The other day I wrote that you can build up your immune system by playing in the dirt. And some people thought I was crazy.
Some people asked, “Doesn’t that go against staying clean to stay healthy?” Others said, “There’s no way that simple suggestion can defeat nasty bugs.”
Well, I’m going to give you proof that this works. But first, let me tell you a story….
Carl is my brother’s good friend. He was in a serious accident in 1986 and was rushed to the hospital. And while he was there, he caught an infection.
Carl ended up being in the hospital for months. The doctors tried every antibiotic they could think of. But nothing helped.
So the doctors did something shocking. They sent him home.
One of the doctors pulled Carl aside and said, “the only way you’re going to get rid of this bug is to get outdoors a lot, occasionally even roll in the dirt.”
That was his advice. Get outside and play in the dirt. It couldn’t possibly work – or could it?
Well, here’s what happened: In less than two weeks, Carl’s superbugs were gone!
Why Dirt Is Powerful Medicine
As you may know, there are good bacteria and bad bacteria. What you may not know is that the vast majority of bacteria fall into the good category, and a relatively small percentage are bad for you.
And there’s no better source of good bacteria (and other micro-organisms) than the soil. In fact, if you take a teaspoon into your yard and dig up a little soil, you’ll have over four billion tiny creatures sitting on your spoon. That’s how many critters live in any square inch of dirt.
These critters include bacteria, algae, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, and more. And, yes, there are even viruses. And all of them play an important role in building the human body’s immune system.
When you play in the dirt, all those organisms build immunity in your body. The dirt exposes you to a large number of organisms that can kill off bacterial infections and destroy viral infections. They also can destroy or crowd out other harmful pathogens, such as candida, fungi, and parasites. And they bind to toxins and extract them from the body.
So dirt is like a vaccine, an antibiotic, an antiviral, an anti-fungal, an antiparasitic, and a detox all rolled into one!
But it does even more.
Some of the micro-organisms in dirt help nourish cells in the colon and liver. They actually create nutrients, such as B vitamins, vitamin K2, antioxidants, and enzymes. These nutrients power the immune system and reduce inflammation throughout the body.
But don’t take my word for it. Many studies prove how powerful dirt is as a medicine.
What Science Says About Dirt
About 25 years ago, Dr. David Strachan proposed what he called the “Hygiene Hypothesis.” His hypothesis came about when he noticed that immune disorders, such as allergies and asthma, were skyrocketing. He theorized that this was due to the hyper-clean environments we live in now.
Strachan’s theory went unconfirmed until 2012. That’s when researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital published evidence in the journal Science. The researchers studied the immune system of mice that were lacking bacteria or any other microbes. They compared these germ-free mice to mice living in a normal environment with microbes.
The researchers found that the germ-free mice had exaggerated inflammation of the lungs and colon resembling asthma and colitis, respectively. The mice raised in a normal environment didn’t have any of these issues. Other studies have found that germ-free mice also have a significantly higher rate of allergies.
But newer research is finding so much more about dirt.
Dirt Bacteria Actually Produces Antibiotics
In 2015, Kim Lewis, a biochemist at Northeastern University in Boston, discovered a compound in soil that acts as an antibiotic. The compound is called teixobactin (TIKES-so-BAK-tin).
Dr. Lewis was able to use this compound to wipe out bacteria that cause dangerous infections in people. These included strep, tuberculosis, and anthrax!
Teixobactin works by harming a bacterium’s ability to build its cell wall. With its cell wall weakened, the bacterium loses its defenses and dies.
What’s unusual about teixobactin is that it comes from other bacteria. That’s right, bacteria in soil create antibiotics to kill other bacteria. That’s how they stay alive. And that’s one of the ways that soil helps your body fight off infection.
Teixobactin is giving researchers an entirely new world of antibiotics to explore. And because this compound is so different from other antibiotics, it’s unlikely bacteria will become resistant to it – at least not very fast.
But there’s more.
Can Dirt Fight Deadly Viruses?
So dirt can fight illnesses we deal with every day. It can fight bacteria – even antibiotic-resistant bacteria. But can it really fight deadly viruses too?
Naomi Rogers, in her book Dirt and Disease: Polio Before FDR, shows how dirt helped beat the polio virus.
Rogers writes: “Before the 1890s, nonparalytic polio was endemic and rarely recognized or recorded. Most children were infected by the polio virus through maternal antibodies or as infants. This early infection usually produces only a mild fever and then lifelong immunity. But, like measles, polio infection is most dangerous when it occurs among those who have developed no immunity in infancy.”
So how did the children develop immunity to polio? By playing in the dirt as young children.
Rogers says the data shows how cleanliness contributed to a rise in polio cases. She explains,
“In the 20th century, as more children in industrialized Western countries were protected from disease through improved sanitation and childcare, diseases such as cholera and typhoid began to decline, but polio cases grew.
“Thus by 1900, while most poor immigrant children had become infected and immune at an early age, children from clean, middle-class homes were at greater risk of the paralytic form of the disease.”
There’s a Difference Between Dirt and Filth
Now please don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you should forget about sanitation and hygiene. Obviously, you should wash your hands. Obviously, you should keep a distance from people who might be infected or whom you might infect. And obviously, you should practice good sanitation when preparing or handling food.
But there’s a place for playing in the dirt, too.
In fact, there are over 800 studies in the scientific literature that reference soil‐based organisms. These studies suggest that these organisms successfully prevent and/or treat a wide variety of health conditions. These include:
- allergies
- asthma
- irritable bowel syndrome
- ulcerative colitis
- flatulence
- nausea
- indigestion
- malabsorption
- nutrient deficiencies
- autoimmune diseases
- inflammatory diseases
- bacterial, fungal, and viral infections
A Fun, Simple Hobby With Great Health Benefits
It’s springtime. Why not take the opportunity to get some sun and play in the dirt. Start a garden, plant some seeds, or put some potted plants on your balcony. It’s a fun hobby that can help get rid of your “cabin fever.”
More importantly, it can give your immune system the information it needs to function at peak performance.
Don’t avoid basic sanitation and good habits like hand washing. But don’t be afraid of the dirt either.
REF:
https://www.stanhopeschools.org/cms/lib03/NJ01001951/Centricity/Domain/82/SummerReadingArticle2014.pdf
https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/new-germ-fighter-turns-dirt
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=dWQ9QZl7xKkC&oi=fnd&pg=PP11&dq=dirt+immune+system&ots=Ksljc6RhOV&sig=S3x9-ZFX19qtGFvv8VzDID7uHY0#v=onepage&q=dirt%20immune%20system&f=false
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120322142157.htm
https://www.mnn.com/health/healthy-spaces/stories/tune-up-your-immune-system-in-the-garden
Why Eating Dirt (aka Soil-Based Organisms) Should Be Part of Your Daily Routine
https://www.stanhopeschools.org/cms/lib03/NJ01001951/Centricity/Domain/82/SummerReadingArticle2014.pdf
https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/some-dirt-wont-hurt