Saturday, April 2, 2011

Dirt Is Good For You.

Do you always try your best to keep your house clean by using antibacterial wipes, soaps & dish detergents? Are you especially careful with your children's areas, their dishes, bottles, rooms etc.? Did you ever think that maybe you might be doing more harm than good by over-sterilizing your living space?

According to two recent German studies (involving over 15000 study subjects), children who grow up on farms have less incidences of asthma and allergies compared to children raised in urban environments. This is attributed to the fact that children living on farms are exposed to a much wider variety of microbes compared to those living in urban areas.

More exposure to microorganism early in life stimulates the immune system such that it is less likely to result in hypersensitivity (allergic reactions).

In addition to the above, another reason not to over sterilize your home environment is that the antibacterial cleaners don't kill 100% of the bacteria. The small percent (<1%) of bacteria that are not killed will multiply and create a new strain of bacteria, all of which resistant to these cleaning agents. In other words, by cleaning vigorously with antibacterial products will turn your home into breeding ground for tougher, stronger bacteria, which if infects your body, may not respond to antibiotics!!

For more detailed review of the two studies, you can go to http://dermatology.jwatch.org