I love the internet because I have the opportunity to get to meet and get to know people from around the world. One of those people is Arthur Webster (AKA The Old Coot). Over the Years since we met Arthur and I have had some intense debates. We don’t always agree but we do respect each other and I personally enjoy our debates and I also love when he says something that makes perfect sense like this post
Healthy dirt
As I have gone through the years I have noticed that the longer I live the more sick the people there are around me. The worrying aspect of this is that it is younger people who are getting ill, and with strange diseases.
I am not going to mention specific diseases because my theory does not try to apply cause to them but, in general, it is fairly clear to me that people are becoming more ill because of excessive hygiene.
Like Arthur I believe that we have become increasingly ‘germaphobic’, we are at war with the lowly germ and doing our best to eradicate it. In doing so, we have hamstringed our immune systems. When we are exposed to germs our immune system develops antibodies against that germ to protect us, by we are preventing that from happening by trying to create a sterile world.
Think about it. Doctors used to prescribe antibiotics for the least little fever or sniffle, now they don’t. That’s because you body develops resistance to the medication rendering it useless in the future. Unless it is a moderate to severe infection, the doctor will leave you to rely on your own immune system which over the years should have developed resistance to a variety of diseases. But if you aren’t encountering germs along the way, that doesn’t happen.
Don’t get my meaning wrong here, I’m not saying that we should be filthy. What I am saying is basic hygiene with soap and water is enough. You just don’t need all the hand sanitizers, anti bacterial this and that. Remember that your body itself contains Bacteria and it is there for a reason.
