Bringing Home Antibodies
In recent years, cleanliness has so over taken many peoples homes that they are sometimes lacking some of the antibodies that help to create immunity. Its the classic case of someone being so protective of their families that their living environment becomes too clean. Yes, there is such a thing, and it is as dangerous and the other end of the spectrum where people are living in filth.
People have even gone so far as to stop having pets in the home thinking that animals bring in bad germs, but studies now say that having a dog at home can actually reduce a familys chances of developing allergies. There was a six year study done in England which consisted of watching 9,000 children. It was found that children who grow up with pets have healthier immune systems than those who are kept away from animals. Their systems are far less likely to be sensitive to things that trigger bouts with allergies such as asthma, hay fever and even eczema. They expound on the theory that life has actually become too clean, and that children in particular are not exposed to enough germs anymore. And if there is no exposure to germs, the immune systems cannot develop to combat normal issues like allergies. By having a dog in the home, a childs immune system starts to build up some desensitization to pollens and other inhaled allergens. That same thing is not seen in children in homes with not pets. The critical time period is from birth to age six. With all the research and the results, the findings are still somewhat of a mystery. Is it just a normal balance with nature that causes children to develop good antibodies while others dont? In any event, the conclusion is that its better to have a dog than not!
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