Down and Dirty Part II

I recently wrote an article sharing research that skin-to-soil contact “benefits our immune system, mental health, and longevity”. We’ll call that piece “Down and Dirty Part I” and you can read it right here.

While doing some additional research on the subject, I came across a new article that supports the healing power of dirt in a new way that I wanted to share with you.

As you know, I am a big believer in working with soil and gardening. It is one of my personal favorite passions and I find that it is relaxing, puts me in a good mood and I always feel better after working outside in nature.

But the benefits to getting your hands dirty aren’t relegated to adults. My 10-month-old grandson loves playing in the leaves and garden regularly. He smiles as soon as we put him on the ground. And there may be something to it other than having fun.

I’m linking to an article below that discusses what happened to children’s immune systems when daycares in Finland laid out a forest for children to play in. Since you already know the gist of the article, you can guess what the results were: 

“Compared to other city kids who play in standard urban daycares with yards of pavement, tile, and gravel, 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds at these greened-up daycare centers in Finland showed increased T-cells and other important immune markers in their blood within 28 days.”

The implications of this article make one do some deep thought.

Can it be that working and getting dirty in the garden can help prevent autoimmune diseases? Can it boost our immunity?

The study indicates that it may be possible to modulate the immune system by relatively simple actions that change the living environment of young children in urban communities.

Could everyone working in the garden significantly reduce the incidence of new viral outbreaks? The answer to boosting our overall immunity might be in our own backyard!!

 – Dr. P

Here is the article from Science Alert.

Also, while we’re on the subject of gardening, have you ever wondered if nightshade vegetables are healthy for you or not?

I certainly did.

You can read what I discovered in my blog post here: Nightshade Vegetables: Friend or Foe?

Joseph Purita, MD