Cleanliness a Health Hazard??

A good dose of dirt may be healthy after all!

The following information is taken from Feb 23, 2017  online The Independent:  Ian Johnston, Science Correspondent in Boston

Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston, Dr Brett Finlay suggested the obsession with hygiene could even be turning some beneficial bacteria found in the human gut into “endangered species”.

In a study in Canada, the researchers had found the presence of four types of bacteria in the gut of babies less than 100 days old seemed to prevent them from developing asthma in later life.

They then decided to see if the same was true for children elsewhere in the world and settled on Ecuador, where about 10 per cent of children have asthma, for their next study.

They found the same protective effect of the four bugs, but also two unexpected factors that increased the risk of the condition: a particular type of yeast in the gut and access to a clean water supply.

Dr Finley, [author of Let Them Eat Dirt] of British Columbia University, said: “Ironically the kids with clean water had a higher risk of asthma. 

“I guess it makes sense [because of the lower levels of bacteria] but I must admit we were surprised to see that. You’d think clean water is good for the world.”