The theory that living in clean conditions may do a disservice to your immune system is gaining some traction with a new study on rats.
I’ve heard before that kids who grow up with pets end up having fewer allergies than their petless playmates have. And it seems common sense that immune systems in a clean world would be unused to germs, and therefore not as able to handle them when it comes across them (not that common sense and actual science often have much in common).
But other consequences of germ-virginity could be less obvious. According to the researchers, it’s possible that the clean immune system would not only handle threats poorly, but could overreact to harmless germs. Like a waiter with only one table to watch, the immune system hovers a little too close and pounces on any out of place speck.
When the immune system attacks, we feel it (as a fever, let’s say, or a swollen gland). We often feel worse from the immune system’s attack than from the actual germs that triggered it. But it’s usually worth it to kill the disease.
If our immune systems are attacking insignificant germs, then the cure, as they say, is far worse than the disease. We’d be feeling sick due only to the lack of germs that can make us sick.
More proof that God has a sense of humor.
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