Promoted Want a healthy immune system? Bring on the dirt. (1 Viewer)

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Lila

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Microbiologist Marie-Claire Arrieta is co-author of a new book called Let Them Eat Dirt: Saving Our Children from an Oversanitized World. From Bernie's Unspun, comes this article interviewing Arrieta who has written a book about what is being called 'the hygeiene hypothesis': https://www.thestar.com/life/2016/10/20/children-need-microbes-not-antibiotics-to-develop-immunity-scientists-say.html

An excerpt from the interview:
"The hygiene hypothesis tries to explain why allergies, as well as obesity and inflammatory bowel disease and even autism, these are all diseases on the rise. And this is not explained by genes alone. Our genes simply do not change that fast. Research is consistently showing that it’s these changes in early life exposure to microbes that are driving the rise of these diseases. The lack of microbial exposure early in life that is necessary for our immune systems to be trained properly and to eventually be able to avoid the development of these diseases."

They discuss the role of microbes from our environment in teaching our immune system how to react to substances and microorganisms from the 'outside'. Too much sanitation in a child's early life, according to the theory, can be harmful to a child's future health, leading to an increased risk of chronic disease.

They cite evidence such as this: Kids growing up on farms or whose families have a dog, have less of a risk of developing asthma. Asthma risk is also decreased if the pacifier is cleaned in the parent's mouth. In view of the hygiene hypothesis, other links are being explored to disease like inflammatory bowel disease, allergies, obesity and autism.

Throw away the sanitizers? Let them play in puddles?

In my own parenting experience, kids gravitate toward puddles, mudholes and other sources of dirt. Embracing this while maintaining basic hygiene is one of those balancing acts of parenthood that can lead to either sanity and happy kids who have had their puddle-dreams realized or much anxiety over spilled anything and restriction of a child's exploration. Clearly, a child who is about to explore a cliff or their sibling's just-removed dirty diaper is beyond what most of us would sanction, for fairly obvious parental reasons. However, I recall soothing many parental anxieties about their kids joining mine in a nearby stream by letting them know that this was a regular occurrence in our household and that we had a tub waiting for all the little explorers once they (or we) were done for the day. So, perhaps allowing the explorations that are not immediate health hazards while having regular clean-ups to take the mess off, especially prior to meals and after using the washroom or something else particularly dirty, is a compromise well worth considering; without necessarily adding lots of interim clean-ups. As always, it seems, being conscious of our choices matters.

Thanks again, Bernie!
 

Sinera

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Did a quick check on the internet but not a long search.

It is really astounding that one does not find so much about this on the internet. I tried to google the translation of our German expression (Stille Feiung) of this and only found 'occult immunization' of course there is the 'silent infection' which might then lead to immunization at an early age, but also for people of all ages. You get exposed to it 'naturally' by the dirt and all that but develop antibodies and other resistance mechanisms without ever noticing it (symptomless).

Wiki does not even have direct entries for 'silent infection' and neither for 'occult immunisation'. At least in 'mainstream' medical sites. Here's a short English one from a German (mainstream) site though:

http://flexikon.doccheck.com/en/Silent_infection

Makes you wonder if the pharmy and medical lobby does not want people to know about this so they can model the public thinking into the belief that child vaccines and constant desinfection (products) and are ALWAYS needed and are the only way of protection against bad pathogens.
 
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Lila

Lila

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I tried to google the translation of our German expression (Stille Feiung) of this and only found 'occult immunization' of course there is the 'silent infection' which might then lead to immunization at an early age, but also for people of all ages. You get exposed to it 'naturally' by the dirt and all that but develop antibodies and other resistance mechanisms without ever noticing it (symptomless).
I feel like there is a term in English for what you describe above, but can't recall it just now.
 
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Snowmelt

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You make me feel better about having specks of dirt on my tile floor!
 
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Snowmelt

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I needed to go and check the difference between bacteria and viruses, once again. When you break it down, it's all about balance, such as keeping a good balance of gut bacteria in your system that can help break down your food without getting any of the nasties which make you run for the loo!

My question is, as we evolve (and when is not the question here) to a point past 3D, will there be any need for bacteria and viruses at the levels we see them prevalent upon Earth today? The whole system of balance, in the breaking down of particles and flushing them away, and the rebirthing them as all fresh and new may not take hold in a higher density lived experience.

Has anyone got any thoughts on this?
 
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Lila

Lila

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That question of microorganisms in other dimensions is an intriguing one, Hailstones Melt.
I don't see why they wouldn't be, but they, and we, would probably be very different so our relationship to each other may bear little resemblance to how we interact here/now.
Any other thoughts?
 
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Sinera

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keeping a good balance of gut bacteria in your system that can help break down your food
There's more to it. Without the good bacteria you would not be alive. No one of us would. They are 'that' important to us. From our earliest moments in live when we get the first 'dose' of enterobacteria from our mother while we go through the birthing channel.
Once in a lab they raised pigs completely void of any bacteria in their guts, skin, body etc. Completely 'sterile' if you will. They all died pretty fast.
 

Sinera

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It's a fact that in a human adult person the gut bacteria alone make more than one kilogram of the weight. One kg!!! Figure that. :eek:
It's also a fact that you have more 'foreign cells' in the form of single-celled organisms in and on your body than your own cells. We are beings in constant symbiosis that keeps us alive.
 

Anaeika

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Gosh! I read this yesterday while my kids were outside digging for earthworms. Lol

Lila , I am with you when you say bring on the dirt and the bathtub is a simple solution.

Sinera , I really liked how you mentioned how we live in a symbiotic relationshop. We are all connected & need each other.
 
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Lila

Lila

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It's a fact that in a human adult person the gut bacteria alone make more than one kilogram of the weight. One kg!!! Figure that. :eek:
It's also a fact that you have more 'foreign cells' in the form of single-celled organisms in and on your body than your own cells. We are beings in constant symbiosis that keeps us alive.
I understand that there are 'orders of magnitude' more microbes within and on us than we have cells. This gives us one of those numbers that is so big that they often seem too big to really understand. It also underlies the importance of the microorganisms to our health and well being.

Their number and integration into our lives (whether we are aware of it or not and whether we like it or not) makes the entire concept of 'getting rid of' all our bugs seem moot and irrelevant. If one uses chemicals which are harmful to do so this can be self defeating.
Perhaps, rather than trying to eliminate them all we could aim to cultivate the ones which work best with us and let them thrive, adding to our health in so many ways and 'shouldering out' the ones that we don't do so well with. We all do this (encourage some microorganisms and discourage others) constantly in all the little lifestyle choices we make daily, moment to moment, like with what food we eat.
Just think what changes we could make by doing so in a way that aims to work with the microbes, rather than against them<3
 

Sinera

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Perhaps, rather than trying to eliminate them all we could aim to cultivate the ones which work best with us and let them thrive, adding to our health in so many ways and 'shouldering out' the ones that we don't do so well with.
Yes! That is what pre- and pro-biotics in our diet and in specific supplements do. (pre- is food for the good bacteria to make them settle and thrive, probiotics is the bacteria themselves, both can be useful).
 

Linda

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I was talking to a woman today who told me about a project they did for her grandkids. The built a child sized table and installed a sink. She got a bunch of old pots and pans, and the kids named it the mud kitchen. She found everything at garage sales. She said they spend hours out there and even bring friends. Afterwards, she lets them run through the sprinkler and splash around in a child pool to get clean.
 
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Lila

Lila

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Good ol' dirty fun!
Sprinklers can be the perfect end to a fun day:))
 
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Anaeika

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I was talking to a woman today who told me about a project they did for her grandkids. The built a child sized table and installed a sink. She got a bunch of old pots and pans, and the kids named it the mud kitchen. She found everything at garage sales. She said they spend hours out there and even bring friends. Afterwards, she lets them run through the sprinkler and splash around in a child pool to get clean.
This is great! My kids have a sink in their playhouse outside. It gets filled with dirt and then mud. Every now & then it is time to spray away the mud from their house. It is good outdoor play complete w ice pops to stay cool.
 
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