Overly Sanitized Environments Lead to Poor Health?

bignickel writes "A recently-released study examined the health implications of living in an overly hygienic environment. According to the 'hygiene hypothesis,' living in such an environment early in life can lead to problems with allergies and autoimmune diseases. The study compared lab rodents with rats and mice living in the wild. Time to stop Lysol-bombing the house?"

You should see my bathroom

[Siberwulf]

If you did, you'd see why I haven't been sick in 15 years.

George Carlin

[BHearsum]

"In my neighborhood no one ever got polio. No one, ever. You know why? 'Cause we swam in the East River. We swam in raw sewage! It strengthened our immune systems. The polio never had a prayer; we were tempered in raw shit!"

At last!

[icebrain]

A good reason to give my fiancee for NOT cleaning my house every weekend... I'll tell her it's good for you!

Thats why little kids eat dirt.

[Cobratek]

Ever notice little kids who eat dirt are healthier looking and tend to be not as scrawny as the kids with clean-freaks for parents. Ever see a toddler allowed to play outside that didnt eat dirt ? They need the bacteria for their digestive system.

fluoridate

[Anonymous Coward]

Do you realize that in addition to fluoridating water, why, there are studies underway to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk, ice cream? Ice cream, Mandrake? Children's ice cream!...You know when fluoridation began?...1946. 1946, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual, and certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works.

Uhh.. what?

[chris_eineke]

Time to stop Lysol-bombing the house?

WTF is Lysol? And WTF is a house?

Re:My Own Similar Theory...

[jizziknight]

No, that would make her Spider-Woman, and my embryo would split into about a thousand embryos, and she would lay us in sack in the corner until we hatched. Then I would be one of a thousand Spider-Men. Let's see Doc Oc or the Green Goblin fight off THAT.

Re:You should see my bathroom

[elrous0]

I can top it. I used to live in a fraternity house. We had germs there that had learned to use tools.

-Eric

Oblig. Carlin

[milkman_matt]

Reminds me of the Carlin bit:

"The Hudson River was loaded with raw sewage. That's right, we swam in raw sewage. You know, to cool off. And back then the big fear was polio. Thousands of kids every year were dying of polio. But you know what, in my neighborhood, nobody ever got polio. No one. Ever. You know why? BECAUSE WE SWAM IN RAW SEWAGE. It strengthened our immune system. The polio never had a chance. We were tempered in raw shit.

What are you going to do when some super virus comes along that turns your vital organs into liquid shit? I'll tell you what you're gonna do. You're gonna get sick and you're gonna die and you're gonna deserve it because you're fuckin' weak and you have a fuckin' weak immune system."

Re:My Own Similar Theory...

[Chicken04GTO]

Im nearly immune to the posion ivy/oaks families too. I can see it on my skin if ive been exposed, but they dont itch or bother me. Ill ask my mom if she was ever exposed to poison Ivy while preggers.

if your theory is correct, then I wish I could go back in time and surround my mom with stupid people, because I am deathly allergic to them now.

5 second rule

[Glacial Wanderer]

To think that I've had the 5 second rule backwards all these years... Note to self: let food sit on the floor for more than 5 seconds before picking it up.

Re:You should see my bathroom

[gstoddart]

I can top it. I used to live in a fraternity house. We had germs there that had learned to use tools.

You can't count the pledges, that's not fair! ;-)

Geeks knew this for ages

[Opportunist]

Ever been to a geek's home? Or seen his workspace?

WE knew this all along! That's why we stay healthy during times when about half the company is sick. Like, say, during a football world championship.

Re:The future

[quantum bit]

Yeah, but that's on a terraformed planet with loads of dirt and germs and trees that look just like the woods around Vancouver.

Re:Farm Workers Without Allergies

[dkixk]

I'm no scientist but everytime I drop a large heavy object it falls faster than a small light feather. I think the conclusion is obvious.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." -- Albert Einstein

Re:At last!

[spagetti_code]

You have a girlfriend. And she cleans your house.

Your not from around here are you?

Re:At last!

[Anonymous Coward]

A good reason to give my fiancee for NOT cleaning my house every weekend... I'll tell her it's good for you!

Just get married, that'll stop her from cleaning it.

Re:My Own Similar Theory...

[Erioll]

if your theory is correct, then I wish I could go back in time and surround my mom with stupid people, because I am deathly allergic to them now.

Though when you think about it, I think it'd be WORSE to not have indications that you are among such. Better to have the detector than not! ;)

Re:unfortunately...

[a55clown]

move to new jersey.