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A Little Dirt Never Hurt - Babies Eating Dirt

Quote:

View: Babies Know: A Little Dirt Is Good for You
Source: Nytimes
posted with the TFP thread generator

Babies Know: A Little Dirt Is Good for You
January 27, 2009
Personal Health
Babies Know: A Little Dirt Is Good for You
By JANE E. BRODY

Ask mothers why babies are constantly picking things up from the floor or ground and putting them in their mouths, and chances are they’ll say that it’s instinctive — that that’s how babies explore the world. But why the mouth, when sight, hearing, touch and even scent are far better at identifying things?

When my young sons were exploring the streets of Brooklyn, I couldn’t help but wonder how good crushed rock or dried dog droppings could taste when delicious mashed potatoes were routinely rejected.

Since all instinctive behaviors have an evolutionary advantage or they would not have been retained for millions of years, chances are that this one too has helped us survive as a species. And, indeed, accumulating evidence strongly suggests that eating dirt is good for you.

In studies of what is called the hygiene hypothesis, researchers are concluding that organisms like the millions of bacteria, viruses and especially worms that enter the body along with “dirt” spur the development of a healthy immune system. Several continuing studies suggest that worms may help to redirect an immune system that has gone awry and resulted in autoimmune disorders, allergies and asthma.

These studies, along with epidemiological observations, seem to explain why immune system disorders like multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma and allergies have risen significantly in the United States and other developed countries.

Training the Immune System

“What a child is doing when he puts things in his mouth is allowing his immune response to explore his environment,” Mary Ruebush, a microbiology and immunology instructor, wrote in her new book, “Why Dirt Is Good” (Kaplan). “Not only does this allow for ‘practice’ of immune responses, which will be necessary for protection, but it also plays a critical role in teaching the immature immune response what is best ignored.”

One leading researcher, Dr. Joel V. Weinstock, the director of gastroenterology and hepatology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, said in an interview that the immune system at birth “is like an unprogrammed computer. It needs instruction.”

He said that public health measures like cleaning up contaminated water and food have saved the lives of countless children, but they “also eliminated exposure to many organisms that are probably good for us.”

“Children raised in an ultraclean environment,” he added, “are not being exposed to organisms that help them develop appropriate immune regulatory circuits.”

Studies he has conducted with Dr. David Elliott, a gastroenterologist and immunologist at the University of Iowa, indicate that intestinal worms, which have been all but eliminated in developed countries, are “likely to be the biggest player” in regulating the immune system to respond appropriately, Dr. Elliott said in an interview. He added that bacterial and viral infections seem to influence the immune system in the same way, but not as forcefully.

Most worms are harmless, especially in well-nourished people, Dr. Weinstock said.

“There are very few diseases that people get from worms,” he said. “Humans have adapted to the presence of most of them.”

Worms for Health

In studies in mice, Dr. Weinstock and Dr. Elliott have used worms to both prevent and reverse autoimmune disease. Dr. Elliott said that in Argentina, researchers found that patients with multiple sclerosis who were infected with the human whipworm had milder cases and fewer flare-ups of their disease over a period of four and a half years. At the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Dr. John Fleming, a neurologist, is testing whether the pig whipworm can temper the effects of multiple sclerosis.

In Gambia, the eradication of worms in some villages led to children’s having increased skin reactions to allergens, Dr. Elliott said. And pig whipworms, which reside only briefly in the human intestinal tract, have had “good effects” in treating the inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, he said.

How may worms affect the immune system? Dr. Elliott explained that immune regulation is now known to be more complex than scientists thought when the hygiene hypothesis was first introduced by a British epidemiologist, David P. Strachan, in 1989. Dr. Strachan noted an association between large family size and reduced rates of asthma and allergies. Immunologists now recognize a four-point response system of helper T cells: Th 1, Th 2, Th 17 and regulatory T cells. Th 1 inhibits Th 2 and Th 17; Th 2 inhibits Th 1 and Th 17; and regulatory T cells inhibit all three, Dr. Elliott said.

“A lot of inflammatory diseases — multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and asthma — are due to the activity of Th 17,” he explained. “If you infect mice with worms, Th 17 drops dramatically, and the activity of regulatory T cells is augmented.”

In answer to the question, “Are we too clean?” Dr. Elliott said: “Dirtiness comes with a price. But cleanliness comes with a price, too. We’re not proposing a return to the germ-filled environment of the 1850s. But if we properly understand how organisms in the environment protect us, maybe we can give a vaccine or mimic their effects with some innocuous stimulus.”

Wash in Moderation

Dr. Ruebush, the “Why Dirt Is Good” author, does not suggest a return to filth, either. But she correctly points out that bacteria are everywhere: on us, in us and all around us. Most of these micro-organisms cause no problem, and many, like the ones that normally live in the digestive tract and produce life-sustaining nutrients, are essential to good health.

“The typical human probably harbors some 90 trillion microbes,” she wrote. “The very fact that you have so many microbes of so many different kinds is what keeps you healthy most of the time.”

Dr. Ruebush deplores the current fetish for the hundreds of antibacterial products that convey a false sense of security and may actually foster the development of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria. Plain soap and water are all that are needed to become clean, she noted.

“I certainly recommend washing your hands after using the bathroom, before eating, after changing a diaper, before and after handling food,” and whenever they’re visibly soiled, she wrote. When no running water is available and cleaning hands is essential, she suggests an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Dr. Weinstock goes even further. “Children should be allowed to go barefoot in the dirt, play in the dirt, and not have to wash their hands when they come in to eat,” he said. He and Dr. Elliott pointed out that children who grow up on farms and are frequently exposed to worms and other organisms from farm animals are much less likely to develop allergies and autoimmune diseases.

Also helpful, he said, is to “let kids have two dogs and a cat,” which will expose them to intestinal worms that can promote a healthy immune system.

I've always been a believer in "A little dirt, never hurt."

My mom worked in a lab when I was growing up. There were chemicals and blood samples around so I was instructed to not touch things, and not to get dirty. Even playing outside I was mostly clean while playing. I didn't get much dirty and to this day I clean myself up after touching things.

I don't know much about children that's for sure, but I do understand evolution or at least the logic of it.

Skogafoss won't touch the subway rails at all. She thinks them to be to dirty. I think that there isn't much that can actually live on the metal for very long and many studies have shown that true.

I used to be very concerned about the idea of hygiene. Today though, I've realized that things are what they are, and the creation of superbugs because of the fastidious antibacterial soap overuse, well...

What do you think about dirt? germs? touching handrails? door knobs?

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Originally Posted by Cynthetiq (Post 2589477)

What do you think about dirt? germs? touching handrails? door knobs

I'm not too picky. I don't mind getting my hands dirty if I need to. I touch the subway rails. As long as they aren't sticky, I don't mind. I wash my hands regularly, as it's one thing to expose yourself to things, and it's another to do nothing about it ever.

The only doorknob that concerns me is the one on the inside of public restrooms. According to my own observations, I think only about 20% of men actually wash their hands. Most of them either simply get them wet (an empty gesture) or don't even bother to put on a show of hygiene. I'll be damned if I'm going to wash my hands only to touch that knob, especially just before going to eat my lunch.

Between airborne germs and things we touch, I think it's generally good to keep exposed to them on a regular basis. Hiding from them will only cause problems when you eventually do get exposed. That's how immune systems work, as we know.

I'm adamantly against antibacterial products, especially handsoap and lotions.

I've been to some crappy places on the planet and seen what "too much dirt" does to kids, but this piece here echoes with my general feeling: US is full of a bunch of paranoid germ-freaks. There is a happy medium in hygiene. I figure as long as you take a shower once a day and wash your hands after hitting up the porcelain god... you should be fine. Toilet paper is recommended.

Dial Hand Sanitizer is abused by far too many.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crompsin (Post 2589491)

I totally agree! Plus the hand sanitizer i've heard really doesn't do that great of a job killin the germs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Banshee (Post 2589507)

I totally agree! Plus the hand sanitizer i've heard really doesn't do that great of a job killin the germs.

Your avatar is way appropriate in this thread.

Bahahha it is isn't it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Banshee (Post 2589507)

I totally agree! Plus the hand sanitizer i've heard really doesn't do that great of a job killin the germs.

Hand sanitizers do work, you just need one that contains 60% alcohol. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/21/health/21cons.html And unlike antibacterial soap/products with triclosan, they don't cause antibiotic resistance.

I work in childcare, so I try to keep "in the know" in regards to the latest trends in handwashing (and yes, there are trends in handwashing). Right now the procedure is to wash your hands with warm water with regular soap. We sing "Happy Birthday" or "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" while washing hands. However, washing your hands too much is NOT a good thing: your hands will dry out, your cuticles will dry out, and if your skin gets too dry, tiny cracks will open up in the skin of your hands, giving bacteria an opening.

The trick, as Crompsin suggested, is to find that happy medium. I usually wash my hands before prepping food, after using the toilet (and I double-wash, per food safety procedure, should I take a toilet break in the midst of making dinner), and after changing a diaper. I use hand sanitizer if I cough or sneeze on my hand or if I have to wipe a runny nose. If I get gunk on my hands, I wash 'em.

Otherwise I don't worry about it, and just refer to one of my mother's many maxims: "A little dirt don't hurt."

I don't worry about dirt too much. When I'm handling raw meat I am really good about washing my hands. With the bathroom, if I only urinated I probably don't wash my hands. My hands didn't get anything on them and honestly, how bad can the bacteria on your cock be if you are going to ask your S/O to put it in her mouth?

I believe handwashing is what keeps me relatively healthy year after year. I don't wash excessively but I do wash enough to make a difference. I have an immune system for a reason and every now and then like to take it for a spin by exposing it to whatever my town has for it.

On a side note, if one is eating a lot of dirt it is usually indicative of a vitamin deficiency. Random piece of knowledge for you.

There are people whose immune systems are so compromised that they need to worry about germs as much as possible.

The rest of us need to quit being so damn paranoid at every little thing. How can your body build up immunities if it's never exposed to anything?

I also understand that munching a little carpet is good for your health, too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JumpinJesus (Post 2589682)

I also understand that munching a little carpet is good for your health, too.

No wonder I get sick more often when I'm single / married.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JumpinJesus (Post 2589682)

I also understand that munching a little carpet is good for your health, too.

Dirty.

I saw a piece on eating dirt on one of the educational channels. Pretty interesting.
Went looking on Google and found this...

Geophagy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm not adventurous enough to eat dirt or clay by themselves now, but seeing as how they've been incorporated into some of our society's products doesn't freak me out as it once would have.

I'm in the, "Dirt don't hurt" camp. Of course I was my hands when I've handled meat, or gone to the bathroom, or shaken a lot of hands. But by and large, I figure it's good to let my immune system get some practice on little germs. I'm a pretty easy going gal, it's just in keeping with my general attitude.

This is all full of bull!! People, DIRT HURTS!!!!!!!

Quote:

... Dr. Weinstock goes even further. “Children should be allowed to go barefoot in the dirt, play in the dirt, and not have to wash their hands when they come in to eat”...

Man, I agree with the first couple of statements but you honestly cant all think the same thing. Yes, happy medium, I heard you said it. But when we wake up in the morning and rub our hands around our mouths that's good enough dirt and germs for you. Otherwise wash after everything....... Sure, let the kids play in the dirt barefoot but not wash before eating?!? Even the simplest worms could cause some serious complications. I remember very well like clock work if I ate before washing my hands when I was doing something questionable I got serious stomach aches that immobilized me!!

Yes, play barefoot in the dirt, but please please please, make the kids wash before eating. Ingestion of these things will sometimes be uncontrollable but exposure to them only once is enough to build a proper immune system.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Banshee (Post 2589507)

I totally agree! Plus the hand sanitizer i've heard really doesn't do that great of a job killin the germs.

For an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to work properly you must rub your hands until the gel is completely dried on your hands. I use it frequently at work which is highly recommended in lieu of hand washing. Hand washing tends to be far more drying to the skin which leaves you open to skin infections. I use both hand sanitizers and an antibacterial soap at work, the sanitizers are quicker and promote more frequent hand cleansing for staff. I work in health care so the precautions are necessary.

At home, I was my hands frequently while cooking, after toileting, before eating and when visibly soiled. I use a basic foam soap solution of Ivory hand soap which I cut with 2/3 water so I can use it as a foam soap which I prefer. It makes the soap last longer, saves money and I find the antibacterial products unnecessary.

I am generally quite healthy and I'm not obsessed with cleanliness. When I am working in my studio, I get pretty dirty from head to toe. Often I don't think twice about grabbing a bite to eat after an exhausting afternoon grappling with my canvases, paint and other materials. I also kiss my cats. I'm a dirty girl. But I wash every day and always when I use the bathroom. Good enough? A little dirt is good.

Fascinating. Thank you for sharing, Cyn.

I don't touch handrails when they are sticky or frozen or some other aspect of their texture or temperature bothers me in some way. Germs are not frequently on my mind.

When I was a child I would regularly suck on coins and keys - anything that people held and could not be destroyed by saliva. I thought they tasted delicious. I dropped the habit sometime in the fifth grade when a friend saw me sucking on a penny and thought it odd.

I do respect others' germiphobia:
I do avoid shaking people's hands when I have a cold.
I do wash my hands frequently when I am ill to avoid passing along contamination.
I do not share glasses or double-dip food.

I have friends and relatives with auto-immune disorders. For this reason, I was raised to be cautious of others' hygeine needs.