http://www.newsweek.com/id/57368
You see! I knew that it was a good idea for me to be a slob. It keeps my family healthy and more resistant to disease. Hooray! So much for the ultrasanitized lifestyle. Germs are good.
This was a very interesting article that described the relationship between bacteria and other microbes and our bodies, and the importance of that relationsip. Being overly clean and sanitary, especially while children are young, can actually have a negative effect because we are not colonized by certain helpful types of microbes, and can become more susceptible to certain types of diseases, including autoimmune diseases and even cancer. An interesting read, and some interesting research going on right now.
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OK. I've heard arguments along that line for years and wondered about the reliability of the data. I think it's largely to do with generational issues. If you've lived in squalor for several generations, the only children to survive are the ones with super immune systems and general great health. They pass on these heftier genes. On the other hand, those who've had cleaner environments live, even though they're not as healthy, generally. Look at my own situation. My mom grew up in clean, she maintains a near-sterile home, I was pretty clean...so Mom and I survive to pass on weak genes. Clean is under-rated.
I've hesitated to leave a comment here because, Dang it!, I am not too clean! And I didn't want to seem overly defensive about it. Seems I did anyway, can't help it.
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