Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, are finding that children are just too clean and as a result, they are at a higher risk of developing inflammation and disease. “Normal skin bacteria that act to balance immune response protect the body from overreacting to cuts and other injuries. Excessive cleanliness is actually impairing children’s natural healing function and putting them at an increased risk for disease.” Yes, that’s right, kiss the dog, lick the floor or as kids did in the south, eat dirt. Basically, just let ‘em play.

From the online edition of Nature Medicine, researchers have confirmed that germ exposure is beneficial to young children who need it in order to build immunity and prevent the onset of allergies. Being too clean is now implicated in causing increased allergies in developed countries around the world. Yes, the smell of chemicals permeated the air when I was growing up. My mother did not allow one drop of anything to sit anywhere at any time. You could literally eat from her floors.

But wait, there’s more. The overuse of skin soaps, body washes, and hand sanitizers is eliminating the important bacteria staphylococci. This has lead many researchers to question hygiene methods that have become commonplace. Children are being restricted from “dirty” outdoor activities in the name of keeping them safe from germs, when in fact these restrictions are causing them more harm than good.

A rapid rise in allergies, asthma, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, and serious inflammation diseases are also being seen in the United States where the sanitation craze has also taken hold. Science has shown that the human body maintains health because of the presence of trillions of different microbes that keep each other in check. Antibacterial products and other sanitation products can cause the growth of super-bacteria that can cause serious problems.

Children who grow up on farms and are exposed to all sorts of bugs, worms and natural elements have demonstrably less allergies and autoimmune problems than urban children who spend most of their time indoors. Playing outside barefoot every now and again and digging in the dirt more often would do wonders for the health of today’s youngsters.

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NaturalNews: Children Need More Dirt to be Healthy