LET YOUR KIDS GET DOWN AND DIRTY

LET YOUR KIDS GET DOWN AND DIRTY

click on link above for the full report on the the benefits of dirt ….

” LET YOUR CHILDREN BE CHILDREN ” – #play #laughter #joy #health

Dirt is good !!!

Researchers say playing in the dirt helps children build stronger immune systems. The Hygiene Hypothesis – that when children are too clean and their exposure to parasites, bacteria, and viruses is limited early in life, they face a greater chance of having allergies, asthma and autoimmune diseases. According to Dr. Joel Weinstock, director of gastroenterology and hepatology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, “Children raised in an ultraclean environment are not being exposed to organisms that help them develop appropriate immune regulatory circuits.”data collected from thousands of children over two decades, researchers have concluded that when children are exposed to germs and pathogens during infancy their risk of cardiovascular inflammation in adulthood, a precursor to heart attacks and strokes, is reduced. In a study by Bristol University, Mycobacterium vaccae, or M. vaccae, a “friendly” bacteria found in soil, was shown to activate a group of neurons that produce the brain chemical serotonin, enhancing feelings of well-being, much in the same manner as antidepressant drugs and exercise.

The health  benefits of Growing up with animals –  copied from webmd  http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/features/health-benefits-of-pets

“The old thinking was that if your family had a pet, the children were more likely to become allergic to the pet. And if you came from an allergy-prone family, pets should be avoided,” says researcher James E. Gern, MD, a pediatrician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. However, a growing number of studies have suggested that kids growing up in a home with “furred animals” — whether it’s a pet cat or dog, or on a farm and exposed to large animals — will have less risk of allergies and asthma .  In his recent study, Gern analyzed the blood of babies immediately after birth and one year later. He was looking for evidence of an allergic reaction immunity changes, and for reactions to bacteria in the environment.If a dog lived in the home, infants were less likely to show evidence of pet allergies  – 19% vs. 33%. They also were less likely to have eczema, a common allergy skin condition that causes red patches and itching. In addition, they had higher levels of some immune system chemicals — a sign of stronger immune system activation.”Dogs are dirty animals, and this suggests that babies who have greater exposure to dirt and allergens have a stronger immune system,” Gern says.

http://www.rootedforlife.com – building a solid foundation to grow from