Clean Freak or Booger Eater?

Finding the right balance of hormetic stressors.

The effect of soil on immune health: https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/the-influence-of-soil-on-human-health-66885

Boundless (ref)

Germs:

Studies show that a kid’s snot harbors bacteria that, when eaten, help strengthen the body’s immune system.

The Hygiene Hypothesis:

• Dr. David Strachan: Hay fever and eczema were less common in larger families, and that children in those families were exposed to more germs through their siblings. Studies have now confirmed this as well as the protective effects of living on a farm.
• A 2003 article in a journal of immunology, Dr. Graham Rook proposed the “old friends” hypothesis, arguing that we have become so dependent on the microbes that coevolved with domesticated mammals and pets that they are still have similar microbes on our skin, gut, and respiratory tract.

The “microbial diversity” hypothesis is the idea that more diverse gut microbiomes are, the healthier we are. Similar to the hygiene hypothesis.

Autoimmune diseases are much more common in industrialized nations than developing ones, and those that emigrate from developing countries tend to be more likely to develop asthma and immunological issues.