Baths in the mud protect children from allergies

Long-term study: Children who are allowed to play in the dirt have fewer allergies

18/05/2011

„Parents let your kids play in the dirt because it's good for your health“. Something like this could be the conclusion of a new allergy study by the social doctor Ulrich Keil of the University of Münster. According to his results, children living in the „dirt“ play a lower risk of bronchial asthma and allergies.

Only a few years ago, a sterile environment for children was considered the ultimate. Today, more and more studies point to an opposite effect. Children who are not exposed to nature can not exercise their immune system. Prof. Dr. med. Ulrich Keil from the Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine at the University of Münster conducted a long-term study on this topic with his research team. For this purpose, the scientists used the recognized ISAAC study (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) to evaluate the data of the past 20 years from around 2 million young allergic patients in 106 countries. The researchers paid particular attention to the living conditions of the child in which it grew up.

Children who grow up in less than sterile environments develop a different immune system
In a cross-country comparison, researchers observed that, for example, children in developing countries had significantly lower susceptibility to allergies and asthma than children in western industrialized countries. „For example, rates were much lower in Albania than in Australia. This has confirmed the hygiene theory: children who do not grow up in such sterile conditions, develop a completely different immune system. Children should also be allowed to play in the dirt.“ Wedge said to the TV channel „n TV“.

For thousands of years people have grown up much the opposite of what they are today in the sterile world. In the past, children were exposed to much more bacteria and infections, so the immune system developed appropriate defensive mechanisms. Today, most people are completely different socializations. „Today we live in a very clean, germ-free environment and our immune system is therefore very different. "

Diet influences risk of allergies
Not only the germ-free environment causes the emergence of allergies. Nutrition also plays an important role, emphasizes Keil. A Mediterranean diet rich in fish, vegetables and legumes protects against asthma attack from an early age. Harmful are so-called trans-fatty acids in fried foods, as they are mainly contained in fries and hamburgers. Today people also know that children of smoking parents are more prone to allergies and asthma than others.

Mud baths for children protect against asthma and allergies
Children should therefore not necessarily grow germ-free, but often play with mud in the fresh countryside. The social doctor advises therefore all parents, baths in the dirt and mud under any circumstances to prohibit. The Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine of the University of Münster has been in existence since 1993. The Institute covers the areas of Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Clinical Epidemiology, Neuroepidemiology as well as Environment and Work Epidemiology. (Sb)

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Country life protects children from asthma
On the trail of asthma risk genes
New hope for asthma therapy?
Alcohol can increase asthma and hay fever
Therapy options for bronchial asthma

Picture: Albrecht E. Arnold