If you think you’re supposed to wash your hands every hour, think again. A new research has just arrived stating the opposite. According to this research from Ohio State University (OSU), living up close with farm animals could help boost a baby’s immune system.
In the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, OSU researchers analyzed the bacteria found in the fecal matter from 10 babies in Ohio between the ages of 6-12 months old. Five of the babies were Amish and lived on farms with cattle, pigs, horses, and sheep; while the other five babies were from an urban mid-sized city of Wooster with no exposure to livestock.
The fecal samples revealed that Amish babies possessed more rich and diverse microbial communities with far more variation than those from urban babies. This makes sense because previous research found farm-raised children to have an improved immune system and a reduction in rates of asthma and allergies. At the time, the researchers came up with a theory that it had to do with a less sanitized lifestyle because by being exposed to bacteria, their immune systems grew stronger. They even gave the theory a name – “hygiene hypothesis.” The hygiene hypothesis is an idea that ultra-clean modern life has led to an increase in autoimmune and allergic diseases.
I guess it’s time to move out from the city.
What are your thoughts about this one?
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