getting muddy is good for you and could prevent allergies!

I’ve always believed that being exposed to the element’s and getting muddy is good for you and your bodily systems, it’s what our immune system has been designed to cope with over the the course of our evolution and a recent BBC article here also agrees with this.

I also believe that the reason there are so many allergy sufferer’s and a general immune system over reaction to much of the environment around us is a direct result of not being exposed to these at a young age when our body is developing it’s immune system. We know clearly for example that when we inject a small amount of a virus into the body, the immune system will respond with antibodies in sufficient amount that we can become much better at attacking the virus the next time. For this same reason I believe it is a good idea to be exposed to the environment at a young age and throughout life in order to build a good immune system and perhaps prevent the onset of allergy conditions.

Of course some of the rise in allergy’s seen across the world, especially in developed countries can be attributed to the rise in pollution, but the general more ‘pampered’ way in which people live in modern times looks like it could be a major reason for these rises.

The article goes on to say “By studying mice and human cells, they found the harmless bacteria did this by making a molecule called lipoteichoic acid or LTA, which acted on keratinocytes – the main cell types found in the outer layer of the skin.

The LTA keeps the keratinocytes in check, stopping them from mounting an aggressive inflammatory response. “

So get out in the cold, rain and dirt unless you didn’t have enough reasons to already, have a shower when you get back though because smelling of BO hasn’t yet been linked with a healthy immune system, nor helping your chances with the opposite sex!

[Via http://outofthegym.wordpress.com]