Sometime in the 1990s, researchers developed the hygiene hypothesis as a way of explaining the steady increase in chronic respiratory illnesses over the preceding 15 years. According to the American Academy of allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, the number of Americans with asthma increased by 75 percent during that period and the number of those with some kind of allergy doubled. The theory points to our obsession with cleanliness as the correlating factor—after all, similar ailments hardly exist in undeveloped (read dirtier) countries.

Advocates of the hypothesis note that our immune system depends on two types of white blood cells (lymphocytes). One (Th1) tackles bacteria and viruses, and the other (Th2) responds to parasites, generally by releasing histamines and floods of mucus. When a baby’s developing immune system doesn’t encounter enough or the right kind of bacteria, viruses, or parasites, so the theory goes, these lymphocytes get out of whack and start treating harmless things like dust or pollen as major invaders.

Critics of the idea quickly point out exceptions, like the high incidence of asthma in inner city children, but two new studies enhance the hypothesis’ viability. The first, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Immunology, found that sewer rats—the filthy, beady-eyed vermin that send shivers of fear and loathing up our spines—actually have stronger immune responses and higher levels of disease-fighting antibodies than rats raised in the dirt- and disease-free environment of the research lab.

The second involves something even more noisome—whipworms. A Michigan State University team has found that swallowing the eggs of this threadlike parasite helps relieve the intestinal ulcers and severe bouts of diarrhea that characterize inflammatory bowel disease. Since IBD occurs more frequently in industrialized nations, these new findings also fit the hygiene hypothesis, which says that occasional infections actually bolster the immune system, and that parasites have historically played an important part in our immune development. The study, funded by a $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, was launched after researchers found that whipworms in pigs set off an anti-inflammatory response against bacteria. In fact, the parasite approach may prove helpful in treating other conditions, such as asthma and diabetes.

It’s too soon for FDA approval, but rest assured that if you’re ever prescribed worms, they won’t take up permanent residence—the body usually expels them after a few weeks, and if it doesn’t, you can always get dewormed.
~Einav Keet

Get more great tips: Try a free issue of Natural Solutions Magazine.

Related Articles
Antibiotics the Road to Allergies
Foods to Boost Your Immunity

Information presented is of a general nature for educational and informational purposes only. Statements about products and health conditions have not been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Products and information presented herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional.

Printer friendly page

Tags: Categories: