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Want To Fight Allergies? Get a Dirty Dog

sciencehabit writes "A dog in the house is more than just good company. There's increasing evidence that exposure to dogs and livestock early in life can lessen the chances of infants later developing allergies and asthma. Now, researchers have traced this beneficial health effect to a microbe living in the gut. Their study, in mice, suggests that supplementing an infant's diet with the right mix of bacteria might help prevent allergies — even without a pet pooch."

5 of 147 comments (clear)

  1. Makes sense by ls671 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It makes sense. I have always said that keeping your kids in an aseptic environment is not helping them to build resistance for when they get out to the real world at some point.

    Do you remember that South Park episode where the parents would get their kids with other sick kids for them to also get sick? Well, there is some truth to it...

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chickenpox_(South_Park)

    --
    Everything I write is lies, read between the lines.
  2. Doesn't work by antifoidulus · · Score: 5, Funny

    I already tried this, but all that happened was that Snoop stole my weed and banged my wife. Didn't really help my allergies at all.

  3. Re:In other words ... by Luckyo · · Score: 5, Informative

    You'd actually be surprised to hear that mother's body prepares itself for giving birth by allocating a number of fecal bacteria to the vagina, which baby licks up on its way down the birth canal.

    So yes, nature intends for babies to "eat shit". Because it's needed to establish appropriate gut flora. To the point where nowadays doctors take vaginal swabs and put them in baby's mouth if baby is born of cesarean section and cannot get these naturally.

  4. Re:I KNEW IT! by MrNiCeGUi · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I must disagree with your rationale for wanting dogs banned in urban areas (because that's what I deduce from your wording that you want). There are already laws in place for dealing with those aspects that annoy you, respectively noise and littering.

    The fact that there are inconsiderate people out there is not, in itself, sufficient to call for an outright ban.

    I lived close to a bar, and I can tell you a thing or two about noise, street fights and vomit on the sidewalk. I still did not consider asking for a ban on all bars within urban areas. I did, however, call the police when i considered it appropriate.

  5. Re:I KNEW IT! by __aaltlg1547 · · Score: 5, Funny

    There are alphas like that and they should be fined, repeatedly. But you may not understand our situation.

    Our barking is to indicate a warning to our packmates or to scare off a threat (or occasionally to intimidate a squirrel). We don't bark much when our alphas are home to hear us because our alphas quickly reassure us that they don't need us to help frighten off the threat. Once our packmates acknowledge the situation, we know we have done our job and can go back to more productive activities.

    However, some things are too scary to stop barking, and one simply must keep barking until it has gone away.