Technology use may be associated with a lower risk for dementia, study finds
Getting a little dirty, then, is not a bad thing for a child. Playing outside is to be encouraged!
Sources: (BBC) (Healthline)
See also: The sustainable cities made of mud
In Finland, one initiative attempted to bring nature to the children. In four day-care centers, researchers replaced the schoolyard asphalt and gravel with soil vegetation transplanted from the forest.
The children were then given planting boxes for gardening, which encouraged further contact with the soil and all its friendly microbes.
After just one month, the children showed improved immune function, as well as signs of heightened microbial diversity on their skin and in their guts.
It is likely that by touching the leaves and the soil of the forest as they walked, the children picked up friendly organisms that enriched their skin microbiomes.
The proportion of anti-inflammatory molecules in their blood plasma had also increased (which indicates a better regulated immune system).
With all this interest in friendly bacteria, researchers are looking at ways to encourage our children to have greater contact with nature.
This may not sound particularly child-friendly, but in fact forest bathing has been shown to improve symptoms in children who suffer from atopic dermatitis.
One discipline that is gaining in popularity is "forest bathing," the act of talking a gentle, meditative walk through the woods.
In fact, chronic inflammation can have serious consequences for our long-term health and can contribute to a number of conditions, including depression.
Research shows that children who grew up in a rural setting tend to have a reduced inflammatory response to stressful events, such as public speaking.
This even remained true when researchers controlled for other factors, such as the children’s socioeconomic status.
It is even thought, somewhat amazingly, that friendly organisms can help regulate our response to stress.
Whenever we feel vulnerable or threatened, the level of inflammation in our bodies goes up. Our bodies evolved this way to protect us against whatever threat we were facing.
We may have evolved this way, but the reality is this inflammation is less useful for the kinds of stressors we are exposed to today.
There is a growing body of evidence that supports this idea. For example, studies show that people who grew up on farms are less likely to develop asthma, allergies, or autoimmune disorders, such as Crohn’s disease.
Referred to by scientists as “old friends,” these organisms have been around throughout our evolutionary history and are generally harmless.
They are believed to be beneficial to our immune system because they train it to moderate its own activity, rather than overreacting to a potential invader.
That does not mean, however, that all organisms we come across outside are detrimental to our health. In fact, quite the opposite is true.
Indeed, the hygiene hypothesis has been described as “quite problematic from a public health perspective.”
It was thought that a reduction in childhood infections over the course of the 20th century had compromised people’s immune systems and caused them to overreact to the slightest stimulation.
This hypothesis quickly fell out of favor, however, since experts believed it discouraged important hygiene practices, such as handwashing.
During the late '80s, there emerged the "hygiene hypothesis." In a nutshell, the idea was that childhood infections were important for training the immune system.
Experts now believe that the non-infectious organisms we come into contact with while in nature are very beneficial to our immune system.
In today’s urban world, there are many children who never play outside, and those who do often have parents who don’t like them getting dirty.
By ditching electronics and heading outdoors, kids have the opportunity to get some exercise, as well as gain some valuable learning experiences.
When it comes to how children spend their time, the various benefits of playing outside are well established.
New research suggests, however, that exposure to dirt can have important benefits for our health. Of course, this idea is not new.
Of course, it can be a pain for parents when their kids come home covered in mud, particularly if they carry it through the house.
Intrigued? Check out this gallery to learn about the immunological benefits of mud.
The immunological benefits of mud
Do you know that some types of mud contain minerals and compounds with anti-inflammatory properties?
HEALTH Dirt
We often think of mud and dirt as something undesirable, something to be gotten rid of. And to a certain extent that's true—you wouldn't want a kitchen full of muddy hand or footprints after all. But a growing body of research suggests that the good bacteria found in soil and dirt can be good for our immune systems, particularly in the case of children.
Intrigued? Check out this gallery to learn about the immunological benefits of mud.