Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine who were visiting the institute in Heidelberg at the time of this discovery recognised an opportunity to combine their ancient knowledge with modern medicine. Classical Chinese medical theory has always divided people into three groups, according to how they react to certain medicinal plants, such as ginger. The families of bacteria in our bodies also have different characteristics. They break down food in different ways, produce different substances, and detoxify certain harmful substances but not others. Furthermore, they may also influence the
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