt it deserves." But the simple method of longevity is too tempting to give up immediately.
When Mechnikov won the 1908 Nobel Prize for his pioneering research on immunity for more than 20 years, its appeal will only get stronger and stronger before accepting aged yogurt. In addition, Mechnikov further ignited everyone's imagination in his works. He believes that if science finds a way to "cure" aging, people can live 150 years old. "In ordinary circles, T Boston Journal of Medicine and Surgery, later renamed New England Journal of Medicine, Mechnikov's theory" was successful, because they completely satisfied their desire to remain young and beautiful in women and energetic in men. Since then, everyone in this town has been drinking Mechnikov's milk.
Lactic acid bacteria pills are produced by Paris Le Enzyme Company 1905 to 19 10. According to the package insert, they are made of "pure lactic acid bacteria culture" and prepared according to the instructions of Professor Mechnikov. (Balu Vic Hanski) At that time, milk fermentation bacteria had developed into an international business. Drugstores all over Europe and the United States are providing today's probiotics in the form of tablets, powders and yogurt itself or broth precursors of Bulgarian culture. These yoghurts can be canned at home or used in special new incubators, which are sold under the brands of Saurine, Lactic Acid Bacteria or Emulsion. Yogurt fever is inevitably integrated into popular culture. 1910/0 In February, a pantomime "Jack and the Beanstalk" was staged in a London theater. According to the commentary in The Times of London, the protagonist of this book is a king who is designated as "yogurt therapy" for gout, and a "Mechnikov cow" who can provide yogurt. 19 16 when Mechnikov died,
At that time, he was less than 7 1 year old, and the image of yogurt as a source of youth was permanently tarnished. 19 19.
A small company called Danone (later known as Danone in the United States) seized the disgraceful reputation of yogurt as a digestive aid and began to sell yogurt in pottery jars through pharmacies as a good medicine for children with intestinal problems. In the United States, yogurt has been regarded as a national or fashionable food for decades. However, sales in the United States began to rise in the 1960s, when anti-cultural people regarded yogurt as one of their basic foods, and dieters began to accept this new type of low-fat yogurt. Since then, sales have been increasing.
Most contemporary scientists laugh at Metchnikoff's connection between aging and intestinal microorganisms; In the past hundred years, no one has mentioned this topic. But in the past few years, some scientific studies have shown that intestinal flora or microbial flora, as we know now, does affect the life span of worms and flies. At present, it is not clear whether this effect is applicable to mammals, including humans, but the influence of microbiota on aging has suddenly become a serious research topic. Therefore, Mechnikov's view on aging is not crazy after all, but a century ahead of their time.
Adapted from Immunity: How Elie Mechnikov Changed the Modern Medical Course of Ruba Vic Hanski?