3 ms·

The "old friends" hypothesis is a very interesting point of view regarding the epidemiology of immune system disorders. Of particular importance is the evidenc

by jrapdx3 10y ago

The "old friends" hypothesis is a very interesting point of view regarding the epidemiology of immune system disorders. Of particular importance is the evidence that major depressive disorder falls into this category. The impact of this is huge. IIRC MDD is the 3rd leading cause of disability world wide. MDD costs the American economy >$200 billion/year according to recent studies. Quite fascinating to me that the quest of developed nations for hyper-sanitation may well be a cause of rising levels of disability. When I was a kid my mother didn't seem to object when I was "playing in the dirt". Maybe she was on to something, I sure don't have the allergies so many of my contemporaries complain about. IMO this article is a really excellent review of "old friends", at least it made quite an impression on me when I read it at the time of publication: Raison CL, Lowry CA, Rook GA Inflammation, sanitation, and consternation: loss of contact with coevolved, tolerogenic microorganisms and the pathophysiology and treatment of major depression. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21135322 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21135322

e40 10y ago
I played in a lot of dirt as a kid. LOTS. I have a ton of allergies. I wasn't breast fed, however. I was born in a time when our society thought formula was better for babies than what evolution produced. My son, who never played in the dirt (that's a problem with high-density cities) and was breast fed, has a ton of allergies.
- spdionis 10y ago
  So probably the allergies have are unrelated to playing in the dirt or breast feeding?
- cowpewter 10y ago
  I wonder if it's more related to extensive antibiotic use, both in people and the livestock we eat. I played in the dirt a lot, pretty sure I was at least partially breast fed, but have always had a ton of allergies (as well as asthma) since I was a kid. I also used to get at least once-yearly (if not more often) sinus, throat, and ear infections, and also received repeated antibiotics for UTIs (that turned out to not actually be infections at all, but muscle spasms related to fibromyalgia). I got scarlet fever when as I was four, and got yearly strep throat until I was well out of college. As an adult my allergies now include amoxicillin (and penicillin and keflex), which was given to me repeatedly in childhood.

by jrapdx3 10y ago

e40 10y ago

I played in a lot of dirt as a kid. LOTS. I have a ton of allergies. I wasn't breast fed, however. I was born in a time when our society thought formula was better for babies than what evolution produced. My son, who never played in the dirt (that's a problem with high-density cities) and was breast fed, has a ton of allergies.

spdionis 10y ago
So probably the allergies have are unrelated to playing in the dirt or breast feeding?
cowpewter 10y ago
I wonder if it's more related to extensive antibiotic use, both in people and the livestock we eat. I played in the dirt a lot, pretty sure I was at least partially breast fed, but have always had a ton of allergies (as well as asthma) since I was a kid. I also used to get at least once-yearly (if not more often) sinus, throat, and ear infections, and also received repeated antibiotics for UTIs (that turned out to not actually be infections at all, but muscle spasms related to fibromyalgia). I got scarlet fever when as I was four, and got yearly strep throat until I was well out of college. As an adult my allergies now include amoxicillin (and penicillin and keflex), which was given to me repeatedly in childhood.