In Somalia, most of the people suffer from Anemia pls chk spelling. They do not catch infections, inspite of various pathogens or bacteria. However, as soon as they are given the iron tablets to remove the anemic condition they get the infection and start falling ill.

The body detects the unsafe living conditions and the threat and thus reacts by becoming anemic to make the various pathogen viruses weaker.

In the Northern Hemisphere, especially in the extreme cold condition the children are born with Type A diabetes( where the excess sugar is not converted with the help of insulin and remains in the blood giving rise to high blood sugar level).

The explanation is that the sugar in the blood prevents freezing of the blood and lowers the freezing point. The throw back to historical times where the extreme cold resulted in the danger of freezing the blood from where this gene is activated.

To prevent Increased exposure of our skin from ultraviolet the skin produces melanin. In the northern hemisphere where the sunlight is scarce the skin is light.

This is why the people of western countries have white skins while people of African origin are black due to presence of extreme sunlight. However, there is one critical function of the sunlight. The cholesterol in our blood is converted to vitamin D by the sunlight.

So sunlight is good but the sunlight also destroys Folic acid. Folate is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells.

The Dark skin of a person living in Africa limits the sunlight to penetrate and thus protects the folic acid. So a gene cranks up the production of the cholesterol to be converted to vitamin D.

The same gene is again active in the western counties where the limited sunlight results in again the maximum production of the cholesterol to be converted to vitamin D.

Thus these people suffer from high cholesterol content.

Afro-American people suffered from hyper tension due to high salt content in the blood but surprisingly this is not applicable for the same race living in Africa. The reason is that when their ancestors were brought as slaves the condition in the ships were pitiful with limited food and water.

Lot of people died due to dehydration and disease. The body took the rear guard action by producing more salt to prevent dehydration. This gene was transferred to their offspring who also inherited this high salt content.

The Asians have very low toleration to alcohol. After drinking 1-2 glasses they flush and their face becomes red while the people from western countries can easily absorb a lot of alcohol without any issues.

The reason is that clean water used to be a big issue. The western countries got clean water by mixing it with alcohol. (alcohol kills all the virus/bacteria)

Asians got the clean water by boiling water (drinking tea).

Thus, the body of a western country learnt to neutralize the alcohol after effect of the western country person.

We are hardwired to produce and survive. This is applicable for all the living things under the sky.

Thus, the cold virus that we get results in mild discomfort and sneezing and running nose only. This helps in spreading the virus.

Now look at the malaria virus which spreads due to mosquito bite. The victim of malaria has fever, body pain. This leads to indoor staying of the helpless victim, resulting in increased chances of mosquito's biting and spreading the virus
The malaria virus does not need the victim for spreading and multiplying, the mosquitoes do the job. The malaria microbe therefore is more dangerous for the victim while the cold virus is dependent on its victim for multiplying so it is not as virulent.

If by some means like mosquito netting etc we prevent the malaria virus to multiply and make it dependent on us to multiply probably it will become less virulent.

A study of cholera outbreak that began in Peru and spread in South and Central Africa provided compelling evidence. The water supply system ranged from highly advanced to seriously rudimentary. In poorly managed water supply. cholera bacteria became more virulent as the contaminated water helped the cholera in spreading and multiplying but in those countries where the water system was advanced it needed the victim to survive thus was less virulent as it was dependent on it's victims to multiply and spread.

So what is the message for us. What lessons can we learn?

-How the body adapts to various circumstances.
-Flexibility is the key.
-How even the microbes change their inherent nature to survive and multiply.
-Nothing is sacrosanct .
-There are no fixed rules only the objective to meet the goal matters.
-When the whole universe, the whole evolution right from -microbes to genes follow these rules, why do we considered to be the most intelligent species in the world clings to status -quo, do not change or are scared of traversing a new path.

THINK….

Adapted from th book-Survival of the Sickest by Dr. Sharon Moalem