(Please don't post on this thread, as this is an ongoing attempt to create a permanent sticky topic on the benefits of bacteria)


Bacteria-rich food has been a staple food of the Inuit who used the  bacteria within the "high-meat" they ate  to lift their spirits. Here's an article referring to a scientific study which goes into more detail on how this works:-


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1547346/Getting-dirty-could-prevent-depression.html



It's best to Google the term "hygiene hypothesis" which is the theory that
bacteria and parasites have several benefits(eg:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene_hypothesis

)

 You'll then find numerous examples
of the benefits of bacteria all over the place. Here are some examples, along
with their shortened tinyurl links:-

(bacteria protect against diabetes type 1)

http://www.firstscience.com/home/news/breaking-news-all-topics/jdrf-funded-study-links-hygiene-hypothesis-to-diabetes-prevention_53765.html

http://tinyurl.com/5nuehs


(bacteria prevent bowel disease)

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL15665020080802

http://tinyurl.com/5oa6qe

(there's already plenty of evidence linking lack of exposure to bacteria to
asthma and other allergy-related illnesses:-


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12487209?dopt=AbstractPlus

http://tinyurl.com/5a8zyb