Slightly OT - A Little Dirt Is Good For You.

I heard about this story on TV, so I found a link to the article.
So, the next time you're diligently cleaning out your CPAP equipment, think about this.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/healt ... ml?_r=1&em


Den

Very good article, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger", The more sterile we are, the less we can be prepared for new things, not to mention the damage from the chemicals we use to get that sterile environment. The drug companies, will come up with a series of shots made from environmental dirt that we can take to make us less prone to every thing life throws at us, kind of like allergy shot to lessen our allergies. Jim

I have a friend that is a scientist and he said the biggest fights he and his wife go into when they had young kids was over her wanting to take them to the doctor every time they got sick. He wanted them to get sick so they would get stronger. She won, they got sicker, and he ended up divorcing her.


JeffH

My momma always told me that we had to eat a bushel of dirt before we die. I took it upon myself to add some dog and cat hair for seasoning. Its my parents fault I couldn't add some horse hair too. *sigh*

Actually, we learned when breeding and showing dogs that the old time breeders, before distemper vaccinations, etc. used to deliberately expose their puppies at a young age to a dog w/distemper when possible. Or they hauled the puppies w/them to dog shows hoping they would get exposed. Of course, a lotta puppies did get distemper or whatever and died - but those that lived remained strong and healthy and no longer susceptible.

Much more recently they've found that puppies are born w/some natural immunity from their mothers that wears off over a 6-12 week period which has been used to determine vaccination schedules for them. Unfortunately, its not a uniform wearing off, some puppies lose their immunity from their mother sooner than others. Theory has it that vaccines given if the immunity from their mother is still high the vaccine is wasted and not effective leading to some puppies thought to be protected, aren't.

I would imagine a similar process goes on w/humans.

Heck when we Europeans invaded the Americas back in the 1400s-1500s we brought diseases w/us that decimated the Amerian natives who had never had exposure to them. Whilst we worry about terroists illegally entering the US, also scarey has to be the illegal aliens from underdevloped countries bringing disease that have been almost extinct in the US or that we've never been exposed to. I could be wrong but I think illegal aliens from underdeveloped countries will end up being a bigger danger to this country than terroists.

Whilst we worry about terroists illegally entering the US, also scarey has to be the illegal aliens from underdevloped countries bringing disease that have been almost extinct in the US or that we've never been exposed to. I could be wrong but I think illegal aliens from underdeveloped countries will end up being a bigger danger to this country than terrorists.

This indeed is a big worry... along with the foods being brought in from other countries that do not have the same standards as we do. China, recently, Mexico not too long ago.

I went on an Outward Bound 10 years ago. We licked our bowls 'clean' for a week, used leaves for you know what... and I did not get sick... We did not bathe for a week, but since we were all in the same boat, that was unimportant. Several of us gals showered in the bushes as soon as we got back to the base camp... with ice cold water!!!!!
Barb

These thoughtful critters are constantly exercising my immune system.