Germs Make Food Healthier
In my life, the "5 second rule" has saved countless M&M's, cookies, and various inside bits of sandwiches. Is it disgusting? Of course it is!
Unless you're a dog or have some kooky fetish, there's no reason to eat off the floor. Okay, maybe grossing out girls -- that's funny!
But now, experts suggest eating food exposed to germs may help reduce inflammation which contributes to heart disease.
Writing in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, researchers found "ultra-clean, ultra-hygienic" environments, early in life, contribute to inflammation linked to cardiovascular disease in adults.
For the study, scientists took blood from children in the Philippines, who in some cases lived with animals which roamed freely, like dogs and pigs, and American whippersnappers living in "hygienic" environments.
Despite American's obsession with cleanliness, young'ins in the U.S. had higher levels of C-reactive protein, a risk factor for heart disease, even though Filipino kids contracted more infectious diseases.
But, before you run out and roll your kid in dirt, experts say the take away message is simply the importance of being exposed to bacteria.
Well, If it turns out eating boogers is good for you, than my little brother will live to be 101!
I always chuckle at my sister... she uses these chemical wipes on everything, including her kitchen counters. As far as I'm concerned my system is made to handle regular germs but the unnantural chemical ones we insist on sanitizing EVERYTHING with are really poison for the human system. But then I grew up on a farm with plenty of chickens, dogs, cats, pigs, calves and lambs that we were forever playing with.
ReplyI have 4 children. First born was doted after, he was perfectly clean as was anything that went in his mouth. He was also sick a lot. Number 4 has spit out pacifiers on the floor and then stuck them back in his mouth, both inside and outside. He is now 21/2 years old and has been the least sick of all. There is something to say on how some germs/bacteria is good for you.
ReplyThis is what I've been touting for years. Being too sterile is not good for us and it's not how our bodies developed. Humans evolved a somewhat symbiotic relationship with many species of bacteria...lots of them colonize our skin, our digestive system, our mouths, etc. Human babies that are exposed to bacteria develop an immune system that fights off bacteria that the body might encounter. If they don't get access to germs, the body starts attacking itself instead--many scientists and doctors think this might be contributing to higher rates of allergies and other problems in kids who are raised in germaphobic households.
When we were kids, we played outside in the mud, ate stuff off the floor, etc. My mom never kept the house spotless and I'm sure by the time each of us was 2, we had probably ingested at least a spoonful of dirt apiece. And all of us are super healthy adults with fantastic immune systems. My sis's two kids are allowed to eat stuff off the floor and play in dirt too and they are barely ever sick. I think my nephew may have had one ear infection so far...he's now 2, so that's pretty decent.
ReplyI grew up playing outside in all kinds of stuff. I was not sick that often either & I don't get sick that often now. I also have not taken a lot of antibiotics for being sick & they say people are getting resistant to medications if they take them too often int his world of give them some pills & we will figure out what is wrong later. There may be something to this study. Sounds interesting.
ReplyI agree with Spectra. I have no allergies, rarely get sick, and unconcerned with germs, for the most part.
ReplyThat's brilliant. Grossing out girls IS funny.
I grew up playing in the dirt, and I'm very glad I did. I remember one day sticking my hand in dog poop. It grossed me out and just about made me throw up, but I'm convinced that I'm healthier because of it.
I try to persuade all of my new mother patients to set their kids on the floor and let them take it all in. It makes them stronger.
Todd.
ReplyI used to love to gross out the next-door neighbor boy when I was a kid. I remember putting a live earthworm in my mouth and letting it squirm around in there before spitting it out. I was definitely not afraid of dirt and germs growing up!
ReplyAbsolutely! Germs are not the bad guys. I always laugh at the ads on TV that make mums feel guitlty and bad for not having spotless 100% hygienic clean kitchens. They are just trying to sell product, but its a dirty way of doing it. :)
ReplyI know! Know what makes ME angry? Any of those shows where they culture different things (a remote control, a phone, toilet seats, grocery cart handles, etc.) and grow them on tryptic soy agar (a type of growth media that will let just about any microorganism grow like crazy) and show people how "gross" these objects are. In reality, almost all of the germs they're growing are fairly harmless things like Enterococcus or Staph epidermidis species that are ubiquitous on all surfaces. Seriously, germs are everywhere, people!
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